A Lincoln-themed tour of Washington, D.C.

  • By Beth J. Harpaz Associated Press
  • Friday, February 1, 2013 2:33pm
  • Life

Whether you’re interested in Lincoln the president or “Lincoln” the movie, Washington, D.C., is a downright thrilling destination.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and one of the country’s most admired, rising from humble roots in a frontier cabin to become a self-educated lawyer and brilliant politician.

As president, he ended slavery by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation and preserved the nation despite the Civil War.

The story of his assassination is one of the best-known chapters of American history.

Many museums are offering special exhibits for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. Other sites can be visited any time.

Lincoln Memorial: This larger-than-life white marble statue of Lincoln, completed in 1922, sits inside a massive columned building inspired by the Parthenon. Located on the National Mall, www.nps.gov/linc/.

Ford’s Theatre And Petersen House: Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theatre in 1865 while watching a play with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. He was brought to a house across the street, now a museum and historic site called the Petersen House.

A visit to Ford’s and the Petersen House reveals fascinating details of the crime: John Wilkes Booth walked right up to the box where Lincoln was sitting and shot him in the head.

A plaque marks the site of a nearby boardinghouse where conspirators were said to have plotted the assassination.

Located at 511 10th St., NW, www.fordstheatre.org/.

President Lincoln’s Cottage: This was Lincoln’s summer home, where he and his family escaped Washington’s heat and humidity.

Through April 30, an exhibit here displays one of just 26 existing signed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation. http://lincolncottage.org/.

Other stops on a Lincoln tour:

  • Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History: “Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863 and the March on Washington, 1963” exhibit through Sept. 15; and “The First Ladies” exhibit with Mary Todd Lincoln’s purple velvet gown made by her seamstress and confidante, Elizabeth Keckley, an African-American woman who had purchased her own freedom. http://americanhistory.si.edu/.
  • Smithsonian American Art Museum And National Portrait Gallery: “The Civil War and American Art” through April 28, including plaster casts of Lincoln’s face along with casts of his hands http://npg.si.edu.
  • Newseum: An exhibit here called “Blood and Ink: Front Pages From the Civil War” displays more than 30 front pages from the era, www.newseum.org/.
Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.