On April 14, 1865 John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in Fords Theatre as he attended the performance of Our American Cousin. After his assassination the people forced the closure of the theatre. The doors of the theatre reopened to the public in 1968 and since that time it has become one of the most visited sites in Washington.
After Lincoln was shot he was carried across the street to the William Peterson residence, a German-born tailor. From the back room of the house Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton announced at 7:22am on April 15, 1865, "Now he belongs to the ages", referring to the passing of President Lincoln. Lincoln died, lying diagonally because he was so tall, on a bed the size of the one in the room, now. In 1896, the government bought the house for $30,000, and the National Park Service now maintains it.
The Peterson house is open for tours but if you want to see them both wait a few months as the theatre is undergoing renovations.
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