Category: Washington DC

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National Parks, Monuments, and Seashores United States Washington DC

Don’t Skip the Impressive White House Visitor Center!

White House Visitor Center
Theodore Roosevelt informational panel in the White House Visitor Center

One of the biggest surprises we encountered in DC was the White House Visitor Center. This must-see attraction is often overlooked- in fact, I missed it on my first 4 trips to the capital city! The White House Visitor exhibit area features nearly 100 historical artifacts, archival footage, interactive displays, informational panels, videos, and photos from the most famous house in the United States of America. There is even a large-scale model of the White House and tactile exhibits that kids will love!

Unlike the White House which requires that you book a tour in advance, the White House Visitor Center is open to anyone. The White House Visitor Center is operated by the National Park Service and is free and open to the public. It provides an insight into what life in the White House is like for the First Families through artifacts. These relics include Franklin D. Roosevelt’s desk, Abraham Lincoln’s china, copies of the First Lady’s date books, and photos of visits from royal families around the globe.

The theater space features a film called “The White House: Reflections from Within” which recounts personal stories from Presidents, First Ladies, and First Families. We suggest watching this 14-minute video first, even though the theater is located at the back of the center.

Even if you aren’t able to get a tour of the inside of the White House, we suggest checking out the Visitor Center. If you are lucky enough to snag a White House Tour, be sure to stop by the Visitor Center first to use their facilities as there are no restrooms available for public use at the White House.

Large Scale Model of the White House

Visiting to the White House Visitor Center

The White House Visitor Center is located at:
1450 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

 Admission to the White House Visitor Center is free.

The center is open Tuesday- Saturday from 7:30 am until 4 pm except for Federal Holidays.

 Visitors are required to pass through TSA-style airport security to enter the exhibit space.

Parking near the White House Visitor Center is limited as many of the street parking is limited to federal employees and bus parking.  We suggest taking the Metro to access the Visitor Center.  The nearest metro stations are Metro Center (Blue/Orange/Silver/Red lines) and Federal Triangle (Blue/Orange/Silver lines).  Both are about a 7-minute walk from the station to the White House Visitor Center.

Important Information

The follow is not permitted inside the White House Visitor Center:

  • Pets (except service animals)
  • Weapons of any kid
  • Glass Containers
  • Food
  • Beverages (except for white in clear plastic containers and baby formula)
  • Suitcases, duffel bags or bookbags larger than 18″x16″x8″
  • Any objects that may threaten public safety and security
A copy of First Lady Betty Ford's planner from when she hosted Queen Elizabeth II for a State Dinner

What is There to do Nearby?

China and stemware used during the Lincoln presidency

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Post updated: 5/3/25

Categories
National Parks, Monuments, and Seashores United States Washington DC

The Impressive Lincoln Memorial: 10 Things You Didn’t Know

The Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial was built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.  The memorial is located on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, DC.  Each year, more than seven million people visit the Lincoln Memorial.  The structure is one of the most recognizable memorials in the world, and is known for being a beacon of hope and inspiration. 

Although plans for the memorial began shortly after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the monument took more than 50 years for it to be constructed and open to the public.  Construction was slowed by World War I and the memorial didn’t open until 1922.

The memorial is modeled after the Parthenon, a Greek Doric temple.  Architect Henry Bacon stated, “a memorial to the man who defended the democracy should be modeled after a structure from the birthplace of democracy.”  Other symbols in the monument represent the union, peace, justice, freedom, and other ideals important to Lincoln.

 The Lincoln Memorial has been the backdrop for many key points in American history.  Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech took place on the monuments steps.   The memorial was also the site of the Inaugural Celebration for America’s first black President of the United States, Barack Obama.

The monument is maintained by the National Park Service.  It was one of the first monuments to be included in the National Register of Historic Places.

10 Things You Didn't Know About the Lincoln Memorial

  • John Russell Pope originally planned for the Lincoln Memorial to modeled after the Egyptian pyramids, rather than the Greek temple style we see today.  He also proposed a traditional Mayan temple or a Mesopotamian ziggurat made up of 8 layers, each one smaller than the next, with Lincoln on top.  
  • Lincoln’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln, attended the dedication.   He was Lincoln’s only surviving son and was 78 years old at the time.
  • Although Lincoln was known as the Great Emancipator, the dedication ceremony was segregated.   
  • The Reflection Pool is actually part of the Lincoln Memorial.  The pool, tucked between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, is formally known as the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. 
  • The 36 columns that make up the memorial symbolize the 36 states that were in the Union during Lincoln’s lifetime.  
  • Even the building materials are symbolic.  The materials were brought in from Colorado, Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia to help portray the unity of the nation.   
  • The memorial includes two of Lincoln’s most famous speeches.  Both the Gettysburg Address and the second Inaugural Address are engraved into the wall on either side of Lincoln’s statue.  
  • There are also two murals inside that commemorate Lincoln’s ideals and core principles.  The murals depict freedom, liberty, immorality, justice, law, unity, fraternity, and charity.
  • An inscription etched into the steps of the Lincoln Memorial marks where Martin Luther King, Jr. stood to give his I Have a Dream speech.
  • Lincoln was interested in furthering the study of sign language.  He signed the charter for Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf, to be constructed.  A nod to this can be seen on the massive sculpture of Lincoln inside of the memorial.  His hands seem to be signing the letters A and L.

Visiting the Lincoln Memorial

The memorial is open 24 hours, 365 days a year.  

Physical Address:
2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW
Washington, DC 20002

Nearest Metro Stations:
Foggy Bottom (23rd St.& I St.NW) & Smithsonian (12th St. & Independence Ave.)

What is there to do Nearby?

The Lincoln Memorial is located in the heart of historical row known as the National Mall.    Nearby you’ll find:

  • Vietnam Veterans Memorial
  • Vietnam Women’s Memorial
  • Korean War Veterans Memorial
  • Constitution Gardens
  • World War II Memorial
  • Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial 
  • Washington Monument
  • Smithsonian Museums
  • US Botanic Gardens
  • United States Capitol
  • The White House

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Categories
National Parks, Monuments, and Seashores United States Washington DC

Ford’s Theatre: Where Lincoln’s Remarkable Legacy Lives On

Ford's Theatre- the site the the Lincoln assassination

Ford’s Theatre marks one of the most somber moments in American history—the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Today, this National Historic Site includes four key components: the Ford’s Theatre Museum, the historic theatre itself (where Lincoln was shot), the Petersen House (where he died), and the Aftermath Exhibits. Together, these sites tell a powerful story of Lincoln’s presidency, his tragic final night, and the lasting legacy he left behind.

History of Ford's Theatre

Before it became a national landmark, Ford’s Theatre was originally the First Baptist Church of Washington. When the congregation moved to a new building, entrepreneur John T. Ford purchased the property and transformed it into a performance venue he named “Ford’s Athenaeum.”

Today, the site is most famously known as the location of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865. Following Lincoln’s death, the U.S. government paid Ford $88,000 for the building and took it over for military use. Over the years, the space served a variety of purposes: the first floor stored records for the War Department, the second floor housed the Library of the Surgeon General’s Office, and the third floor became home to the Army Medical Museum.

Tragedy struck again in 1893 when part of the building collapsed, killing 22 people and injuring 68 others. After repairs, it reopened as the Record and Pension Office.

On February 12, 1932—Lincoln’s 123rd birthday—the building was transferred to the National Park Service. Since then, the NPS has worked diligently to restore the theatre and preserve it as a memorial to the legacy of the nation’s 16th president.

The Kids at Ford's Theater

Lincoln's Assassination

On the evening of April 14, 1865—just five days after General Robert E. Lee’s surrender effectively ended the Civil War—President Abraham Lincoln attended a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre.

Among the cast was the well-known actor John Wilkes Booth, a staunch Confederate sympathizer. Originally, Booth had planned to kidnap Lincoln and other high-ranking officials in a desperate attempt to revive the failing Confederacy. That plan soon escalated into a coordinated plot to assassinate President Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William Seward.

As a familiar face at the theatre, Booth had unrestricted access to its interior—including the Presidential Box. During the play, Booth slipped inside, shot President Lincoln at point-blank range with a .44-caliber Deringer pistol, and leapt onto the stage, reportedly shouting, “Sic semper tyrannis!”—“Thus always to tyrants”—before fleeing the building.

The pistol used in the assassination, small but devastating, is now on display in the Ford’s Theatre Museum, a chilling reminder of one of the darkest nights in American history.

Ford's Theatre Today

This National Historic Site is composed of four parts:  the Museum, Ford’s Theatre (where Lincoln was shot), the Petersen House (where Lincoln died), the museum, and the Aftermath Exhibits.  Both the theatre and the Petersen House are National Historic sites.  We suggest visiting all four of the locations below to get the full-experience.  Together, these 4 locations chronicle the story of Lincoln from when he swore in as President to the days after his death.  

The Museum

The museum features an impressive collection that follows Abraham Lincoln from the beginning of his presidency to his assassination.  Through historical relics, visitors learn about his life in the White House, his role in the Civil War, and his meetings with the abolitionist, Frederick Douglass.  

The museum also introduces visitors to John Wilkes Booth. The exhibit explores Booth’s relationship with Lincoln, the root of his hatred toward the 16th president, and the group of people who conspired to decimate the US government.

The museum tour is self-guided.  A visit to the museum takes about 30 minutes.

The Historic Ford's Theatre

Ford’s Theatre is the site of one of the most tragic moments in American history: the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Remarkably, the historic theatre still closely resembles how it looked on that fateful night in 1865. The Presidential Box is draped with an American flag and features a portrait of George Washington—just as it did when Lincoln arrived for the evening’s performance.

While the interior of the Presidential Box is closed to the public to preserve its condition, visitors can view it from the main floor of the theatre.

The theatre tour is self-guided and typically takes about 30 minutes. National Park Service rangers are on-site to answer questions and provide historical insight during your visit.

The Petersen House

After President Lincoln was shot, he was carried out of Ford’s Theatre and brought to the Petersen House—a boarding house directly across the street. A crowd quickly gathered outside as a doctor worked tirelessly to save the president’s life.

Inside, Lincoln was surrounded by his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, along with several government officials. The attending doctor provided hourly updates throughout the night.

At 7:22 a.m. on April 15, 1865, the updates stopped. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, had passed away.

The Aftermath Exhibits

This was my favorite part of the museum complex.  The Aftermath Exhibits transport you to a Washington street the morning after Lincoln’s assassination.  The exhibits tell the story of the crowds that gather to mourn the president, the funeral train back to Springfield, Illinois, and the 12-day hunt for John Wilkes Booth.  The exhibit also covers John Wilkes Booth’s capture in Virginia, his trial, and the fate of Booth and his conspirators.

Naturally, the exhibits also cover the impact of Lincoln’s life and death on the American people.  

Pro-Tip:  If you are visiting during the summer months, be sure to pack plenty of water.  Summers in DC are extremely hot (and this is coming from a Florida girl) and you can easily get dehydrated.  You may need to wait in line to access these sites and there is very little shade.

If you’re pressed for time, we suggest visiting the Historic Theatre and the Aftermath Museum.  

If you have a little more time, we suggest taking the Metro to the Smithsonian Station and walking west down the National Mall to the Lincoln Memorial.

Visiting Ford's Theatre

Address: 
511 10th St. NW
Washington, DC 20004

Metro Stops:  Metro Center and Gallery Place/Chinatown

Parking: There is a parking garage located directly next to the theatre.

What is There to do Nearby?

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Post updated: 5/3/25

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