By DullesMoms, August 2026
Abraham Lincoln’s enduring popularity stems from his leadership during the Civil War and his tireless efforts to abolish slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment. Step back in history and get to know Lincoln a little more at these sites dedicated to his life and legacy:
Lincoln Memorial
Washington, DC
The Lincoln Memorial is a must-visit monument dedicated to Abraham Lincoln. Located at the western end of the National Mall, it features a massive seated sculpture of Lincoln (19 feet high and weighing 175 tons)! The interior also houses inscriptions of Lincoln’s famous speeches, including the Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. Learn more about the memorial’s history and significance from the National Park Service.
The memorial chamber and exterior are free; the Undercroft is a separate ticketed experience.
Ford’s Theatre
Washington, DC
Ford’s Theatre, where President Abraham Lincoln was shot in 1865, not only hosts live performances to this day but is also a popular museum that attracts more than 650,000 visitors a year! See exhibits that delve into Lincoln’s presidency and the Civil War era, step inside the actual theatre where Lincoln was assassinated, and explore the events surrounding Lincoln’s final hours.
Tickets are required for entry and are available free at the box office on the day of your visit. Advance reservations can be made through the Ford’s Theatre Society website for a small fee.
The Petersen House
Washington, DC
After being shot at Ford’s Theatre, Abraham Lincoln was carried across the street to the Petersen House, where he ultimately passed away. The Petersen House is now a historic site where you can learn about the events leading to Lincoln’s death and the efforts to save him.
Your ticket to Ford’s Theatre also covers the Petersen House. No separate ticket is needed.
President Lincoln’s Cottage
Washington, DC
Located on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, President Lincoln’s Cottage served as Lincoln’s summer retreat during his presidency. It’s a place where he made significant decisions, including the development of the Emancipation Proclamation. The site offers guided tours that provide insights into Lincoln’s private life and his thoughts on slavery.
All visitors must show a valid photo ID at the Armed Forces Retirement Home security gate to enter the grounds. Tickets required; advance purchase recommended.
Fort Stevens
Washington, DC
Fort Stevens is the site of the only Civil War battle fought inside Washington, DC, and the only time in American history that a sitting president came under direct enemy fire! On July 12, 1864, Lincoln rode over from his summer cottage and climbed the parapet for a better look — until a young Union officer named Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr, the future Supreme Court justice, hollered at him to get down. Today you can walk the partially reconstructed earthworks, see the cannon, and find the commemorative stone marking the spot.
Free and open sunrise to sunset, with mostly uneven ground. Battleground National Cemetery, where the soldiers who died defending the capital are buried, sits a half-mile up Georgia Ave.
Judiciary Square Lincoln Statue
Washington, DC
On April 15, 1868, three years to the day after the assassination, the country’s first public monument to Lincoln was unveiled here by his successor, President Andrew Johnson — 54 years before the Lincoln Memorial. Ordinary Washingtonians paid for it by passing the hat, with the largest single gift coming from theatre owner John T. Ford. Sculptor Lot Flannery claimed to have known Lincoln and to have been in the audience at Ford’s Theatre the night of the shooting.
Free and outdoors, in front of the Historic Courthouse in Judiciary Square. The statue was taken down in 1919 and restored to its original spot in 1923 after public outcry. It’s a two-minute stop, but the backstory makes it worth the detour.
National Museum of American History
Washington, DC
The top hat Lincoln wore to Ford’s Theatre on the night of April 14, 1865, is here, on view alongside his life mask in the permanent exhibition “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.” After the assassination, the War Department preserved the hat and, with Mary Lincoln’s permission, passed it to the Smithsonian in 1867 — where the secretary promptly had it stashed in a basement and told his staff not to mention it to anyone. The public didn’t lay eyes on it until 1893!
Admission is free, and no tickets are required. Open daily 10 am-5:30 pm, except December 25. The exhibition is on the third floor, center. An easy indoor stop to pair with the outdoor sites on the National Mall.
National Portrait Gallery
Washington, DC
The America’s Presidents gallery holds the only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House, refreshed for the nation’s 250th anniversary with more than 60 portraits on view. Lincoln receives expanded attention here, including the famous “cracked plate” photograph taken just weeks before his death — though, because the original print is light-sensitive, it is on view only on a rotating, temporary basis. The Portrait Gallery shares its building with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, so you get two collections in one stop.
Free admission. The exhibition is in the second-floor west galleries; check ahead if the “cracked plate” is what you’re going for. Explore! is a hands-on portraiture space for kids ages 18 months to 8 years with a grown-up along.
US Capitol Visitor Center
Washington, DC
Lincoln’s body lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda from April 19-21, 1865, on a plain wooden platform built in a hurry after the assassination. That platform — a catafalque — survived, and it has held nearly every lying-in-state service in the Rotunda since; when it isn’t needed upstairs, it sits on display in the Visitor Center’s Exhibition Hall. You’ll also find a Gutzon Borglum bust of Lincoln in the Crypt and a marble statue of him in the Rotunda.
Free, but tours should be reserved in advance through the Visitor Center or your member of Congress. The catafalque is occasionally moved to the Rotunda for ceremonies.
Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial
Arlington, VA
While not directly associated with Lincoln, Arlington House is historically significant for its connection to the Custis-Lee family, including Robert E. Lee and his wife, Mary Custis Lee, who was the great-granddaughter of Martha Washington. Located inside Arlington National Cemetery, the house overlooks the city and offers a view that Lincoln saw many times during the Civil War.
Disclaimer: Event details are curated from public sources and subject to change. Verify all information via the provided links before attending.
Updated Aug 11, 2026
