Just a personal thought, but the average person tends to think that admission to Ford's Theatre is free. That's not exactly true unless you want to wait in line for timed tickets.

As most of you know, the Surratt Society has sponsored bus tours over the escape route of Booth since the spring of 1977. Until the last few years, the staff at the theater has been wonderful to work with and open the doors for us at 8:15 am so that we could have a quiet theater to ourselves for our history lesson. And, there was no charge.

The regular staff is still great to deal with, but the higher-ups now demand that we pay $120 every six months for a special permit to allow us to come in ahead of opening (last year it was $50/six months). They also require that we pay $2/person in order to purchase tickets ahead of time for a group.

Bus costs keep going up because of the ridiculous state of gasoline pricing in this area, and it is about time that the Mudd Society raise their admission prices yet again. We now pay them $7/person ($350 per bus) every time we go there because they refuse to give us a group discount - which is standard practice in the tourism industry.

And then the public will complain when we go up in price for the tour... Okay, my economic gripe for the day has ended.

As we all know- the cost of everything is rising- so this is not a surprise- it's a fact of life. Thanks for letting us know though.

Thanks, now my blood pressure is rising

I just got notice yesterday- my insurance premiums are doubling for the new year- but at least I will still have insurance!

I think my biggest gripe about Ford's and other national sites is that I see maintenance work that needs to be done - some of it drastic. I wouldn't mind the price rising if I thought that the need was being met in maintaining that or any other site. At least in the D.C. area, it appears that the more the cost rises the less gets done.

I was at Ford's on Tuesday. I thought the new museum was a total mess and the building itself is in dire need of some attention. The paint on the windows and wood that trims the roof is peeling and looks terrible. The last time I was there was in 1983 and I parked right in front, walked into the lobby and took a free tour for hours. All the artifacts were prominently displayed in a tasteful fashion. This time I walked into the new entrance, which prohibits you from entering the lobby, and downstairs to the museum, which in my opinion, is a train wreck. The exhibits are so dark, it's impossible to get a good look at most items they display. I can understand that some items may have to be displayed that way for preservation concerns, but the door brace Booth used to secure the door from the dress circle is only half visible and the door to the box is so dark, you have to squint to see the hole bored in it. The tour guides were like robots, no presentation was given and we had a group tour of about 100 people, most of which were 6th graders. Very disappointing, to say the least.

Didn't a Ranger or a NPS volunteer give a presentation in the main body of the theater? Have they even done away with that?

No presentation was given. There were two uniformed NPS people in the theater and all they said was to ask if anyone had questions. After I left, another person on the tour asked if I'd heard the NPS Ranger "yelling" at me. To be fair, he didn't yell, as I'm sure I would have heard that, but I was very focused trying to take a close up of the Washington engraving from the Dress Circle. There were about 10 people in the theater, with none of them near me, as I walked as close to the front of the Dress Circle that I could to get a shot. I was completely alone there and I was told he was telling me that I couldn't stop and take a picture - I had to keep moving. I wish I had heard him. It was complete nonsense.

If they are no longer giving presentations, there's another lost opportunity to hook people (especially children) on factual history in the setting where it happened. I remember one student from my years of teaching saying to me one day (after a field trip weekend to Jamestown and Williamsburg), "Wouldn't it be cool to have a plane to use so that we could fly to the places we are talking about as we study that history?"

Joseph, you know the history so well that I'm surprised you didn't gather those kids around you and conduct a real history lesson. Of course, the teacher would probably have placed you in detention for ruining the planned time schedule.

When we went to Springfield, that was one of the things so amazing about Joe Di Cola. That man never met a stranger. People were coming up to us while he was telling the history in front of Lincoln's home and joining in on the discussion and asking questions, which he happily answered. He met a group of students coming into the motel and was talking and sharing with them about their day and what to see tomorrow. What an encouraging teacher. You could here and feel the love he has for Lincoln in his voice. He is an amazing guide. I will always have fond memories of that trip. It was a privilege to be with you Joe!

Absolutely agree with you Gene. I've studied Lincoln for almost 40 years and have been to Springfield dozens of times but Joe taught me several new things. I also liked watching him talk to those people outside Lincoln's home.

Best
Rob

I have never met Joe or had a conversation with him, but I have gotten the feeling from just this forum that he loves history and loves sharing it. Joe - may I be snoopy and ask what profession you are/were in?

(11-07-2013, 10:47 AM)L Verge Wrote: Joseph, you know the history so well that I'm surprised you didn't gather those kids around you and conduct a real history lesson.

I did with the small group I was assigned to and they found some things fascinating. You made a good point about a missed opportunity on the part of the NPS. I did it to enlighten the kids with me, but they didn't do their jobs. People that come there with no in depth knowledge of what happened there, probably leave the same way. And that's a shame. Don't even get me started on the Matthew Shepard memorial on the third floor of the learning center....

(11-07-2013, 11:28 AM)L Verge Wrote: I have never met Joe or had a conversation with him, but I have gotten the feeling from just this forum that he loves history and loves sharing it. Joe - may I be snoopy and ask what profession you are/were in?

Hi, Laurie,

For most of my career I was a university professor.

Joe

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(11-07-2013, 11:08 AM)Gene C Wrote: When we went to Springfield, that was one of the things so amazing about Joe Di Cola. That man never met a stranger. People were coming up to us while he was telling the history in front of Lincoln's home and joining in on the discussion and asking questions, which he happily answered. He met a group of students coming into the motel and was talking and sharing with them about their day and what to see tomorrow. What an encouraging teacher. You could here and feel the love he has for Lincoln in his voice. He is an amazing guide. I will always have fond memories of that trip. It was a privilege to be with you Joe!

Gene,

I love being with people and, if they are interested in Lincoln, they will have a ready participant in their interest. That's what makes this symposium so great for me. After years of living "alone" with Lincoln because those in my immediate surroundings did not share that interest, I am now in Lincoln Nerd Heaven! Thanks for your kind words.

Joe

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(11-07-2013, 11:18 AM)Rob Wick Wrote: Absolutely agree with you Gene. I've studied Lincoln for almost 40 years and have been to Springfield dozens of times but Joe taught me several new things. I also liked watching him talk to those people outside Lincoln's home.

Best
Rob

Rob,

Thanks for your kind words. Because of the symposium I am finally in Lincoln Nerd Heaven! Usually, in my immediate surroundings, no one else shares my love for Lincoln. So, being with you, Gene, Bill, and spouses in Springfield was also a slice of Lincoln Nerd Heaven.

Joe

Aha! I had you pegged for secondary education, and you went higher. I still can sense a born teacher a mile away.