Ford's Theatre Museum

[Laurie Verge]

Maddie,

From the first floor, tiny lobby, you climb a set of stairs to get to the dress circle/first balcony (Betty was right the first time). Walk along that wall to the Presidential Box. There will be an open door to a small hallway. There is plexiglass covering what would have been another door to the box. They allow you into the hallway enough to see the Box from that plexiglass opening. You are actually seeing the interior of two boxes because the moveable partition had been taken down on the night of the assassination to allow room for the guests.

The whole theater is smaller than you think, but on the night of the assassination there was somewhere around 1400 people present. Of course, the second balcony was also used by the public then with benches instead of seats, I believe. Today, all the modern equipment to keep the stage shows going take up that space.

If you ever have the opportunity to come to the D.C. area, Christmas at Ford's is wonderful with their annual production of A Christmas Carol. The 19th-century costuming in a 19th-century theater setting is a treat -- despite those horrible new seats that look more like 1930s than 1860s.