washington post review of Ford's Theatre

[Dennis Urban]

My visit with my 12 year old daughter to Ford's Theatre and the Petersen House was poorly managed by the NPS. It seems as if their goal is to get as many folks through in a minimum amount of time. Through my fault, we arrived 10-15 minutes late for our morning appointment. We had advance tickets with us. The outside person directed us inside. We approached the ranger admitting folks to the downstairs museum, showed our tickets and was directed to the ticket window (first mistake by NPs staff). After a short wait at the ticket window, seeing we already had tickets, we were sent back from where we came. This time we were admitted downstairs.

I do not know if when first admitted, folks were told how much time they would have downstairs but I doubt this was done. It should have been (second mistake). After a very few minutes downstairs the group was hustled upstairs to the theatre where we sat and sat. We sat for approximately 15 minutes of dead time without explanation (third mistake) while a costumed docent (as we later learned) sat mutely in the back of the theatre. This time could have been better spent downstairs with the exhibits. He later came forward and proved to be our narrator. His presentation was very well done. He did not take questions as apparently no time was allowed for such (fourth mistake). We were now directed out of the theatre and across the street to the Petersen House.

Seeing the group was large, the outside Ranger checked tickets and admitted a portion of the group. This was a good decision as space inside the house is small. Once inside, there was no docent to answer questions (fifth mistake). We had to move quickly through the rooms as a segment of the group came very shortly behind us (sixth mistake). I waited as people cleared out to take a few unobstructed photos in an extremely pressed time frame. From that point we went took the elevators to top floor of the history center next door.

Here we were free to spend as much time on each floor as we desired. Again I saw no one present at any exhibit to answer questions (seventh mistake). The exhibits seemed disjointed and lacked continuity (eighth mistake). For example, why was Lewis Lowell's saddle displayed after the mock up of the Lincoln funeral railroad coach and coffin sealing equipment (ninth mistake)? This was a nicely presented display. The displays and references to black history after Lincoln and to the civil rights movement seemed out of place in a venue devoted to Lincoln (tenth mistake). There is after all a new African American museum on the Mall.

Curiously, the keys said to have been taken from Booth at the Garrett farm were displayed and also referenced in a second descriptive panel. We know this to be inaccurate but this has not yet been corrected by the NPS (tenth mistake).

All in all, the experience for me and my daughter was very disappointing. For her, with few previous exposures to the assassination history, she did not learn all she could have. I am not usually so critical but as a historical purist I like to see the real thing, not replicas as was exhibited in some cases (eleventh mistake). The best advice I can give those contemplating the tour is to do your reading and study in advance of your visit so you can be better prepared for your hurried experience and make the most of the time you are given.