On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot in the head while watching a play at Ford’s Theatre. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, jumped to the stage floor and fled. The next day, April 15, President Lincoln died as a result of his wounds. With Booth’s escape, the largest manhunt in American history ensued as law enforcement and military searched for the assassin. Aided by fellow conspirators such as David Herold, Booth evaded authorities until Army soldiers located Booth at a local farm. Surrounded, Booth was shot and killed in that fateful confrontation. Eventually, 8 other conspirators, including Herold, were implicated in the conspiracy and subsequently executed after a trial by military tribunal.

David Herold (LOC)

The story of the 16th President’s assassination is a well known one. Hundreds of books, thousands of articles, and dozens of special exhibits are just some of the ways this story has been told. But have you ever seen the story told using the graves of those involved with the assassination?

In partnership with our friends at Ford’s Theatre, please join us on April 14th , 159 years after Lincoln’s death, from 1:00 PM-2:30 PM for a special event. One part speaking engagement and one part docent led tour, the inaugural event in our Cemetery Speaker Series features keynote remarks on the Lincoln Assassination from Ford’s Theatre’s Blake Lindsey followed by a complimentary docent led tour of the gravesites of individuals related to the assassination, including David Herold, Charles Forbes, and others.

Tickets are only $5 and all proceeds go to benefitting our non-profit mission of historical preservation and education. Space is limited so be sure to reserve your spot today! Keynote remarks will take place either outside or inside the Chapel, weather depending and the walking tour will take place on the grounds. The tour is approximately 45 minutes in length. Please come prepared with comfortable clothing and shoes, as the tours often stray from the main paths.

Refreshments and alcoholic beverages will be for sale near the speaking area.

The event is rain or shine. Smoking is prohibited and dogs are not allowed to attend the event unless they are a service animal.

Our Speaker:

Blake Lindsey

Blake Lindsey serves as the Interpretive Resources Specialist at Ford’s Theatre. His work at Ford’s Theatre includes connecting students to the Ford’s Theatre story through in person and virtual field trips, blog writing, historical consulting, and the development of a cell phone museum guide for students. His Civil War research interests (apart from Abraham Lincoln) include civil-military relations in the Civil War Defenses of Washington. This research earned grants from Virginia Tech and has been featured in Washington History magazine. Prior to joining Ford’s Theatre in 2023, Mr. Lindsey spent 7 years at the United States Capitol Visitor Center, where he specialized in researching the cultural memory of Capitol tourism, research that earned him recognition as a Capitol Fellow from the U.S. Capitol Historical Society

To learn more about the Cemetery Speaker Series, check out our main page HERE.

To learn more about our partner, Ford’s Theatre, please click HERE.

Want to rock Cemetery Speaker series merchandise, including shirts, hoodies, and more?

Click HERE to go to our online store page!

You may purchase tickets below.