National park tips: See the drama unfold at Ford’s Theatre in D.C., where Lincoln was assassinated

Yes, you know how this drama ends. But because the 1865 assassination of President Abraham Lincoln is such a startling, compelling, seminal American story, the park service assigns some of its best storytelling rangers to daytime duty here in the reconstructed red-brick Ford’s Theatre building.

The result is a fascinating journey through history, especially for children 8 and older. A million visitors troop through yearly, including so many school groups that there’s a timed-reservation system.

In honor of this year’s National Park Service centennial, the Travel section is posting 100 park travel ideas and tips based on trips staff travel writer Christopher Reynolds has taken, along with photo-op advice from Times photographer Mark Boster. We’ll post one per day through Dec. 31.

Follow Reynolds on Twitter: @MrCSReynolds

See travel videos by Reynolds from around the world.

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