Best Time to Visit Ford's Theatre National Historic Site
JanuaryBest month to visit
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Visit Ford's Theatre in January
January offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. For comparison, April is the most crowded month (~1.7× the average month) and January is the quietest.
Annual visits
457K
2024
Busiest month
Apr
1.7× avg
Quietest month
Jan
0.3× avg
10-yr trend
falling
-33%
More photos of Ford's Theatre
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Ford's Theatre by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January★ best | Very quiet | 78 Excellent | 9.6 h |
| February | Quiet | 71 Good | 10.5 h |
| March | Busy | 32 Poor | 11.7 h |
| April | Very busy | 17 Poor | 13.0 h |
| May | Very busy | 28 Poor | 14.1 h |
| June | Busy | 42 Poor | 14.7 h |
| July | Busy | 50 Fair | 14.5 h |
| August | Quiet | 70 Good | 13.5 h |
| September | Quiet | 74 Good | 12.2 h |
| October | Average | 55 Fair | 11.0 h |
| November | Quiet | 58 Fair | 9.8 h |
| December | Quiet | 54 Fair | 9.3 h |
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About visiting Ford's Theatre
Ford's Theatre National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in DC and a moderately visited park, drawing about 457,000 recreation visits in 2024. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 33%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: April is the busiest month at about 1.7× the park's average month, while January is the calmest at roughly 0.3× — a 5-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 28% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. If avoiding people matters most, January offers the thinnest crowds of the year, though you'll trade some warmth and daylight for the solitude. Daylight ranges from about 9.3 hours in midwinter to 14.7 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. A standard private-vehicle entrance pass runs about $5, valid for several days, so a shoulder-season trip stretches that fee across quieter, more comfortable days. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre. Discover how everyday people experienced a national tragedy and how we have remembered a fallen leader. Today, in partnership with Ford’s Theatre Society, live dramatic productions highlight Lincoln’s love of the theatre and the power of stories to connect us to ourselves and our history.
Weather & conditions
Washington DC gets to see all four seasons. Humidity will make the temps feel hotter in summer and colder in winter. Spring (March - May) Temp: Average high is 65.5 degrees with a low of 46.5 degrees Summer (June - August) Temp: Average high is 86 degrees with a low of 68.5 degrees Fall (September - November) Temp: Average high is 68 degrees with a low of 51.5 degrees Winter (December - February) Temp: Average high is 45 degrees with a low of 30 degrees
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Ford's Theatre
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Ford's Theatre National Historic Site — live availability and prices to plan your trip. January is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Ford's Theatre
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Getting to Ford's Theatre
The nearest airport is Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), about 5 mi (10 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Ford's Theatre by car.
Entrance fees
A standard private-vehicle entrance pass is about $5, typically valid for several days.
Frequently Asked Questions
January offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight at Ford's Theatre National Historic Site. The park is busiest in April (about 1.7× the average month) and quietest in January.
April is the busiest month at Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, running roughly 1.7 times the park's average monthly visitation.
January is the quietest month at Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, at about 0.3× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Ford's Theatre National Historic Site recorded about 457,132 recreation visits in 2024. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-33%).
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the closest airport to Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, about 5 mi (10 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Water quality of lakes near Ford's Theatre
If you are planning to swim, paddle or fish on this trip, these graded lakes are within a 40-mile drive. Grades are A–F from EPA and state-agency sampling.
- Goose Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 29 mi · VA
- Beaverdam Creek Reservior Lake water qualityGrade A · 29 mi · VA
- Beaverdam Creek Reservoir water qualityGrade A · 29 mi · VA
- Smith Lake water qualityGrade A · 35 mi · VA
- Burke Lake water qualityGrade C · 17 mi · VA
Beach water quality near Ford's Theatre
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Highland Beach water qualityGrade A · 30 mi · MD
- Chesapeake Station water qualityGrade A · 30 mi · MD
- Bay Ridge At River Dr. water qualityGrade A · 31 mi · MD
- Bay Ridge At Bay Dr. water qualityGrade A · 31 mi · MD
- Hunters Harbor water qualityGrade A · 33 mi · MD
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025). Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.