Ford’s Theatre

Name

Ford’s Theatre

Legal name

Ford's Theatre Society

Website

https://fords.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Museum

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), History Museums (THAJADAB)

Keywords

• Historic site tours
• Live theatrical performances
• Museum and exhibits
• History education programs
• Guided walking tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from sale of tickets for historic site visits, theatrical performances, guided tours, and walking tours including the One Destiny play and History on Foot walking tours.
2. Membership Program: Ford's Theatre offers membership programs providing early access to discounted tickets for the season.
3. Donations and Fundraising: The organization operates as a nonprofit and accepts donations to support theatre, education and history programs. The Lincoln's Legacy, Our Legacy campaign supports ongoing operations.
4. Gift Shop: Ford's Shop merchandise available through muzemerch.com partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ford's Theatre operates a historic theater and museum complex in Washington, D.C., offering ticketed historic site visits (museum, restored theater, Petersen House, Aftermath Exhibits), live theatrical performances, and guided/walking tours that interpret the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The organization complements its visitor experiences with educational programs, a membership program, the Legacy Commissions playwright initiative, and free public programs such as Cabinet Conversations and the Abraham Lincoln Institute Symposium.

Product overview

Ford's Theatre is a historic theater and museum complex that operates as a unified offering combining live theatrical performances with immersive historical education. The organization offers a multi-component experience: (1) Historic Site Visits including the museum, restored theater, Petersen House, and Aftermath Exhibits; (2) Live theatrical productions including seasonal mainstage plays and musicals plus the signature one-act play 'One Destiny'; (3) Guided and walking tours including the immersive 'History on Foot: Detective McDevitt' experience and after-hours Ford's@5 Tours; (4) Education programs including the Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions playwright initiative, Lincoln Oratory Festival, and National Oratory Fellows; (5) Public programs including Cabinet Conversations virtual series and the Annual Abraham Lincoln Institute Symposium. The 2026-2027 Season features Come From Away, A Christmas Carol, The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions: A Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions program showcasing new plays about social justice and civil rights.

Products and services

• Historic Site Visit
• One Destiny (One-Act Play) A 40-minute one-act play about Lincoln's assassination performed at Ford's Theatre, exploring the events from perspectives of witnesses Harry Hawk and Harry Ford. Also available as an on-demand recorded performance. Add-on priced at $5.00 to a site visit.
• History on Foot: Investigation Detective McDevitt Walking Tour Immersive walking tour where an actor playing Detective James McDevitt revisits sites and re-examines clues from the Lincoln assassination conspiracy investigation. Priced at $20.00 per person.
• Ford's@5 Tours Intimate guided tours of Ford's Theatre museum and historic theater conducted after visiting hours. Available to individual visitors and small groups.
• Come From Away Tony Award-winning musical about the true story of how Gander, Canada cared for 6,579 airline passengers stranded during 9/11. Part of the 2026-2027 season of mainstage theatrical productions.
• A Christmas Carol (Annual Production) Annual production of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theatre, directed by Michael Baron, starring Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge. Running November 19 - December 31, 2026.
• The Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions: A First Look 5th edition production showcasing new plays in development from the Ford's Theatre Legacy Commissions, focusing on social justice and civil rights stories.
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Musical following six adolescents through a spelling championship. Features audience volunteer participation. Running March 12 - May 15, 2027 as part of the 2026-2027 season.
• Group Visits Group tours for 20+ visitors to the historic site and group performance tickets for 10+ attendees, including acoustiguide audio tours and educational field trips. Group reservation fee of $4.50 per person.
• Ford's Theatre Membership Program Recurring membership program that provides early access to discounted tickets for the season and other member benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 650,000+ visitors annually experience Ford's Theatre
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Girl Scouts Nation's CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFord's Theatre is proud to partner with Girl Scouts Nation's Capital, offering a range of experiences that help Scouts explore President Lincoln's legacy. Offerings include live performances, historic site visits including museum and Petersen House, workshops, and walking tours.
• Abraham Lincoln InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFord's Theatre Society co-presents the annual Abraham Lincoln Institute Symposium focused on the life, career and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Museum of American History (Smithsonian): Smithsonian museum on the National Mall curating American political and cultural history including Lincoln-era artifacts — competes for the same D.C. history-focused tourist visit and educational field trip.
• Round House Theatre: Regional theater company with D.C. metro presence producing a mainstage season plus education programming — comparable scale and institutional mission to Ford's as a working theater with community education.
• Shakespeare Theatre Company: D.C. nonprofit theater presenting classical and contemporary productions plus education programs (Harman Academy) — directly comparable mission, audience, and nonprofit funding model.
• Arena Stage: Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit regional theater company producing mainstage plays and musicals with educational programming — a direct theater-company peer competing for the same D.C. resident and tourist audience.
• The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: Washington, D.C. performing arts complex that presents theater, musicals, and educational programs in a federally owned landmark venue — Ford's Theatre co-produces with the Kennedy Center (e.g., Necessary Sacrifices) and competes for the same D.C. theatergoing audience.
• The Old Vic Theatre: Historic London theater with an education and talent development mission (Old Vic Theatre School) — directly comparable as a historic working theater that combines theatrical production with civic and educational programming.

Regional players

• The Guthrie Theater: Minneapolis-based regional nonprofit theater producing a mainstage season plus education and community programs — comparable theater-company-with-education mission and funding model.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based Tony Award-winning nonprofit theater company producing a season of plays and operating robust education and new-work development programs — comparable institutional model at a different geographic scale.

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: New York City multi-venue performing arts campus with resident theater, ballet, opera, and symphony companies — substantially larger incumbent operating a comparable theater-plus-education-plus-tourism model.

Emerging players

• Smithsonian National Museum of American History - Lincoln artifacts context: Broader Smithsonian portfolio including history institutions that interpret Lincoln-era artifacts — closely adjacent as direct collector and interpreter of overlapping historical content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/fords
• Xx.com/fordstheatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/fords-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ford’s Theatre