Performance Guidelines
Can I see the museum and Petersen House with my ticket? What is the age limit to see a performance? What should I wear? Can I take pictures of the site? Is there a concessions stand or gift shop? What is your ticket return policy?
Face Coverings: All visitors age 3+ must wear a face covering over their mouth and nose while at Ford’s Theatre.
Arrival: We recommend you arrive 20 to 30 minutes before the performance begins, so you have time to pick up your tickets, visit the gift shop and the restroom and find your seat.
Late Arrival: If you are late, the house manager will seat you at his/her discretion. There are monitors in the lobby that will allow you to watch the action on stage if you are waiting to be seated. If you are a group of 10 or more arriving late, you may also email us at lategroup@fords.org.
Ticket Policies: No refunds. A valid form of ID is required to pick up tickets held at the Box Office.
Museum and Petersen House: The Ford’s Theatre Museum (located below the historic theatre) is open one hour before performance time. Your performance ticket can also be used to visit the Petersen House before 4:30 p.m. on the date printed on your performance ticket.
Age Appropriateness: Each performance has its own age recommendation based on content. No one under the age of 5 will be admitted to mainstage performances. All patrons regardless of age must have a ticket.
Attire: We have no dress code for attending plays at Ford’s Theatre. Our patrons usually dress in business casual attire. However, we’d rather have a patron come in jeans and a sweatshirt than not come at all out of concern for how they are dressed.
Travel light: We do not have a coat check. For safety reasons, we do not permit luggage and oversized bags on site.
Food and drink: Concessions are available from the Ford’s Theatre gift shop. No food is allowed inside the theatre. Only bottled water is allowed into the museum and historic theatre.
Photography: Photography is permitted without flash in all parts of the site unless there is a performance in progress and/or an actor present in the theatre.
Booster/car Seats: Ford’s Theatre does not allow booster or car seats in the theatre.
Ticket Limits: Ford’s Theatre reserves the right to: 1) Limit non-group sales to 10 tickets per household, per production; 2) Require photo ID and full contact information for every purchase; 3) Refuse sales at any time due to limited availability or to any patrons reaching the limits previously noted; 4) Refuse to sell tickets to identified ticket resellers; 5) Revoke any tickets sold to identified ticket resellers through a full refund at face value.
COVID-19 Policy: 1) An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. By visiting Ford’s Theatre, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19. 2) Ford’s Theatre COVID-19 guidance is developed in collaboration with the George Washington University Medical Faculty. We actively monitor health and safety conditions and recommendations and will continue to update our policies as circumstances require. 3) Ford’s Theatre may also ask visitors questions that address possible COVID-19 symptoms recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national, state, and local authorities, and deny entrance to or remove any visitor or members of that visitor’s party who report having COVID-19 or who, at the sole discretion of Ford’s Theatre, exhibit possible COVID-19 symptoms.
Weapons of any type are banned from the premises.