05/28/2026
The rocking chair Abraham Lincoln was sitting in the night he was assassinated is still preserved today.
On April 14, 1865, President Lincoln attended a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Because of his height, theater staff placed this specially prepared rocking chair inside the Presidential Box for his comfort.
Moments later, American history changed forever.
Today, the chair remains on permanent display at The Henry Ford Museum in Michigan inside a climate-controlled glass case.
For years, many believed the dark stains on the fabric were Lincoln’s blood. But historians later discovered the markings were actually caused by hair oil commonly used during the 1800s.
More than 160 years later, the chair stands as a chilling reminder of one of the most tragic nights in American history.