Seat of tragedy, Washington, D.C., United States. This is the view into the presidential box at Ford's Theatre. It was sitting here, in a chair like this, that Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot in 1865.

If you're lucky (as I was) you can visit this historic theater, and even be allowed to climb the stairs to the balcony, and peer inside this little room.

Ford's Theatre is now a national historic site, run by the Parks Service. Park rangers give free regular talks about the night the President was shot -- highly recommended, these presentations really bring history to life.

Open for free self-guided tours from 9 am until 5 pm daily, the theater can be subject to sudden, irregular closures due to the fact that it is still a working theater.