President Lincoln's Cottage Is A Hidden Gem In D.C.

If you’ve ever been to Washington, D.C., you’ve probably visited the big tourist attractions like the National Mall, the Smithsonian museums, Arlington Cemetery, the Capitol Building, and the White House.  They are great, but next time you are in D.C. you should check out a hidden gem I didn’t discover until recently: President Lincoln’s Cottage.

What makes this so great is that it is it isn’t all that known by the many tour groups and tourists that come to D.C.  As someone who lives in D.C., it’s a rare occasion to escape the throngs of tourists that pack the National Mall.  This cottage is such a place where you can visit and enjoy the tranquility that this part of D.C. has to offer.

I found this on Living Social, and as a huge Lincoln buff, I never even knew it existed!  The deal was that for $15, you would get admission for two.  That’s a pretty good deal, since tickets are normally $15 per adult ($5 for children aged 6-12).

The staff suggests you purchase the tickets in advance, although there are tickets available on a first come, first serve basis.  With the Living Social, I simply had to call and setup a time and date that I wanted to attend.  The tour lasts about one hour.  for more information visit President Lincoln’s Cottage homepage.

Now for a little history on the cottage!  It’s a unique place because it sits on the grounds of Armed Forces Retirement Home in Northwestern D.C.  It’s incredibly quiet and a beautiful part of town.  The cottage was essentially the “Camp David” of its day, where President Lincoln and his family would go to in order to escape the cluster and asphyxiation of the White House during the Civil War.

Interestingly, military men were near the cottage, so President Lincoln would still spend his time surrounded by the military, reading telegraph reports of the battles being waged.  Most interestingly, this is also where Lincoln was living when he developed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Whenever people come to D.C. they are told the standard places to visit, but I strongly suggest to anyone that they put this on their list of places to visit the next time they are D.C.  You certainly won’t regret it and it makes for a great tour to see something off the beaten path of D.C.