About the Celebration

February 12, 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, and DC is honoring the 16th President with a four-month cultural tourism celebration, Living the Legacy: Lincoln in Washington, DC. Running January 1 through April 30, the promotion will examine the life of the sixteenth president through more than 80 exhibitions, performances, lectures and tours, plus themed packages and offerings at DC’s hotels and restaurants. The promotion is produced by The American Experience Foundation in partnership with Destination DC and Cultural Tourism DC.

Living the Legacy: Lincoln in Washington, DC is part of a national commemoration developed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC). Tasked with planning a “fitting and proper” national celebration of the 16th President’s 200th birthday in 2009, the commission’s members are appointed by the President and Congressional leaders, and include political leaders, jurists, historians, and collectors. The ALBC aims to renew Americans’ appreciation of Lincoln’s ideals of freedom, democracy and equal opportunity, and to encourage all people to “live the legacy.” For more information about the national Lincoln Bicentennial celebration, visit lincolnbicentennial.gov.