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President Lincoln's Cottage

President Lincoln and his family summered here from 1862–1864 to escape the awful climate (physical and political) by the White House. Here he penned the second draft of his Emancipation Proclamation. Recognizing that Lincoln's political acumen was rivaled by his taste in abodes, later presidents James Buchanan, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Chester A. Arthur all took up the cottage as a summer residence as well. In addition to simply looking lovely, the cottage today contains several exhibits, as well as a reproduction of the desk on which Lincoln wrote his Proclamation.

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Address: Enter at Rock Creek Church Rd & Upshur St NW
Getting there: on the Armed Forces' Retirement Home grounds
Hours: Visitor Center: Mon-Sat 9:30AM-4:30PM, Sun 11:30AM-5:30PM; tours: Mon-Sat 10AM-3PM, Sun noon-4PM (tours start on the hour)
Price: $12, $5/child 6–12
Website: lincolncottage.org (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Washington, D.C./Brookland-Petworth-Takoma, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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