Explore the real-world places that appear in Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Oak Hill Cemetery, The White House, Georgetown University, Potomac River, St. John's Episcopal Church and 5 more.
3001 R Street NW — Willie Lincoln's burial place
This is where eleven-year-old Willie Lincoln is entombed in the Carroll family crypt after his death from typhoid fever. The cemetery becomes the novel's primary setting, where Willie's spirit lingers in the bardo alongside Hans Vollman, Roger Bevins III, and the Reverend Everly Thomas. President Lincoln visits repeatedly in the night, holding his son's body and speaking to him, unaware that Willie's ghost can hear every word and is torn between moving on to the afterlife or remaining with his grieving father.
Founded in 1849, Oak Hill Cemetery was designed by James Renwick Jr. and became Georgetown's premier burial ground for Washington's elite. The Gothic Revival chapel and the Carroll family crypt, where Willie was actually interred, reflect the Victorian era's elaborate mourning customs.
Oak Hill Cemetery remains an active cemetery and National Historic Landmark. Visitors can tour the grounds and see the actual Carroll family crypt where Willie Lincoln was buried, though his body was later moved to Springfield, Illinois.
Visit: Oak Hill Cemetery (historic site)
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW — The Lincoln family residence
The Lincoln family's home during Willie's illness and death. Mary Todd Lincoln hosts elaborate parties here even as Willie lies dying upstairs, including the famous February 5th reception that continues despite Willie's deteriorating condition. President Lincoln agonizes over his son's condition while managing the Civil War, and after Willie's death, he makes his secret nighttime journeys from here to the Georgetown cemetery. The ghost of Willie observes his parents' grief from the bardo.
Built between 1792-1800, the White House served as the Lincoln family residence during some of the Civil War's darkest days. The Lincoln White House was marked by both grand social functions and profound personal tragedy, particularly after Willie's death in February 1862.
The White House remains the official residence of the President of the United States. The Lincoln Bedroom, where Willie died, is now a guest room decorated with Lincoln-era furnishings and memorabilia.
Visit: The White House (tour)
3700 O Street NW — Overlooking the cemetery
The university's Gothic spires loom over Oak Hill Cemetery, creating part of the atmospheric backdrop where the bardo spirits dwell. The Reverend Everly Thomas, one of the three main ghostly narrators, would have been familiar with this Catholic institution during his earthly life. The university's bell tower marks the passing of time as the supernatural drama unfolds in the cemetery below.
Founded in 1789, Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic university in the United States. During the Civil War era, the university's buildings dominated the Georgetown skyline and its Jesuit priests ministered to both Union and Confederate soldiers.
Georgetown University remains one of America's most prestigious institutions. The historic campus, including the iconic Healy Hall with its clock tower, overlooks the Potomac River and maintains its 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture.
Visit: Georgetown University (historic site)
Along Georgetown waterfront — The boundary between worlds
The river serves as a symbolic boundary in the novel, separating the world of the living from the realm of the dead. The bardo spirits, including Willie, observe the flowing water as they contemplate their liminal existence between life and death. Hans Vollman and Roger Bevins III reference the river when discussing their reluctance to cross over to whatever lies beyond.
The Potomac River has been Washington D.C.'s defining geographical feature since the city's founding. During the Civil War, it served as a crucial transportation route and symbolic divide between North and South, with Confederate Virginia visible across the water.
The Georgetown waterfront is now a popular recreational area with parks, restaurants, and the historic C&O Canal towpath. The river continues to be central to Washington's identity and offers scenic views of the Kennedy Center and Virginia shoreline.
Visit: Georgetown Waterfront Park (park)
1525 H Street NW — The President's church
Known as the 'Church of the Presidents,' this is where the Lincoln family would have worshipped during Willie's lifetime. After Willie's death, Lincoln's crisis of faith deepens, and the novel references his struggle with religious beliefs. The Reverend Everly Thomas, trapped in the bardo due to his own theological doubts, represents the kind of spiritual questioning that plagued Lincoln during this period.
Built in 1816 and designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, St. John's has been attended by every president since James Madison. During Lincoln's presidency, it was a center of Washington's religious and social life, though Lincoln himself was known for his complex relationship with organized religion.
St. John's continues to serve as an active Episcopal parish and maintains its role as the 'Church of the Presidents.' The historic building offers tours and houses a collection of presidential memorabilia.
Visit: St. John's Episcopal Church (historic site)
511 10th Street NW — Site of Lincoln's future assassination
While Lincoln's assassination occurs three years after Willie's death, the theater represents the tragic arc of Lincoln's presidency that begins with personal loss in the novel. The bardo spirits, existing outside normal time, sense the weight of future sorrow that will befall the grieving president. Willie's spirit worries about his father's fate and the burden of leadership during wartime.
Ford's Theatre opened in 1863, a year after Willie's death. It became infamous as the site of Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865, during a performance of 'Our American Cousin.' The theater was converted into government offices after the assassination.
Ford's Theatre has been restored as both a working theater and a National Historic Site. The theater museum displays artifacts related to Lincoln's presidency and assassination, including items related to the Lincoln family's earlier tragedies.
Visit: Ford's Theatre National Historic Site (theater)
2 15th Street NW — Under construction during Willie's death
The half-built monument stands as a symbol of the young nation's interrupted progress during the Civil War. In the novel, the bardo spirits observe this incomplete obelisk as they contemplate unfinished lives and unrealized potential. Willie's death, like the halted construction, represents the way war and tragedy interrupt the natural course of growth and development.
Construction of the Washington Monument began in 1848 but was halted in 1854 due to funding issues and political disputes. During Willie's death in 1862, the monument stood as an unfinished stump about 150 feet tall, remaining incomplete until construction resumed in 1877.
Completed in 1884, the Washington Monument now stands 555 feet tall as the world's tallest stone structure. Visitors can take an elevator to the observation deck for panoramic views of the city.
Visit: Washington Monument (monument)
H Street NW & 16th Street — Across from the White House
This park directly across from the White House serves as a liminal space in the novel, where the boundary between the world of the living and the bardo becomes thin. Lincoln walks through this square on his way to and from his midnight visits to Willie's tomb. The park's statues and monuments mirror the theme of memory and commemoration that runs throughout the novel.
Originally part of the White House grounds, Lafayette Square was separated in 1804 and named for the Marquis de Lafayette in 1824. During the Civil War, it served as a military encampment and staging area, reflecting the wartime atmosphere of Lincoln's presidency.
Lafayette Square remains a seven-acre public park surrounded by historic buildings. The square contains statues of foreign Revolutionary War heroes and serves as a popular gathering place for tourists and protesters alike.
Visit: Lafayette Square (park)
1801 E Street SE — Washington's historic burial ground
While not directly featured, this cemetery represents the broader landscape of death that surrounds Civil War-era Washington. The novel's bardo spirits reference other burial grounds and the growing number of war dead. The cemetery's proximity to the Capitol connects the personal tragedy of Willie's death to the national tragedy of the Civil War unfolding in Congress.
Established in 1807, Congressional Cemetery served as the burial ground for members of Congress who died in Washington. During the Civil War era, it was one of the city's primary cemeteries and the final resting place of many government officials and their families.
Congressional Cemetery continues as an active burial ground and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. It offers guided tours highlighting its Civil War-era burials and historic monuments.
Visit: Congressional Cemetery (historic site)
5200 Glover Road NW — Natural boundary of Georgetown
The wooded parkland serves as a natural boundary for the Georgetown setting, representing the wild, untamed aspects of the spirit world that the bardo inhabitants navigate. The creek and forest paths mirror the uncertain terrain between life and death that Willie and the other spirits must traverse. The natural setting contrasts with the formal cemetery where most of the action occurs.
Rock Creek has flowed through this area since before European settlement, providing a natural boundary for early Georgetown. During the Civil War period, the creek valley was largely undeveloped woodland that provided a rural escape from the growing city.
Established as a National Park in 1890, Rock Creek Park encompasses 1,754 acres of forest, meadows, and streams. It includes hiking trails, a nature center, and historic sites, serving as Washington's largest urban park.
Visit: Rock Creek Park (park)
More by George Saunders: All George Saunders books
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