Ken Burns—the nation’s most honored documentary filmmaker—will receive the coveted Lincoln Forum Film Award at the 2026 Lincoln Forum Spring Symposium at Hildene. The 3-day event takes place May 1-3, 2026, with the keynote session and award presentation scheduled for Saturday evening at Lincoln Hall, Hildene’s programs and celebrations center.

Lincoln scholar and author Harold Holzer, Chairman of the Lincoln Forum, will present the award to Burns as a highlight of the event. Burns will become just the second-ever recipient of the award, which was presented to Doris Kearns Goodwin in 2023. Following a screening of highlights from the documentary “The Civil War,” Burns will engage in a conversation with Holzer on stage after the award presentation.

“We are so proud to be returning to Hildene and celebrating Ken Burns this year,” said Harold Holzer, Chairman of the Lincoln Forum. “He is nothing less than the leading chronicler of American history, our greatest educator, and the voice and vision of reason in what Abraham Lincoln called ‘troublous times.” We are honored that Ken will be with us and look forward to viewing highlights of his great Civil War film and discussing the state of history and the union as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.”

The Lincoln Forum is an assembly of people who share a deep interest in the life and times of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era. Since 1996, the Lincoln Forum has held annual gatherings in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to coincide with the anniversary of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

The 3-day Symposium begins with a kick-off dinner and program Friday evening at the Equinox Golf Resort and Spa, followed by a full day of speakers, panels, Hildene home tours, and archives tours at Lincoln Hall on Saturday, then concludes back at the Equinox Hotel on Sunday morning. Sunday’s program features a panel of direct descendants of former American Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, and Theodore Roosevelt.

As a special added attraction, musicians Jay Ungar and Molly Michaels, who composed and performed the haunting “Ashokan Farewell” theme song for Ken Burns’ “Civil War,” will appear at the Saturday night event to serenade the honoree—and our attendees—with that famous melody and other songs from the Civil War.

“I am so excited to welcome back to Hildene the nation’s most prestigious group of Lincoln scholars and authors,” said Hildene president Craig Gemmell. “In addition to Ken Burns and other great speakers, this year’s event will feature artifacts from our archives that were personal to President Lincoln, including his White House Bible and iconic stovepipe hat.”

The inaugural symposium, which sold out last year, drew attendees from 35 states across the nation and featured some of the nation’s most accomplished Lincoln scholars.

This 2nd annual event is being presented by the Bank of Bennington, headquartered in Bennington, Vermont, and dedicated to strengthening local communities for over a century.

Additional sponsors include Jean and William Soman, David Lawrence Jr., Ross Heller, Frank and Virginia Williams, Shawn Thomas, Michelle Krowl, and Harold and Edith Holzer.

To join the waitlist for the 3-day symposium, please visit the Lincoln Forum website: Lincoln Forum Symposium at Hildene.

For more information on the Lincoln Forum, please visit www.thelincolnforum.com.