"On February 12, 2026, Keens Steakhouse in Manhattan hosted a birthday party for Abraham Lincoln. Guests nibbled Honest Abe's favorite cookies as they milled around the restaurant's Lincoln Room, a wood-paneled dining room peppered with pieces of memorabilia. But the event wasn't just about celebrating the 16th president, it was a chance for the restaurant to unveil its latest acquisition: the flag that covered Lincoln's casket."
"The flag was originally made by Annin and Company, the oldest and largest flag maker in the United States, and traveled the country as part of Lincoln's funeral tour in 1865. In 2023, a volunteer re-discovered the flag hidden behind a bookshelf at Jacksonville, Florida's Museum of Southern History. Keens' current owner, Tilman Fertitta, purchased the flag at auction in 2024 for $656,250."
"Roughly 90,000 clay pipes hang from the restaurant's ceiling, holdovers from the days of Keens' Pipe Club. The Pipe Club was a who's-who of history. Babe Ruth, Albert Einstein, Teddy Roosevelt, and the real-life Buffalo Bill were all members. Keens Steakhouse served as one of New York's gentlemen-only establishments until actress Lillie Langtry took the joint to court in the early 1900s"
Keens Steakhouse in Manhattan unveiled the American flag that covered Abraham Lincoln's casket during a February 12, 2026 event and will display it permanently. The flag was made by Annin and Company and traveled the country as part of Lincoln's 1865 funeral tour. A volunteer rediscovered the flag in 2023 behind a bookshelf at Jacksonville, Florida's Museum of Southern History. Owner Tilman Fertitta purchased the flag at auction in 2024 for $656,250, then hired a lighting designer and antique consultant to install it. The restaurant's extensive Americana collection also includes a blood-splattered Ford's Theatre playbill and roughly 90,000 clay pipes from Keens' historic Pipe Club.
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