Welcome to the Folger Shakespeare Library!

Join us in 2016 for The Wonder of Will, celebrating Shakespeare and his extraordinary legacy through special events, exhibitions (including First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare), performances, and more!
 
Located on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, the Folger is the world’s largest Shakespeare collection—the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. We provide access to a huge array of resources, from original sources to modern interpretations.

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201 East Capitol Street, SE
Washington, DC 20003

Building & Exhibitions
Monday–Saturday: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday: noon – 5:00pm
Extended Hours: Open Fridays until 8:00pm

Reading Room
Monday–Friday: 8:45am – 4:45pm
Saturday: 9:00am – noon, and
1:00pm – 4:30pm

  • Flexible Packages Still Available!

    Our season continues with The Second Shepherds' Play, followed Shakespeare's romantic comedy As You Like It, and then the tragic satire Timon of Athens. With our new flexible packages, choose the date and time to our shows and enjoy all of the savings and benefits of being a Folger subscriber. 

    Season Tickets

  • The Second Shepherds' Play: Nov. 27-Dec.21

    A rich blend of music and theater for the holiday season, this engaging medieval mystery play weaves together the stories of three shepherds, a sheep thief and his cunning wife, and the miracle in a manger. Featuring festive English music of the period performed by Folger Consort.

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  • Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute on December 12

    Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Tracy K. Smith (Life on Mars) shares her favorite celestial-inspired verse from both Dickinson and her own collection on Monday, December 12 at 7:30pm. Have a slice of Dickinson's black cake following the reading.

    Tickets & Information

  • As You Like It begins performances on Jan. 24

    "All the world's a stage" in Shakespeare's seductive comedy filled with love, laughter, and mistaken identity. When Rosalind (Charlotte Parry) is banished from court, she flees to the Forest of Arden where she discovers Orlando and a world of passion and possibility. Directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch.

    Tickets & Information

Upcoming at the Folger

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First-Folio-Shakespeare's-American-Tour-Homepage-Promo

Exhibitions

First Folio! Shakespeare's American Tour

NOVEMBER 19, 2016 – JANUARY 22, 2017

Nancy Robinette (Nurse), Nicole Lowrance (Juliet), and Julie-Ann Elliott (Lady Capulet), Romeo and Juliet, directed by PJ Paparelli, Folger Theatre, 2005. Photo by Carol Pratt.

Shakespeare Unlimited Podcast

Shakespeare and Girlhood

How does Shakespeare portray girls and girlhood in his plays, and what do those portrayals tell us about life in Elizabethan and Jacobean England? 

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Education

Teaching Shakespeare Institute: Summer Academy 2017

Apply to spend a week at the Folger learning to teach Macbeth the Folger way: through attention to scholarship, performance, curriculum, and assessment using the Folger’s collection and working with scholars, theater professionals, and experienced teachers. The Academy will take place July 9-14, 2017.

Collection

Manuscript collection

The Folger collection includes some 60,000 handwritten documents dating from the 15th to the 21st century, offering unique windows onto life in Shakespeare’s time, later writers' fascination with Shakespeare, and the development of the English theater over the centuries.

Folger Institute

2016–2017 Scholarly Programs

The Folger Institute gathers scholars to work together around specific topics relating to Shakespeare and his time. Program formats vary, with offerings lasting a weekend or a year and participants drawing from faculty or graduate students. Funding for participants is often available to support travel and lodging.