Every afternoon, the Tea Room is the site of a decades-old Folger tradition as tea is served to visiting scholars and staff. Informal exchanges at the afternoon tea promote discussion and can lead to new approaches toward research problems, teaching, and analysis. Memorable past guests at Folger teas have included, among many others, Laurence Olivier and Washington Post (then-Washington Star) reporter Mary McGrory.
A small display case houses changing displays of materials from the Folger collection; past displays have included photographs of the Folger’s construction and Shakespearean chess sets. The Tea Room was renovated in 1999 through the generous assistance of Juliet and Lee Folger, in memory of Katherine Dulin Folger and John Clifford Folger, and the Folger Fund.
