What's on
There’s something for everyone. From theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us.
The Reading Room Festival 2026
Reading Room Festival
Folger Theatre’s fourth annual Reading Room Festival returns in January with four days of staged readings, panel discussions, workshops, and community celebrations. All-access passes are now on sale!
Frost Fair: Nov 28 – Jan 4
Celebrate the season with festive decorations, holiday music, free activities, and more.
Resplendent Joy
Resplendent Joy
Continuing a beloved tradition for the winter holidays, Folger Consort celebrates with festive music from Spain and Portugal.
Fri, Dec 5 – Sun, Dec 14, 2025
The Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute: Celebrating Jane Austen at 250
The Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute: Celebrating Jane Austen at 250
This year, our annual birthday tribute to American poet Emily Dickinson will also honor English novelist Jane Austen on her 250th birthday.
Tue, Dec 9, 2025 at 7:30pm
Folger Book Club: 'Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries' by Heather Fawcett
Folger Book Club: 'Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries' by Heather Fawcett
Our December selection travels to an icy land of faeries and dark magic, with author Heather Fawcett joining for the session.
Thu, Dec 4, 2025, 6:30pm
On View: Missy Dunaway
On View: Missy Dunaway
In this small solo exhibition, artist Missy Dunaway investigates the connections between art, literature, history, and the natural world with her paintings of birds mentioned in Shakespeare's plays.
Fri, Nov 14, 2025 – Sun, Jan 4, 2026
Printing Press Demonstrations
Printing Press Demonstrations
To learn more about our replica 17th-century printing press and to see it in action, join us during Frost Fair on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for printing press demonstrations.
Fri, Nov 28, 2025 – Sat, Jan 03, 2026
Family Workshop: From Page to Pose
Family Workshop: From Page to Pose
Get ready to strike your best Shakespearean pose! Recreate artwork on display in our exhibition galleries through creative movement and acting.
Sat, Dec 27, 2025 at 11:30am & 1pm
Our 2025-2026 season
Explore upcoming events in our season for Folger Theatre, Folger Consort, and the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series. Plus, take advantage of discounted prices with flex passes and ticket packages.
Folger Theatre subscriptions
Folger Theatre
Folger Consort subscriptions
Folger Consort
O.B. Hardison Poetry Series subscriptions
O.B. Hardison Poetry Series
Free events
Folger Salon with Virginia Burnett, Dorothy Kim, and Mary Beth Long
Folger Salon with Virginia Burnett, Dorothy Kim, and Mary Beth Long
Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time! Each month, Folger Institute scholar and artist fellows will share their most exciting finds and thought-provoking challenges, followed by casual open conversation.
Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 4:30pm
Gallery Talk: Missy Dunaway
Gallery Talk: Missy Dunaway
Learn about the holiday associations of three birds mentioned by Shakespeare in this gallery talk with Missy Dunaway as part of "Contemporary Art at the Folger," a rotating series that showcases the work of Folger Artist Fellows.
Fri, Nov 21, 2025, at 6:30pm
Family Workshop: A Shakespearean Feast!
Family Workshop: A Shakespearean Feast!
Take a bite out of Shakespeare’s words and Elizabethan table manners!
Sat, Nov 29, 2025 at 11:30am & 1pm
Folger Book Club: 'Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries' by Heather Fawcett
Folger Book Club: 'Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries' by Heather Fawcett
Our December selection travels to an icy land of faeries and dark magic, with author Heather Fawcett joining for the session.
Thu, Dec 4, 2025, 6:30pm
Virtual Folger Salon with Andrés Gattinoni, Margherita Malerba, and Layla Zeitouni
Virtual Folger Salon with Andrés Gattinoni, Margherita Malerba, and Layla Zeitouni
Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time! Each month, Folger Institute scholar and artist fellows will share their most exciting finds and thought-provoking challenges, followed by casual open conversation.
Fri, Dec 5, 2025, at 12pm
Current and upcoming exhibitions
Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era
Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era
Displayed together for the first time since 1805, 14 paintings from the influential Boydell Shakespeare Gallery in London will be on view at the Folger, offering visitors the chance to consider both the stories Shakespeare created and the stories that were created about him.
Sat, Oct 4, 2025 – Sun, Aug 2, 2026
Shakespeare Exhibition
Our Shakespeare Exhibition
See the Folger First Folios, learn more about Shakespeare and his plays, and explore the complexities of his cultural legacy.
Ongoing
Out of the Vault: Into the Heart of the Folger
Out of the Vault
Encounter remarkable books and manuscripts that connect with the multifaceted work of the Folger in this ongoing exhibition.
Ongoing
On View: Missy Dunaway
On View: Missy Dunaway
In this small solo exhibition, artist Missy Dunaway investigates the connections between art, literature, history, and the natural world with her paintings of birds mentioned in Shakespeare's plays.
Fri, Nov 14, 2025 – Sun, Jan 4, 2026
Exhibition halls
Exhibitions
Explore our world-class collection and enjoy interactive experiences created for visitors of all ages and stages.
- Our Shakespeare Exhibition Hall is devoted to the works of William Shakespeare then and there, here and now — including for the first time a display of all 82 copies of the Folger’s First Folios; and
- In our Stuart and Mimi Rose Rare Book and Manuscript Exhibition Hall, you’ll discover exhibits of significant collection items that inspire the Folger’s work, deep dives into our vault, and special exhibitions.
Professional development for teachers
How to Survive Teaching Act 5
How to Survive Teaching Act 5
This professional development session for teachers focuses on strategies for reading the final act of a Shakespeare play, from using Folger Essential Practices to exploring epilogues through paired texts.
Wed, Nov 19, 2025, 8pm ET
What’s next for Book Club
Our virtual, monthly Book Club is free and open to all.
Folger Book Club: 'Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries' by Heather Fawcett
Folger Book Club: 'Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries' by Heather Fawcett
Our December selection travels to an icy land of faeries and dark magic, with author Heather Fawcett joining for the session.
Thu, Dec 4, 2025, 6:30pm
Ticket information
Contact the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077 or folgerboxoffice@folger.edu.
