Shakespeare and the American Story
On view in our exhibition galleries through August 2
Welcome to the Folger!
Choose how you want to experience Shakespeare, the humanities, and our world-renowned collection.
Visit Shakespeare’s home in America
Plan your visit
Get details and reserve timed-entry passes.
Take a tour
Reserve a group tour or student experience.
Eat at Quill & Crumb
Enjoy lunch or a quick snack at our café.
About us
The Folger Shakespeare Library showcases the utility of Shakespeare and the humanities in cultivating healthy civic life.
What’s on
Join us for talks, poetry, music, and other programs.
Shakespeare and the American Story
Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era
Teacher Weekend Intensive: Exploring the New Folger Guides to Teaching Shakespeare
Afternoon Tea at the Folger
Our Shakespeare Exhibition
Early Music Seminar: An English Garden
An English Garden
Adjoa Andoh
Director’s Residency: April 19-25
Adjoa Andoh MBE is most well-known among American audiences for her role as Lady Danbury in the Netflix show Bridgerton, but she is also a highly regarded Shakespearean actor and director. Learn more about the public events happening during her Director’s Residency at the Folger.
The latest from our blogs and podcast
Quiz: Plants and Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s plays include a wealth of forests, herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and more. Try out our quiz about the plants and trees.
Shakespeare in the news
A roundup of Shakespeare stories, including discoveries about his only London real estate purchase and family papers; all Shakespeare’s plays ranked as well as video games Shakespeare would love; and actors sharing Shakespeare.
An English Garden: Program Notes
Mary Springfels writes about the 16th-century music and selection of readings that concert-goers will hear in Folger Consort performances of An English Garden.
Re-writing and Reimagining Early Modern Witchcraft Through Creative Practice
Artistic Research Fellow Evelyn Reidy shares how she is using the Folger’s collection material related to witchcraft, early modern beliefs, and women’s knowledge to help her portray the women executed in Salem in 1692-93 in her new play, More Weight, or I Saw Goody Proctor at the Gift Shop.
People to Watch: Jacob Ming-Trent
In this American Theatre magazine interview, the versatile actor-writer talks about his autobiographical solo show, How Shakespeare Saved My Life, on stage at Folger Theatre June 9 – July 5.
Love Story’s doomed Shakespearean romance
Viewers might be surprised by the number of Shakespearean elements in the miniseries which fictionalizes the doomed relationship between John F. Kennedy, Jr. and his wife Carolyn Bessette. And they’re not all from Romeo and Juliet.
Our collection
The First Folio
The Folger has the world’s largest collection of First Folios. Learn more about the book that gave us Shakespeare.
A majestic portrait
The Folger collection includes about 200 paintings. This portrait of Queen Elizabeth I by George Gower is dated 1579, making it the oldest painting in our collection. Two years after he completed this portrait, Gower became Serjeant Painter to the Queen, making him the most important artist in England.
Our other Elizabeth I holdings include hand-signed letters, books, and even New Year’s gift rolls detailing her holiday gifts. It is the largest collection of Elizabeth I materials in North America.
Shakespeare’s works
View the full list of plays and poems to read, search, and download our bestselling editions of Shakespeare’s works.
Shakespeare’s most popular plays
Romeo and Juliet
Macbeth
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Julius Caesar
Othello
Hamlet
Explore
What was Shakespeare's theater like?
Learn about the Globe and other London playhouses where Shakespeare’s company performed. What was it like to be an actor there, or an audience member?
Teach
How can Shakespeare help 21st-century students be stronger readers?
Our Folger Method is revolutionizing how not just Shakespeare but all literature is taught using strategies that allow all students to own – and enjoy – complex texts.
Research
If we are what we eat, what can recipes from the past tell us?
Projects like Before ‘Farm to Table’ unite scholars and practitioners in investigations into the past to shed light on what matters to us today.
Support the things you love
Your gifts make access to our collection, learning opportunities, and exciting experiences happen.
Folger Shop
Find unique gifts inspired by Shakespeare and our collection.