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There’s something for everyone. From theater and music, to poetry and exhibitions, experience the power of the arts with us.

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Upcoming events

Join us for in-person and virtual events: theater, poetry, music, and more.

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Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night

Viola washes up on the shore after losing her twin brother in a shipwreck. In disguise as her twin brother, she lands in the world of Duke Orsino.
Tue, May 13 – Sun, Jun 22, 2025
Dates & Tickets
Folger Theatre
How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition
A man dressed in court fashions during the reign of James I

How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition

Social climbing was a competitive sport in Tudor England, requiring a complex range of skills, strategies, and techniques. This exhibition explores what it takes to become an early modern mover and shaker.
Fri, Feb 21 – Sun, Aug 10, 2025
Learn More
Rose Exhibition Hall
DIY at the Folger: The Tudor Ruff

DIY at the Folger: The Tudor Ruff

Create and model the fashionable accessory that is the ruff! Join us for this free activity inspired by our temporary exhibition, “How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition."
Wed, Jun 18, 2025, 11:30am
Learn More
Learning Lab
DC, I Love You: Ready or Not

DC, I Love You: Ready or Not

Join us at the Folger for an immersive experience that centers real love stories from the community.
Jun 14–15 & Jun 21–22, 2025
Dates & Tickets
Folger Shakespeare Library
Virtual Folger Salon with Charmaine Cordero, Esteban Crespo, and Toby Yuen-Gen Liang

Virtual Folger Salon with Charmaine Cordero, Esteban Crespo, and Toby Yuen-Gen Liang

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, Jun 27, 2025, at 12pm ET
Learn More
Virtual
On demand: The 2025 Eudora Welty Lecture with Amor Towles

On demand: The 2025 Eudora Welty Lecture with Amor Towles

The Folger and the Eudora Welty Foundation welcome Amor Towles to deliver the 2025 Welty Lecture, inspired by the writing and life of famed author Eudora Welty.
Available through Mon, Jun 30, 2025
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Folger Theatre
Cocktails and Conversation with John Douglas Thompson and Daniela Varon

Cocktails and Conversation with John Douglas Thompson and Daniela Varon

Leading American Shakespearean actor John Douglas Thompson and theater director and Shakespearean acting specialist Daniela Varon will speak on the solo performance piece they are co-creating.
Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 7:30pm
Learn More
Reading Room
Cocktails and Conversation with Michael W. Twitty
Photo of Michael W. Twitty

Cocktails and Conversation with Michael W. Twitty

Join us for our next evening of "Cocktails and Conversation," with writer, culinary historian, and educator Michael W. Twitty! Arrive early for food and drink purchases from our café, Quill & Crumb.
Sat, Jul 26, 2025, 7pm
Learn More
Folger Library

Subscribe to next season

Folger Theatre subscriptions
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Folger Theatre subscriptions

Folger Theatre’s 2025-2026 season includes three exceptional plays telling stories of struggle and power, love and romance, and personal journeys. Subscribe now to lock in great seats at a low price and enjoy subscriber benefits.

Folger Consort subscriptions
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Folger Consort subscriptions

Next season features a collaboration with the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series, holiday performances, romantic music for Valentine’s Day, and a springtime-themed concert for Mother’s Day. Subscribe now for the best prices on tickets.

A walking rom-com adventure

In this immersive experience, you’ll encounter a series of surprising, poignant, and playful scenes. Each moment unfolds in a unique spot around the Folger—turning hidden nooks and historic spaces into stages for love in all its messy glory.

DC, I Love You: Ready or Not

DC, I Love You: Ready or Not

Join us at the Folger for an immersive experience that centers real love stories from the community.
Jun 14–15 & Jun 21–22, 2025
Dates & Tickets
Folger Shakespeare Library
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.

Current exhibitions

More about our exhibitions
Shakespeare Exhibition
An exhibition gallery with a touchscreen and two open books in cases in the foreground, a large case filled with closed books in the background, and beyond that a brightly lit gallery

Our Shakespeare Exhibition

See the Folger First Folios, learn more about Shakespeare and his plays, and explore the complexities of his cultural legacy.
Ongoing
Learn More
Shakespeare Exhibition Hall
Out of the Vault: Into the Heart of the Folger
exhibition gallery with colorful curtains separating glass cases with books

Out of the Vault

Encounter remarkable books and manuscripts that connect with the multifaceted work of the Folger in this ongoing exhibition.
Ongoing
Learn More
Rose Exhibition Hall
How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition
A man dressed in court fashions during the reign of James I

How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition

Social climbing was a competitive sport in Tudor England, requiring a complex range of skills, strategies, and techniques. This exhibition explores what it takes to become an early modern mover and shaker.
Fri, Feb 21 – Sun, Aug 10, 2025
Learn More
Rose Exhibition Hall

Family Programs

DIY at the Folger: The Tudor Ruff

DIY at the Folger: The Tudor Ruff

Create and model the fashionable accessory that is the ruff! Join us for this free activity inspired by our temporary exhibition, “How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition."
Wed, Jun 18, 2025, 11:30am
Learn More
Learning Lab

Public Humanities

Our Public Humanities program at the Folger brings together researchers and anyone with an interest in the early modern world to explore the cultures and legacies of that time. Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time, and enjoy cocktails inspired by the Folger’s rich collection of handwritten recipe books from early modern Britain—the largest in the world.

Virtual Folger Salon with Charmaine Cordero, Esteban Crespo, and Toby Yuen-Gen Liang

Virtual Folger Salon with Charmaine Cordero, Esteban Crespo, and Toby Yuen-Gen Liang

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, Jun 27, 2025, at 12pm ET
Learn More
Virtual
Cocktails and Conversation with John Douglas Thompson and Daniela Varon

Cocktails and Conversation with John Douglas Thompson and Daniela Varon

Leading American Shakespearean actor John Douglas Thompson and theater director and Shakespearean acting specialist Daniela Varon will speak on the solo performance piece they are co-creating.
Fri, Jul 11, 2025, 7:30pm
Learn More
Reading Room
Cocktails and Conversation with Michael W. Twitty
Photo of Michael W. Twitty

Cocktails and Conversation with Michael W. Twitty

Join us for our next evening of "Cocktails and Conversation," with writer, culinary historian, and educator Michael W. Twitty! Arrive early for food and drink purchases from our café, Quill & Crumb.
Sat, Jul 26, 2025, 7pm
Learn More
Folger Library

Ticket information

Contact the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077 or folgerboxoffice@folger.edu.

Ticket discounts
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Ticket discounts

Subscriptions
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Subscriptions

Group sales
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Group sales