Take a tour of the Folger led by an experienced guide. We offer one-hour group tours priced at $25 per person, with discounts for school groups, which must be booked at least two weeks in advance.
Teachers, you can also request a tailored Student Experience. These combine a tour with a workshop or display of rare materials from the Folger collection for a more in-depth exploration of a particular topic, geared to wherever your school group is in their studies. Student Experiences must be booked at least four weeks in advance.
All Folger tours are booked through folger.edu. Please note that if you have booked a tour through a separate organization or website, the tour is not an official Folger experience, and your tour cannot be guaranteed. We cannot accommodate charter buses on their arrival day; all tours must be reserved in advance through the Folger website.
Group tours
Cost: $25 per person
For tour groups from an elementary, middle, or high school, the cost is $10 per person. DC Public Schools and Title 1 schools from DC, Maryland, and Virginia are welcome with a flat $150 fee.
All tour bookings include admission to the Folger; timed entry passes do not need to be booked separately.
Group size
Minimum: 6 people
Maximum: 40 people
Groups of 40 will be split into two separate tour groups of 20 people each.
Available days and start times
Tuesday – Friday
11:30am – 4:30pm
Each tour lasts 1 hour.
Tour highlights
Your tour will take you through the Great Hall and other historic spaces, along with new areas added by the building renovation.
About our building and grounds
Exhibition Halls
Each tour will feature our exhibitions, whose highlights include the Folger’s world-famous collection of First Folios and a replica 17th-century printing press.
Elizabethan Theatre
The Elizabethan Theatre may be closed to visitors during rehearsals and performances, but will otherwise be included as part of your tour.
The Reading Room
Since researchers are using this space during weekdays to work quietly, only the final tour of the day (starting at 4:30pm) will include the Reading Room.
Student Experiences
Go deeper with a Folger experience that is tailored to your school group and what you are currently studying in class. Combine a tour of the Folger with an up-on-your-feet workshop from Folger Education and an engaging display of rare materials from the Folger collection, focused on a topic that’s relevant to your school group, such as a specific Shakespeare play.
For pricing and availability, please see the details listed below and in our reservation form:
Must be reserved at least four weeks in advance
Minimum of 10 people
Maximum of 40 people (split into 2 groups)
Workshop and tour: $300
Combine a 45-minute workshop with a 1-hour tour of the Folger. The tour will take students through the exhibition galleries, the Great Hall, and the Elizabethan Theatre (availability dependent upon rehearsals and performances). The workshop will focus on a topic arranged in advance by the teacher and Folger Education. Must be reserved at least four weeks in advance.
Availability
Tuesday through Friday
Start times between 10am and 2pm
Collection display, workshop, and tour: $450
This Student Experience features a display of rare materials from the Folger collection, in addition to the 45-minute workshop with a 1-hour tour of the Folger. The tour will take students through the exhibition galleries, the Great Hall, and the Elizabethan Theatre (availability dependent upon rehearsals and performances). Both the collection display and the workshop will focus on a topic arranged in advance by the teacher and Folger Education. Must be reserved at least four weeks in advance.
Availability
Tuesday and Wednesday
Start times between 9:30am and 1pm
Self-guided tours
You are welcome to take a self-guided tour of the Folger’s exhibition halls and historic spaces. Our friendly Visitor Experience Experts (VEEs) and Gallery Guides are stationed throughout the building to answer questions. When you visit, check in at the Welcome Desk to pick up a 20-stop self-guided tour booklet. Please note that the Elizabethan Theatre may be closed to visitors during rehearsals and performances.
Visiting the Reading Room
For many visitors, the Reading Room is a must-see, with its beautiful stained-glass windows, enormous chandeliers, carved oak paneling, and high trussed roof. During weekdays, the Reading Room is a quiet space for researchers to work with Folger collection materials.
To see the Reading Room as part of a group tour, you must book the last available tour of the day, which starts at 4:30pm.
Visitors are invited into the Reading Room on weekday evenings and on weekends during these hours:
- Thursday: 5pm to 8pm
- Friday: 5pm to 8pm
- Saturday: 11am to 8pm
- Sunday: 11am to 5pm
Please note: These hours are changing soon. Beginning Tuesday, August 5, the Reading Room will be open to visitors only on Fridays from 5pm to 8pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 5pm.
Days and times are subject to change. Please see the Plan your visit page for the most up-to-date information about partial or full-day building closures.
Information for researchers:
Use the library
Learn more about our Reading Room hours, paging schedule, and more for planning an in-person research visit.