Shakespeare's Birthplace
Shakespeare's Birthplace
4.3
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace to walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps and explore the house where he was born and grew up. Hear tales of Shakespeare’s family life, enjoy live theatre on demand and get up close to rare artefacts from the Trust’s world class collections as you discover how the extraordinary William Shakespeare continues to shape our lives today.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.3
5,356 reviews
Excellent
2,783
Very good
1,710
Average
590
Poor
182
Terrible
92
Louise N
Rugby, UK15 contributions
Mar 2025 • Couples
Visited Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford upon Avon with my partner and a friend. The house is well-preserved, and the knowledgeable guides in each room made the experience engaging. We enjoyed seeing actors perform in the garden, adding to the lively atmosphere. The on-site shop had a good selection of reasonably priced items. Overall, a worthwhile visit for families and anyone interested in Shakespeare's history.
Written 11 March 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nozzzzz2015
Worcester, UK269 contributions
Mar 2025 • Couples
We visited on Sunday and despite the weather it was nice & quiet!
Very informative and the guides in each room gave out loads of relevant information. We found out loads we didn't know and had a fantastic hour or so walking around.
Worth a visit for sure!
Very informative and the guides in each room gave out loads of relevant information. We found out loads we didn't know and had a fantastic hour or so walking around.
Worth a visit for sure!
Written 10 March 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chloe F
32 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
An interesting and enjoyable visit. The guides were excellent - very informative and engaging, without talking for too long. They really help to keep people flowing through the building, which I can imagine is invaluable during busy weekends and school holidays! (We visited midweek in term time and there were still quite a lot of people.)
We got in for free with an Art Fund pass, but the story ticket which covers the Birthplace, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Shakespeare's New Place for about £20 seems well worth it. (We visited all 3 sites.)
We got in for free with an Art Fund pass, but the story ticket which covers the Birthplace, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Shakespeare's New Place for about £20 seems well worth it. (We visited all 3 sites.)
Written 28 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on your visit to Shakespeare's Family Homes. We are pleased that you managed to visit the three properties and spend time with our guides. We will pass on your complimentary comments to them.
Do come back soon!
Written 15 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tilly Lladnek
Northumberland, UK340 contributions
Dec 2024 • Family
I visited Shakespeare’s Birthplace on December 30, 2024. It took us around 30 minutes to look around the exhibition and the house
There was a small queue to get into the house and the first half was very crowded. This made it incredibly difficult to move on to the next room after we finished, and made everyone feel trapped. In contrast, the second half of the house was much quieter; however, this was only because I managed to slip past several big groups of tourists.
The house was beautiful and very well maintained. In a couple of rooms, there were guides who provided information about the history of the house and William Shakespeare.
The experience would have been much better if they managed the crowds especially when there are several massive groups entering at once.
In my opinion, £20 a ticket is extremely overpriced for what it is. I know your ticket is valid for a year but it would be ideal to sell cheaper tickets for only a day because once you’ve visited Shakespeare’s Birthplace there is no reasons to return.
There was a small queue to get into the house and the first half was very crowded. This made it incredibly difficult to move on to the next room after we finished, and made everyone feel trapped. In contrast, the second half of the house was much quieter; however, this was only because I managed to slip past several big groups of tourists.
The house was beautiful and very well maintained. In a couple of rooms, there were guides who provided information about the history of the house and William Shakespeare.
The experience would have been much better if they managed the crowds especially when there are several massive groups entering at once.
In my opinion, £20 a ticket is extremely overpriced for what it is. I know your ticket is valid for a year but it would be ideal to sell cheaper tickets for only a day because once you’ve visited Shakespeare’s Birthplace there is no reasons to return.
Written 19 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback on your visit to Shakespeare's Birthplace. As an independent charity, we rely on the income we generate to maintain and conserve all of the Shakespeare Family Homes for current and generations to come. We do regularly compare our pricing to similar attractions in the heritage sector and as well as offering our visitors the chance to visit as many times as they wish, we offer a Shakespeare Story ticket which covers entry to all three of the houses.
The date you visited was particularly popular in the holiday season so although we do try and manage the visitor flow, there are some instances where the initial rooms are busy.
Written 28 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LouiseC
Gravesend, UK359 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
First of all, first impressions was disappointing due to the meal made by the staff on the door for entry !!! Was ignored by Christine in the general admission line ( despite the fact the pre-bought line was empty)! Once we were in there was a small museum which was informative before entry into the pretty garden ( a lovely performance by Shakespearean actors with crowd interaction). The tour of the house took approx 20-30 minutes (and we ambled round). The tour guides in the rooms were helpful and chatty.
Nice gift shop on exit - but as you would expect very pricey for a world known place! Tube of lube required if you wanted to part with £40 for a bottle of small Shakespeare gin! The bard would be turning in his grave!
Nice gift shop on exit - but as you would expect very pricey for a world known place! Tube of lube required if you wanted to part with £40 for a bottle of small Shakespeare gin! The bard would be turning in his grave!
Written 14 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review. With several hundred years of history, we try and make the visitors' experience and visits to the Shakespeare family homes as engaging as possible for everyone. We are pleased to hear that you had an enjoyable and interesting visit and apologise for any delay during your entry.
Written 15 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael B
Fresno, CA158 contributions
Mar 2025 • Couples
We expected to spend an hour here. It was closer to 2 hours. We had a kids group from a local school reading about various rooms during our tour. They were great! The volunteer staff were very good and informative. The Anne Hathaway house is worth paying the additional charge. Certainly informative and more for adults than little kids.
Written 6 March 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GaryH_UK
Exeter, UK1,371 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
Hadn’t pre booked tickets so waited in the general admissions queue line (at the front) and were completely ignored by the lady who opened the doors, then smiled and welcomed those who had pre booked tickets, completely ignoring the rest of us.
Started the visit off on a poor note. Once inside after being made feel second class we approached the payment desks with my blue light card showing 30% off tickets. A fuss ensued when staff were unable to honour the offer and said it must be a misprint.
Anyway, once all the disappointment was over we got in and enjoyed our visit. The actors in the gardens were excellent but more work is needed on welcoming guests - first impressions last.
Started the visit off on a poor note. Once inside after being made feel second class we approached the payment desks with my blue light card showing 30% off tickets. A fuss ensued when staff were unable to honour the offer and said it must be a misprint.
Anyway, once all the disappointment was over we got in and enjoyed our visit. The actors in the gardens were excellent but more work is needed on welcoming guests - first impressions last.
Written 22 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback Gary and we are sorry to hear that your welcome was not as warm as you would have liked.
We do value all of our visitors and would not want anyone to feel undervalued or unwelcome. We are sorry about the confusion about the Blue LIght discount. This is an offer that we have honoured for many years and I do hope that this was eventually offered to you. If you have any issues on this please contact me at the Info@shakespeare.org.uk address and I will rectify this.
Written 29 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Christopher W
1 contribution
May 2024 • Family
Worth the visit if you’re in Stratford Upon Avon, the hop on hop off bus tour too.
The centre presents well cared for grounds and it was very nice to see some live performances whilst visiting.
It is expensive, but worth the money I think, especially if you get the ticket allowing you access to other sites in the town. They have an important job to preserve this heritage.
The staff were friendly and well informed. However when touring through the house there was a young man talking about the business of Shakespeares father - a glove maker. Quite bizarrely, I thought, he spoke for some time about archery after showing an archery glove and went on to explain that women were superior archers to men in Tudor England, even having greater muscle mass than men due to their physical work - he repeated this more than once. Categorically this is untrue.
The common man was compelled, by law, for hundreds of years, to regularly practice with the longbow for war from a very young age. The strength alone required to draw the old English warbow is immense, and exceedingly difficult without many years of technical practice. Perhaps it’s unfashionable to say in these modern times, but an average Tudor woman would not be capable of drawing a bow anywhere near comparable to the 100lb warbows that so many men spent decades mastering since childhood. They weren’t required to practice from childhood and do not have the same upper body strength.
Undoubtedly some women will have shot the bow during Tudor times, but rarely, and it only became a widespread hobby during the Victorian times.
I shoot a longbow as a hobby and have a fair understanding of the strength and technique needed to use the longbow with any proficiency, alongside its place in our history.
The centre presents well cared for grounds and it was very nice to see some live performances whilst visiting.
It is expensive, but worth the money I think, especially if you get the ticket allowing you access to other sites in the town. They have an important job to preserve this heritage.
The staff were friendly and well informed. However when touring through the house there was a young man talking about the business of Shakespeares father - a glove maker. Quite bizarrely, I thought, he spoke for some time about archery after showing an archery glove and went on to explain that women were superior archers to men in Tudor England, even having greater muscle mass than men due to their physical work - he repeated this more than once. Categorically this is untrue.
The common man was compelled, by law, for hundreds of years, to regularly practice with the longbow for war from a very young age. The strength alone required to draw the old English warbow is immense, and exceedingly difficult without many years of technical practice. Perhaps it’s unfashionable to say in these modern times, but an average Tudor woman would not be capable of drawing a bow anywhere near comparable to the 100lb warbows that so many men spent decades mastering since childhood. They weren’t required to practice from childhood and do not have the same upper body strength.
Undoubtedly some women will have shot the bow during Tudor times, but rarely, and it only became a widespread hobby during the Victorian times.
I shoot a longbow as a hobby and have a fair understanding of the strength and technique needed to use the longbow with any proficiency, alongside its place in our history.
Written 6 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review of your recent visit to Shakespeare's Birthplace and your observations about the commentary in the Glover's workshop.
As an organisation dedicated to promoting the enjoyment and understanding of Shakespeare's works, life and times, we do strive for historical accuracy in everything we do and I am sorry you were disappointed on this occasion. The guide in question is relatively new and we will reassess his narrative in the Workshop about this topic.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention and we hope you still had an enjoyable visit.
Written 13 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Katie G
24 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
Before you even reach the house there is an exhibition about his works, his tools and tudors in general. When entering the house there is a volunteer in every room who has forgotten more knowledge about Shakespeare and his family than I will ever know. The guy in the chair in the glove room as well as a guy in the bedroom were particular highlights for us. And really made our visit memorable. Unfortunately I didn’t catch their names! Over 60% of what you see today is original, you truly are walking in Shakespeare’s footsteps. Easily done together with Anne’s cottage. Unfortunately the new place was shut for winter so we didn’t get to go. If you’re a history lover this is well worth a visit. The surrounding town is very Tudor as well and you will have time to mooch about after the visit as it does not take too much time to see all of the house.
Written 16 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review of your visit to Shakespeare's Birthplace and the compliments about our guides. We will be sure to share your comments with them! Please come back and visit us again soon.
Written 25 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
skyfluff1
191 contributions
Nov 2024 • Solo
Visited Shakespeare’s birthplace as part of a research trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon and I have to say it was such a highlight! Before you get to the actual house, there’s a little exhibition of various artifacts and artworks, so you really get a feel for what life was like in his era before you see where he lived. The day I visited, there were some school children there (I assume as part of a school project) who had some very helpful information for us about what we were seeing . Very adorable (and also informative!)
The house itself was incredible, it made me weirdly emotional to be there and know that’s where Shakespeare was born and lived. The house has been lovingly restored and maintained, and there was a staff member is each room to provide more information. Each member of staff was not only knowledgeable, but also incredibly passionate about their subject, I could have listened to them talk for hours! Gift shop staff were also incredibly chatty and sweet.
One thing I would say, nothing to do with the Birthplace, but I bought the Story Ticket online, which gave me access to the Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and The New Place, and The New Place is actually closed for winter. There’s no mention of this on the Story Ticket website, so just be aware.
Overall, this is a totally unmissable experience, and I would 100% recommend.
The house itself was incredible, it made me weirdly emotional to be there and know that’s where Shakespeare was born and lived. The house has been lovingly restored and maintained, and there was a staff member is each room to provide more information. Each member of staff was not only knowledgeable, but also incredibly passionate about their subject, I could have listened to them talk for hours! Gift shop staff were also incredibly chatty and sweet.
One thing I would say, nothing to do with the Birthplace, but I bought the Story Ticket online, which gave me access to the Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and The New Place, and The New Place is actually closed for winter. There’s no mention of this on the Story Ticket website, so just be aware.
Overall, this is a totally unmissable experience, and I would 100% recommend.
Written 21 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the feedback about your visit which we are pleased to hear you enjoyed so much. We do close New Place on a seasonal basis between November and early March but, as we do state on the website, your Shakespeare Story ticket is valid for a year and you can visit as many times as you wish. We hope to welcome you back again soon.
Written 25 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi would you recommend booking tickets for this before hand? I’ve seen you can book a ticket for the 3 top places to visit in one ticket ? Not sure if it’s cheaper online or just to book when we arrive? Thank you in advance. 🎭🎟☺️
Written 14 May 2022
How long dose it take to go around/look around?
Written 10 August 2020
I would say 1-1.5 hours, depending on if you want to read everything that’s available and listen to all the audio commentary points that are en-route.
Written 13 September 2020
Is Shakespeare's birthplace open all year round? I appreciate that it is currently closed.
Written 6 May 2020
We went in February and it was open then but everything has changed since then. It was good to go off peak though because the highly knowledgeable team of staff could go into more detail and did! Well worth a visit when things calm down.
Written 8 May 2020
If we see Shakespeare's house on foot, what other houses are within walking distance? Is there a tour ticket we can purchase in advance? We don't have access to a printer but can book online.
Written 17 November 2019
Thank you so much.
We will buy the 5 houses online ticket which seems like a good buy even for 2 or 3 places.
Written 17 November 2019
Arafath A
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Is photography allowed inside the houses ?
Written 9 June 2019
Vorrei sapere quanto è stimata la voce "Tirismo Shakespeare" sul PIL (Prodotto Interno Lordo U.K.). Grazie
Written 8 April 2019
everythingevy
Arkansas City, Kansas
How much time should I allow to visit all 5 houses? And how much time if I were to skip the farm?
Written 17 March 2018
We started at Birthplace as opens st 10.00 and took about an hour for visit as small museum attached. We then walked to New Place (10 min), then Halls Croft (5 min). Worth then popping into Trinity Church (5 min) as he is buried here but not on ticket so they ask £3 each voluntary contribution. These are all 30 min to hour to look around. Anne Hathaway cottage is then a mile walk (20 min) or you can drive as loads of parking. I think it’s the nicest bit. We did all of them same day and still had time to visit shops on high street. We fix farm on the next day as more to do there especially for children. Make sure you buy on line ticket for all houses even if you do not do farm as big saving
Written 19 March 2018
We are going for a three night stay at the best western hotel in september included are tickets to either Warwick castle or 3 of 5 of shakespears houses we chose shakespears houses but what I would like to know is are these tickets only valid for one day?
Written 21 August 2017
If you have the annual pass you purchased, it's valid for one year - visit as often as you like 😎
Written 9 September 2017
I read on one review that tickets were valid for one year but no other reviews mentioned this. One answer was only valid for a day but another said one year. Do you know which is correct?
Written 5 July 2017
Yes they are valid for one year. The tickets will be printed with your name on it, so it's non transferable, and if you buy the full ticket it will allow you entry to all five of the Shakespeare venues: Shakespeares birthplace, Mary Arden's Farm, New Place, Hall's croft and Anne Hathaway's cottage. It's great value for money.
Written 8 July 2017
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