Booking and details
Plan your visitSkip the line to enter our exhibition galleries Reserve an optional timed-entry pass
Dates Sat, Apr 19, 2025, 11am
Venue Folger Shakespeare Library
Tickets Free; no ticket required
The Folger suggests a $15 donation to support our operating costs.
Celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday at the Folger with fun, family-friendly activities and birthday cake for all!
Make an Elizabethan ruff, watch sword-fighting and printing press demonstrations, write sonnets, learn about Elizabethan dance and music in a dance contest, and more.
Schedule
The celebration will begin when the Folger opens its doors at 11am. From 1-3pm, activities will take place on the Folger front lawn and birthday cake will be served. Check back soon for the full schedule.
Shakespeare’s Birthday Lecture
Stick around and join us in the evening for the annual Shakespeare’s Birthday Lecture, delivered this year by Folger Director Farah Karim-Cooper on the topic of “Shakespeare Beyond Relevance.” Free registration is required to attend the lecture.
Photo gallery
See photos from past Shakespeare’s Birthday celebrations at the Folger.
Printing press demonstrations
Come to the Shakespeare Exhibition Hall to see our recreation of a 17th-century printing press in action!
Related evening event
Shakespeare's Birthday Lecture: "Shakespeare Beyond Relevance" with Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper
Not able to join us?
Here are some ideas for celebrating Shakespeare’s birthday on your own, such as writing a sonnet or cooking a festive Shakespearean meal.
