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Free Events
The Folger offers a wide range of free events for audiences of all ages, including our monthly book club discussions and our annual celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday.
Shakespeare Exhibition
Our Shakespeare Exhibition
See the Folger First Folios, learn more about Shakespeare and his plays, and explore the complexities of his cultural legacy.
Ongoing
How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition
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.
Through July 2025
Get Your Students into the Folger Collection!
Get Your Students into the Folger Collection!
In this professional development session from Folger Education, teachers can learn how to make primary sources and rare materials come alive in the classroom with the Folger Method.
Wed, Feb 26, 2025, 8pm
Cocktails and Conversation with Luis Carazo
Cocktails and Conversation with Luis Carazo
Engage your imagination and take a walk along the hero’s path with Luis Carazo! Learn about the world of role-playing games, its place within the broader spectrum of storytelling, and its impact as a community and empathy building tool.
Thu, Feb 27, 2025 at 7pm
Power on Parade
Power on Parade
With Mardi Gras on the horizon, the Folger considers how the pageantry of parades has led to participation in our democratic process.
Sat, Mar 1, 2025 at 11am
Folger Book Club: The Tower by Flora Carr
Folger Book Club: The Tower by Flora Carr
Our March 2025 book club explores Mary, Queen of Scots's period of confinement in Lochleven Castle.
Thu, Mar 6, 2025, 6:30pm
Family Workshop: The Art of the Shakespearean Power Player
Family Workshop: The Art of the Shakespearean Power Player
Dive into themes from our temporary exhibition, “How to Be A Power Player: Tudor Edition,” and connect them to Shakespeare’s words. Choose from two free workshops for ages 5-7 and ages 8-11.
Sat, Mar 22, 2025 at 11:30am & 1pm
Folger Book Club:
'The Death I Gave Him' by Em X. Liu
Folger Book Club:
'The Death I Gave Him' by Em X. Liu
Folger Book Club:
'The Death I Gave Him' by Em X. Liu
Our May 2025 is lyrical, queer sci-fi retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet as a locked-room thriller.
Thu, May 1, 2025, 6:30pm
Family Workshop: Spring Has Sprung
Family Workshop: Spring Has Sprung
Experience Shakespeare's words and their connection to nature and, weather permitting, take Shakespeare's words outdoors to the Folger's gardens! Choose from two free workshops for ages 5-7 and ages 8-11.
Sat, Apr 5, 2025 at 11:30am & 1pm
Out of the Vault: Into the Heart of the Folger
Out of the Vault
Encounter remarkable books and manuscripts that connect with the multifaceted work of the Folger in this ongoing exhibition.
Ongoing
DIY at the Folger: Miniatures
DIY at the Folger: Miniatures
Make your own self-portrait, fit for the Tudor court! This free activity is inspired by the miniatures on display in the temporary exhibition, “How to Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition."
Wed, Apr 23, 2025, 11:30am
Folger Book Club: 'Twelfth Knight'
by Alexene Farol Follmuth
Folger Book Club: 'Twelfth Knight'
by Alexene Farol Follmuth
Folger Book Club: 'Twelfth Knight'
by Alexene Farol Follmuth
Our April 2025 book club is a charming coming-of-age story involving online gaming, based on Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night.'
Thu, Apr 3, 2025, 6:30pm