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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.
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.
Through July 2025
Rose Exhibition Hall
Folger Salon with Douglas Clark, Jamie Gemmell, and Patricia A. Matthew

Folger Salon with Douglas Clark, Jamie Gemmell, and Patricia A. Matthew

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.
Thu, April 24, 2025 at 4:30pm
The Great Hall
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
Folger Virtual
Family Workshop: A Power Player Spectacle
Four children standing next to each other yelling

Family Workshop: A Power Player Spectacle

Join the Folger as we use our how-to guide to power playing and the words of Shakespeare to create our own spectacular production! Choose from two free workshops for ages 5-7 and ages 8-11.
Sat, May 3, 2025 at 11:30am & 1pm
Learning Lab
Cocktails and Conversation: "A Springtime Revival" with Douglas Clark
Photo of Douglas Clark

Cocktails and Conversation: "A Springtime Revival" with Douglas Clark

Help the Folger bring a “lost play” back to life! Short-term Fellow Douglas Clark will share his exciting recent discovery—a handwritten English translation of a pastoral comedy set on a Greek island.
Thu, May 8, 2025, 7pm
Folger Library
Folger Salon with Mark Bland, Zainab Cheema, and Kate Doubler

Folger Salon with Mark Bland, Zainab Cheema, and Kate Doubler

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.
Thu, May 15, 2025 at 4:30pm
The Great Hall
Queer Dramaturgy with Alexa Alice Joubin
Photo of Alexa Alice Joubin

Queer Dramaturgy with Alexa Alice Joubin

Join Professor Alexa Alice Joubin for a workshop on queer dramaturgy before seeing the Folger Theatre production of Twelfth Night.
Fri, May 30, 2025, 6:30pm
Folger Library
Folger Book Club: 'Queen B' by Juno Dawson

Folger Book Club: 'Queen B' by Juno Dawson

Our June 2025 selection sets the stage for 'Her Majesty's Royal Coven' trilogy, tracing the origins of the coven to the days following Anne Boleyn's execution.
Thu, Jun 5, 2025, 6:30pm
Folger Virtual
Folger Salon with Maria Canon, Amy Cooper, and Carrington OBrion

Folger Salon with Maria Canon, Amy Cooper, and Carrington OBrion

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.
Thu, Jun 12, 2025 at 4:30pm
The Great 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
Learning Lab
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
Rose Exhibition Hall