Visiting FAQs

Everything you need to make your visit go smoothly. Our helpful staff will be on hand during your visit to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you and we hope you enjoy your time with us.

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated: May 2025

Do I have to book in advance?

We recommend pre-booking to avoid disappointment. We offer timed entry to Shakespeare's Birthplace and these slots take priority on admission. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Shakespeare’s New Place do not need a time slot to enter - simply present your QR code and it will be scanned. You can book online in advance here.

Click here to see more information on our opening times. Mary Arden's Farm and Hall's Croft remain closed for general admission.

Can I use an existing ticket?

If you have bought a Shakespeare's Story Ticket you can access Shakespeare's family homes for 12 months from the date of activation (your first visit to any property).

Any tickets outside of the year time frame including Shakespeare's Story Tickets are not valid for entry and new tickets must be purchased.

See our Ticketing Terms for more information.

Can I show my ticket on my mobile device?

Yes, we accept tickets shown on mobile devices.

What can I do if I’ve lost my email booking confirmation?

For all booking queries please contact us by email: [email protected] or by phone: 01789 204016

Are you offering concessions on ticket prices?

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is a charity charged by an Act of Parliament to care for the Shakespeare family homes and share Shakespeare's life, work and times with the world. We are committed to make this offer accessible and inclusive for as wide an audience as possible.

The care and preservation of the Shakespeare family homes requires that the Trust charges for entry to our sites, but we do not want the price of entry to be a barrier to access. To this end, we offer concessionary rates, promotions and off-peak discounts, to create a flexible pricing model that we hope responds to people's needs.

To be eligible for the concessionary rate, you must be or receive one or more of the following:

- Disability Living Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Universal Credit
- Blue Light Cardholder (covers Armed Forces, teachers & NHS Staff
- Student (16+)
- MAX Cardholder

Carers go free when accompanying a visitor with disabilities. Please select the Essential Companion (Carer) ticket option when purchasing tickets.

Please note, all children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by at least one adult.

Discounted tickets for refugees

Members of the refugee community have the opportunity to access to Shakespeare’s Birthplace for £1 per person.

To qualify for the discount member of the community/community groups and organisations must contact the customer service team directly via [email protected] and book and pay for their tickets in advance.

Discounted tickets will not be available to purchase on arrival. Discounts are not currently available for tickets for Anne Hathaway’s Cottage or Shakespeare New Place at this time, or the Shakespeare’s Story Ticket.

Can I re-enter after I have exited the site?

With a Shakespeare's Story Ticket you are able to access the houses included for 12 months from the first visit. There is no re-admittance back into the garden from the Shop, only entry through Visitor Reception.

Is there parking at any of your sites?

There are a number of pay and display car parks in Stratford-upon-Avon within walking distance of Shakespeare’s Birthplace. For further information see Getting Here.

What time should I arrive?

When you are planning to visit, tickets for Shakespeare's Birthplace are sold in arrival windows of one hour, with the exception of the last hour, which is a 30 minute window. Please arrive in your designated timeslot and not before.

What if I can’t visit due to illness?

We politely ask that you do not visit us if you or any member of your group are displaying Covid-19 symptoms. Please contact us be email: [email protected] or by phone: 01789 204016 by 5pm the day before your visit was due to take place and we’ll be happy to help you rearrange your visit for another date, subject to availability. Read our Terms of Entry for more information.

Tickets are valid for a year so please come back and visit us another time.

I’ve changed my mind, can I cancel my ticket?

Tickets are non-refundable. If you wish to alter your booking date/time you may do so, subject to availability, by email: [email protected] or phone: 01789 204016. Amendments to bookings have a cut off time of 48 hours prior to your booked slot. Please note amendments can not be made on a Saturday or Sunday.

If I am delayed and miss my slot, can I join a later slot?

We have strict capacity limits which we are unable to exceed. It is unlikely that we will be able to accommodate late arrivals.

What hygiene measures are in place?

Hand sanitisers will be available throughout our sites and windows will be kept open to encourage good ventilation.

How do we keep you safe during your visit?

To ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable visit, we have a range of safety measures.

This includes security checks, such as bag searches upon arrival to each site.

Project Servator

We are also working in partnership with Warwickshire Police, West Midlands Police and Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands who operate Project Servator in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Project Servator aims to disrupt criminal activity across the area. You may see additional offers around the area, and outside our properties.

We are supporting this initiative, and we want to reassure you that there’s nothing to be worried about if you see extra police officers around our site or across the town. Officers will be happy to explain what they are doing and answer any questions you have, so please feel free to talk to them if you see them or have any concerns.

More information about safety and security can be found on our safety measures page.

Can I bring food and drink, or buy any when I’m there?

We ask that no food or drink is consumed on site at Shakespeare’s Birthplace during your visit, including any that you’ve brought from home. Picnics are welcome in the grounds at Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Shakespeare's New Place. Please ensure you take all your rubbish home with you.

Can I take photographs?

You can take photographs for personal use only, but flash photography and filming is not permitted at any of our sites. For commercial photography and filming requests please email [email protected]

Can I bring my dog?

Dogs are welcome in the gardens and grounds at Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shakespeare's New Place and Shakespeare's Birthplace. Please note, to allow us to offer the best environment to the animals on Mary Arden's Farm, we are not able to welcome dogs (apart from registered assistance dogs) to the farm. Dogs must always be kept on a lead at all times.

Are your gift shops open?

We have gift shops at each of the Shakespeare family homes. Please see our Opening Times for more information. Our gift shop at Shakespeare's Birthplace is also open to the general public via Henley Street.

Do you offer group discounts?

We offer discounts for groups of 15 or more people. See our Group Visits page for further information.

When will the other houses reopen?

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust continues to actively care for all five of Shakespeare’s family homes and we continue to review and plan our operations based on tourism trends and within the context of the pandemic. As we enter into the spring season, Shakespeare's Birthplace, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Shakespeare's New Place are open daily. Mary Arden's Farm and Hall's Croft remain closed for general admission. Click here to see more information on our opening times.

Audiences can access and enjoy Shakespeare’s work and his enduring legacy online via our digital programming, including podcasts, curated online exhibitions and an abundance of free learning resources.

Why isn’t Mary Arden’s Farm opening?

In light of prolonged disruption to children’s learning due to the pandemic, Mary Arden’s Farm continues to offer a dedicated outdoor education facility for our primary school workshops, providing opportunities for children to learn about Shakespeare's work, life and times in a secure environment.

The operation of the property as a working farm will continue, giving children the opportunity to engage with the animals as part of their visit.

For more information see our full statement.

Is Hall’s Croft reopening?

Hall's Croft remains closed to visitors, however the former cafe area has been transformed into a flexible learning space for A-level and higher education groups and lectures. Our teams will continue to care for the site and carry out essential conservation work in line with our charitable objectives.

Can I access the Shakespeare Centre?

The Shakespeare Centre is the visitor Reception where you can buy tickets to enter Shakespeare’s Birthplace or where you will come with your pre booked tickets to enter. The upstairs of the Shakespeare Centre is closed to visitors until further notice; this includes on-site educational courses and after-hours events. The Reading Room is now open for in-person research activity and can be booked through our website. Please keep checking our website for further updates. For access to our library and archive service, please refer to our online collections catalogue or email [email protected].

My ticket states 10am entry?

If your ticket includes Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and/or Shakespeare’s New Place, the 10am time-slot is the earliest you can visit, which is when the properties open. There are no time-slots for these two sites, only Shakespeare’s Birthplace requires you to book a time.

I have a suitcase or large luggage, can I bring this in with me?

For security reasons, please do not bring luggage or large bags such as rucksacks and wheeled luggage to our properties (bigger than 40cm x 40cm x 50cm and heavier than 5kg). Please do not leave your bags or personal items unattended at any point during your visit.

Will it be busy, will there be queues?

During peak season (school holidays, Easter, July and August) our teams will monitor visitor numbers as we place staff and visitor safety as a priority to avoid overcrowding. You may need to allow a little more time to enter the sites and properties to allow for this.

Still have a question? You might find what you need on our Terms of Entry or Plan Your Visit pages. You can also contact us and we’ll be happy to help.