Shakespeare's Schoolroom & Guildhall Tour: Embrace the Past where Great Playwright was Schooled

Step into the past and explore Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall, where the world’s greatest playwright was educated. Immerse yourself in 16th century Stratford, participate in a Tudor lesson, and experience the space where Shakespeare first witnessed performances by renowned actors. Perfect for all ages!

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall - Visitors are invited to explore the very building in which young William Shakespeare was educated in the 1570s. Films provide background information about Shakespeare’s school days and the historic significance of Stratford-upon-Avon’s Guildhall. 
    Built in 1420, this building is one of only a few remaining…
What's Included
  • Tudor history lesson
  • Experienced guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Experience the educational journey of William Shakespeare that led him to become the world-renowned playwright we celebrate today, by visiting Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall. Submerge yourself in the atmosphere of 16th century Stratford, and have the unique opportunity to sit in the exact room where a young Shakespeare once studied. Explore the…

Location
Shakespeare's Schoolroom & Guildhall
Church Street
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(227 Ratings)
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Faraway62858027451
Aug 24, 2025
Exceptional guides - The guides here were exceptional, and the man teaching us all about Shakespeare’s classroom experience and how education worked at the time was stellar. The original writing desk from the time was an interesting find, and the Guildhall below, with its display, informative videos in two separate rooms, and perhaps most significantly, a long-lost religious wall painting, was amazing to see. As part of the combined ticket for Shakespeare’s Birthplace and New Place, the Classroom was one of the key value drivers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sabinev34
Aug 15, 2025
Fantastic - This was one of the highlights of our 9-day tour through the South of England. The people who work there are very friendly and you can see that they enjoy sharing their stories with others. A nice perk is that you're being taught by Shakespeare's teacher and that guy does a great job. You can still dress up afterwards, write with a pen feather etc. Really worth taking time to do this.
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Trixnewjersey
Aug 11, 2025
Fascinating look into Shakespear’s education. - We learned so much about this incredible school which has been in operation for almost 600 years. The description of the building itself was extremely detailed and interesting. The most fascinating part was the description, by an actual teacher dressed as an instructor of the period, who provided a complete explanation of the educational system used to develop these boys into the leaders of society.
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Empink73
Aug 3, 2025
Worth a visit. - Well worth a visit if you like history. The tour was interesting and informative. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The tour was reasonably priced and it exceeded my expectations.
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Charrie63
Jul 26, 2025
An Absolute 10! - Such an incredible treat! I loved this place, the staff, and the history that they have preserved. Not only did you get to meet the school master! But you went into Shakespeare's classroom and wrote with a quill! It was incredible. I would do the tour over again on my next visit. I will say one thing. I did have money and I did want to spend it, but there was nothing in the store that inspired me and that would be my only complaint. What was there you could find in other places in town. They should do a school notebook, pens, pencils, better bookmarks from the period? What did he learn? They could have had books on that? A special t-shirt, etc that was fun and witty?
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Hbhakh
Jul 21, 2025
Worth visiting - Our ticket to Shakespeare’s Birthplace gave us admission to this attraction. We entered in the late afternoon and our group of 4 was alone. We really didn’t know what to expect at this site but were pleasantly surprised. The tour started with an explanation from a guide followed by an informative movie regarding the remains of religious art that had once been on the walls. This was followed by a visit to the classroom that included an “in character” guide that provided a detailed overview of how the school operated during Shakespeare’s time. He did a great job. The final part was a visit to the classroom that’s still being used today. This attraction is very well done and we’d recommend a visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Got2bfunky
Jul 20, 2025
Well run and kids enjoyed it - Booked this purely to fill a gap before a summer meal in Stratford with kids aged 10 and 13. We arrived on time for our slot but it appeared the guide had started without us as we were asked to skip the downstairs and join a group heading upstairs for the second part of the experience. We did get to experience the downstairs later but it meant we missed the intro to the building and experience which we heard midway through as a result. The volunteers were very engaging and the kids both really enjoyed it, as did granny who we took along with us too. Not massive - we stretched it out at 80 mins but overall its worth a look.
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Elizabeth
Jul 14, 2025
A wonderful and personal afternoon! - What a personal and wonderful experience. Mark, the tour guide, was just superb and has a brilliant knowledge of Shakespeare and the Tudor period. Despite coming on a very busy day it still felt incredibly personalised and they listened and appreciated all of our questions. Master Thomas Jenkins was also incredible! Somehow got us reenacting plays which was very fun. Thank you!
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Elena
Jul 26, 2025
5/10 - We did the schoolroom tour. Our experience left a bit to be desired. I think the whole experience was a bit childish and not REALLY tailored to mature adults. The experience is interesting as you get a snippet of his schooling but the role play made me cringe.
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Valrendel
Jun 30, 2025
No self-guided option - far too long for what it is - It was wonderful to see Shakespeare's schoolroom, which has loomed large in imagination and many works of fiction. It would have been a hundred times better if visitors were given the option to explore at their own pace, as you can at the birthplace. The two-star rating is for the forced tour, which I suppose they feel they have to provide in order to justify the entry fee. I'd have preferred to just pay and explore the place on my own without being subjected to two (2) videos and a guided tour of five (5) rooms. Our guide actually started her script over again when more people came in! Much time is wasted on the former priests' chapel, which a) has nothing to do with Shakespeare, and b) was whitewashed during the Reformation, but still has a few paintings intact. They will tell you this latter bit of info 5 or 6 times, so I just saved you that. There really isn't enough here to justify the 3/4 of an hour it will suck from your precious time in Stratford. We had Warwick Castle booked in the afternoon and just barely made it, only because we walked out on Master Jenkins's "lesson." This may be fine for schoolkids, but tourists with limited time should be forewarned that this may not be worth the disruption to your schedule. We were bored long before we were finally allowed upstairs. A lady outside asked me if it was worth it, and I had to tell her the truth. (For the record I've been a Shakespeare professor for years, so in case I get one of those passive-aggressive "sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as everyone else does" replies, I shall savor the irony.)
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From $17
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).