Folger Shakespeare Library
The Folger Shakespeare Library is a research library with the world's largest collection of works by Shakespeare
The Folger Shakespeare Library was built to provide researchers with access to the thousands of works of Shakespeare collected by Henry and Emily Folger. Henry became a millionaire as an executive at Standard Oil. He and Emily never had children and used their wealth to acquire books, manuscripts, paintings, engravings, and other rare or unique items by or about Shakespeare.
Tours of the library last about 90 minutes and provide visitors with an overview of Shakespeare’s work, the background of Henry and Emily Folger, and how their collection came to be. The Founders’ Room was built as a private space for Henry and Emily to use to entertain friends and display favorite pieces from their collection. The stained glass windows in this room feature characters from Shakespeare’s plays.
The most notable part of the Folger collection is 82 copies of the First Folio. Historians believe only 750 were printed and less than a third survived. Due to the printing and proofing process at the time, each book is slightly different than the others. The number of First Folios held by the Folger Shakespeare Library is by far the most in a single collection in the world. Without this printing of Shakespeare’s plays, at least 18 would have been lost forever, including Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and The Tempest. One copy of the First Folio is always on display in the Great Hall.
The library tour ends in the Elizabethan Theatre. It was designed to resemble typical theaters from Shakespeare’s era, but is much smaller in scale. Here you’ll learn about how Shakespearean actors were only given their own lines for a play (“sides”) plus the final few words of the actor before them as their cue for when to speak next. Don’t leave the theatre without checking out the ceiling to find a surprise unicorn, inspired by Queen Elizabeth I’s coat of arms.
To tour the gorgeous reading room, you have to request a reservation on their website. The tours often fill up a week in advance, so this part of your adventure requires some planning ahead. The stained glass windows are not visible from the outside of the building and can only be seen on a reading room tour. The large window at the west end of the room depicts the Seven Ages of Man from the play As You Like It. Only about a quarter of the visiting researchers are interested in Shakespeare himself. The rest are using the Folgers’ vast collection to study other subjects related to the time period.
Emily Folger was integral to the process of building the world’s largest Shakespeare collection. She scoured booksellers’ catalogs to identify items to consider purchasing and recorded their acquisitions with hand-written catalog cards to keep track of their collection while it was in storage. The card catalog in the reading room still holds Emily’s original notations about each item they collected.
Sadly, Henry Folger new saw his collection on display at the library; he passed away shortly after the cornerstone was placed. Before his death, Henry personally oversaw every detail of the design of the library. He selected each inscription as well as which plays would be highlighted with the nine relief sculptures on the exterior of the building. Emily made sure their plans for the library were brought to fruition by providing the necessary funding to complete construction of the library.
It’s worth coming early to catch a tour of the knot garden. The garden itself is small and could use a little attention, but the tour is incredibly interesting. It is filled with plants that are mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays. Audiences at the time would have understood the double meanings intended by these references. Thyme, for example, was associated with fairies, who used the tiny flowers as cradles for their babies. Holly bushes kept witches away, and rosemary symbolized remembrance and fidelity. For this reason, rosemary sprigs were often included in both bridal bouquets and at funerals.
It can be difficult to catch all three tours in one day, so I recommend selecting two to attend one day and coming back for the third on a different day. To learn more about the Folgers, their collection, and the construction of the Folger Shakespeare Library, check out the book The Millionaire and the Bard: Henry Folger’s Obsessive Hunt for Shakespeare’s First Folio from the DC Public Library. It’s not a light read, but if you can wade through the minutiae of Shakespeareana and rare book collecting, there are interesting insights into the Folgers and their library.
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Address
201 E Capitol St SE
Metro Station
- Capitol South (OR, BL, SV)
- Union Station (RD)
Accessibility
The Folger Shakespeare Library is currently undergoing a multi-year renovation which will make the entire building fully accessible.
Cost
Free
Advance reservations required for reading room tours
Hours
Monday to Thursday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday from 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday from 12:00 pm – 5:00pm
Tours are unavailable during the multi-year renovation beginning in January 2020
Library tours Monday to Saturday at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 3:00 pm and Sunday at 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm
Reading room tours on Saturday at 12:00 pm
Garden tours in April to October on Saturday at 10:00 am
Length of Adventure
1 – 3 hours
