Shakespeare's Schoolroom & Guildhall Entry Ticket And Tour

This was one of the best historic experiences we have ever had. The building is charming and the guides are professional, friendly and knowledgeable. A highlight was the session in the classroom with the Teaching Master who gave a brilliant explanation of how the school worked and how the pupils were taught to learn, to teach each other to learn and, most importantly HOW to think.

This was our first visit to Stratford upon Avon and whilst we knew there would be a plethora of Shakespeare experiences, we didn't want to overdo the Bard. However we knew we wanted to see this beautiful and historic building. It didn't disappoint and the guides inside were incredibly helpful and informative; the schoolmaster especially was excellent. Really amazing to see what parts of the murals had survived and the amount of graffiti on the school desks. We also nipped in to the Guild Chapel after it had been mentioned in the tour... beautiful stained glass and could still see where the original artwork had been defaced on the orders of the Guild. Definitely worth a visit.

If you can go when it is not to busy you will get more out of it. The headmaster is fabulous and my grandchildren were totally wowed by the whole experience.

Cute little place with nice welcoming guides . Not a large tour but best to get the value year return ticket bundle . Our guide was a really lovely chap with passion enjoyed it .

Thank you Master Jenkins (Mon. 3rd Aug) for a highly educational and entertaining lesson. It was the highlight of our visit to Stratford-upon-Avon. Your excellent delivery made the information easy to recall and very enjoyable. The authentic surroundings added to this being a very worthwhile activity . An opportunity to write with a quill suited all ages, plus a few costume items were available to try on. If time is limited, prioritise Shakespeare's Schoolroom and Guildhall.

We had a wonderful visit last Thursday (9th).  All your staff could not have been more helpful and professional. Everybody had a fantastic time and we're all very grateful.

This place/tour is a must do. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Our guide (Mark?) was excellent, so very knowledgeable and interesting to listen to. We had fun dressing in Shakespearian costumes (even in 30 degree heat!) plus trying our hand at writing with a quill and ink We spent about 2 hours here, good value for money, as were the items being sold in the shop, including the guide book. Excellent all round

The 15th century Guildhall and the schoolroom above were opened as a visitor attraction about ten years ago. Before that, the Guildhall served as the library for King Edward VI School, and the schoolroom is in fact still in use by pupils at the school every morning before the museum opens. An excellent job has been done of telling the story of the building and providing interesting information as you go around. The main Guildhall now contains the shop and some display boards outlining the former uses of the room. These are informative and there are also touch screens if you want to explore further. There are two good introductory videos - a general introduction shown in the Counting House room at the side, and one showing some medieval wall paintings in the chapel at the end of the Guildhall room. Upstairs there is a room which was used as the prefects' common room, which also had the remains of some wall paintings and a wonderful table covered in centuries of pupils' graffiti. The large school room is next to that, divided into two - the "Shakespeare" end and the Georgian end. I was a bit apprehensive when the volunteers kept pushing me to attend my "lesson" with the schoolmaster as I was afraid of some embarrassing audience participation, but actually the schoolmaster (dressed in appropriate costume) just outlined what a school day would have been like in Shakespeare's time, and how the education system worked. All very interesting. I imagine that if he had a more willing audience, he might give a more interactive lesson! The Georgian end of the schoolroom is the one which is still in use today. Special mention to the volunteer in here, Deb, who was absolutely lovely and gave lots of interesting information. You can practise writing with a quill and there are costumes for children to try on. I also found the information boards about the current life of the school and the past headmasters all very interesting. For £15 I thought it was good value - I spent about an hour and three quarters here and thoroughly enjoyed it. This place possibly gets overlooked and more people will head for the Birthplace, but I loved the authentic atmosphere of this building which has been in continuous use since Shakespeare's schooldays and hasn't been put back together at a later date. It was interesting to learn about the visits of theatrical companies to the Guildhall, which must have influenced him, and about his father presiding over the local court room, which may also have influenced courtroom scenes in his plays.

We chose this as our Shakespeare experience in Stratford as the reviews for New Hall and Shakespeare’s birthplace were very mixed and they were expensive. My daughter’s doing A-Level English literature so we’d been to see The Tempest and wanted something to do the next day before we headed home that helped her understand more about Shakespeare as a person. This was perfect, I was expecting a dry museum with a few exhibits but it was the complete opposite. Downstairs you’re met by a knowledgeable, funny and interesting guide who explains the history of the schoolroom and shows you a really good video, you then move to a second room for another video. Then you go upstairs to Shakespeare’s schoolroom with a real ‘headmaster’ who brings everything to life with lots of interaction and fun including learning some Latin verbs and a demonstration of birching! We then went into a third room and learn how to write with a quill & ink. It really was an exceptional and memorable experience, all the guides were passionate and engaging and we had loads of fun. Would highly recommend if you are interested in Shakespeare - £15 p/adult, £13.50 concessions and we spent about 1.5 hours there.

Great place. Well organised and set up. Reasonable entry fee and well worth the money. Definitely worth a visit. Interesting and informative and interactive insight into Shakespeare’s early life

Fabulous - do NOT miss this! This was a wonderful immersive experience of life in Shakespeare's time in the rooms where he was education.

I visited Avon 3 years ago and I didn’t spend the money to visit the school room and guildhall. But this time I did. What a treasure I missed the first time. If you are visiting Avon DO NOT MISS this event. The guides are fabulous! The schoolmaster had me entranced! He was captivating. Our guides downstairs were so well versed and knowledgeable. I could have sat there all day and chatted with them. If you like history, then do NOT miss this site.

Entry to Shakespeare's Schoolroom and Guildhall is sold as part of a ticket that also includes entry to the actual place he was born and although not cheap, it's not bad value when compared to other similar attractions elsewhere in the UK. There was a quirky tour which, despite going off-track a bit, was entertaining and it is interesting to see where Shakespeare studied in his formative years. The visit lasted about 90 minutes, the staff were friendly, and surprisingly it was relatively quiet, although the pubs outside seem to be heaving!

Very interesting building and the staff bring to life what it would be like to have been at school in Shakespeare’s time. You can even practice writing with a quill & ink, it is a bit messy though! History brought alive

Highly recommend visiting and the staff are lovely. The role playing was hilarious! And the ticket lasts a whole year! Will be returning

After a whole day of Shakespeare Birthplace visits, we both agreed this was the absolute highlight of the day! We weren't expecting just how good the tour was! We thought being a small place it would be around 30mins, a few boards to read then we would be done. But the wonderful lady that led our tour was absolutely superb. The information she gave was so detailed and we genuinely enjoyed it all. Then upstairs with the school master, interactive and again so interesting. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Practiced some quill work in the schoolroom, too! Thank you for a great visit!

We visited on a day in the Easter holidays when Stratford was very busy with visiting French school groups. However, the volunteers were amazing at ensuring we still had a great experience by changing the order in which we visited different rooms. The gentlemen in the school room was amazing and it really felt as if he had tailored his speech just for us. The lady volunteer was friendly and engaging and we loved our visit here. We all said this experience was far better than our experience at Shakespeare’s birthplace and we learnt so much. Thank you to all the volunteers!

Very knowledgeable guides. School master knew his brief well. Very good interaction especially with the young ones. There was the opportunity of trying on school wear of that age, writing with the quill pen which is always fun. No A1😂. Thoroughly enjoyed my tour.

Our tickets were part of our Explorer Passes. Great guides who shared interesting information. Fascinating to see recent wall painting excavations! Part of the building is still used as a school. We had the opportunity to write with a feather and ink! Make sure you visit The Guildhall to see the remains of the wall paintings that have been recovered!

Really excellent mix of acting, tutoring and video presentations. A really absorbing couple of hours, with a try at pen & quill work at the end.

These Shakespeare busts are such a clever mix of history and modern edge. Each one feels bold, playful, and unapologetically creative — turning a classic symbol into something fresh and expressive. The colours, the attitude, the contrast with the old setting — it’s pure genius and totally captivating.

It’s to our surprise very educated and quite a great experience. Friendly to English speaker as it’s an English guided tour. The translated version in written wasn’t able to cover the full great history and stories though.

We had a great visit here and loved being able to see the different school rooms and try on some of the clothes. Not very busy when we went so we felt like we had the place to ourselves.

Informative and great to look around. The schoolmaster was excellent, knowledgeable, entertaining and engaging. On a visit to Stratford this is a must!

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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!

An absolutely brilliant experience. We we’re throughly looked after and shown around with full commentary, we learned such a lot it was very interesting and absolutely worth the entry fee. There was so much information passed to us in this fascinating building.

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.)

I really enjoyed this visit. I was on my own but the guides made me feel welcome and were very informative. I loved getting the chance to try writing with a quill and ink. The school master actor was also very good and this is a fun place for all ages.

Superb experience. Fun for the children, and extremely interesting for adults. Our guide, Mark, was so passionate about the history of the area, the building and of course Shakespeare - he really brought everything to life. Loved it - and thanks again Mark for spending so much time with us 👍. Thoroughly recommend

We pre-booked the date and time slot as we had the explorer pass as we expected it to be busy. We found it very interesting and the commentary from the guides was a bonus. There was lots to see and do too such as writing with an ink quive.

Fun, interesting and educational for all ages. The guides are so engaging and history experts - able to answer everything.

Don't overlook this Stratford-upon-Avon gem that too few visit. You may have gone to Shakespeare's home, now go see the schooling and experience that helped form this genius. Still used today by students of the King Edward VI school until its opening time at 11:00 it is living history. Information on Shakespeare's training in Latin and the classics to his exposure to traveling actors plays are brilliantly presented by the docents including Schoolmaster Jenkins.

Wonderful experience not to be missed in Stratford. The building is very well preserved. The guides are so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subject. We learned a lot about Shakespeare’s times, where he went to school and his education. We really enjoyed our time here, which was well worth the entrance fee.

Amazing morning spent learning about the education Shakespeare had , putting it into historical context. Very well informed and friendly staff, interactive. Wish we could use the educational techniques described now to encourage children to question and challenge orthodoxy.

This was an excellent experience which lasted about an hour. The staff are great, friendly and very knowledgeable. The magister was great and we learnt some Latin, how to write with a quill and ink. Would highly recommend this for both adults and children.

Absolutely loved our tour of Shakespeare's schoolroom and the old guildhall. Our tour guides were not only informative but clearly passionate about the history of the site. I'm a huge Shakespeare enthusiast so loved learning something new about his father's role in the town and his education. It was fun learning some Latin and how to write with a quill, but my favourite was dressing up as a Tudor school master myself. As our tour was very busy, one of the staff offered to give us (a small group of 3) additional insights into the building and its history after the larger party had left, which we really appreciated as the space was small and this meant we didn't miss out on anything because of the size of our tour group. We were able to take our time and learn even more from someone who clearly had a real love for history. Would highly recommend!

First, just go book your tickets! This was one of the most enlightening and fun tours I’ve ever enjoyed. I took my teenaged daughter, who is both a history buff and a fan of Shakespeare, and this visit knocked our socks off! We began our tour in the guildhall with a very engaging tour guide - a history teacher with an obvious passion for the subject matter. The upstairs schoolroom was presided over by a theatrical schoolmaster who gave an impassioned, in-character run-down of Tudor era beliefs about the importance of education. It was as unexpected as it was intriguing. The Tudor era is a swathe of history I usually avoid based on my preconceived notions about the bleakness of life at the time; this tour dispelled many myths I had believed. We will long remain grateful that we toured the schoolroom and guildhall.

We came in the week between Christmas and new year. We didn’t realise it was a guided tour and was expecting just to look round ourselves. It was interesting to begin with but then it did begin to drag on. The school master doing the talk seemed to go on for ages and it felt we were going over and over the same information and I felt rude to get up and leave so sat through it. There was a weird whirling whisper in my ear throughout the school master talking too which was really strange. I kept looking around but couldn’t see any speakers playing any sound and no one else seemed to notice it and didn’t mention it. It was like someone was whispering in my ear. Be interesting to know if there was something being played into the building or whether it was something paranormal, It was interesting but a shorter tour would have been better especially with having my teen with me. She kept asking if we could go now….

A relatively new Shakespeare venue to visit after the King Edward VI moved its library in 2016. The trip comes in two parts. Downstairs learning about the Guildhall where John Shakespeare (William's father) was an Alderman and later Mayor. Upstairs is the original classroom (still used today), where William attended for 6-7 years from the age of seven upwards. You have guides for both sections who know their subject well to give you a very informative insight into the world of Shakespeare as a child and some of the key influences that would shape his later plays. The upstairs guide plays the part of a Master from the time and is brilliant. It was a hugely entertaining and informative 90-minute visit

The actual school attended by Shakespeare. Staff are friendly and professional, speaking in a clear and easy to understand way. Very, very interesting. Thoroughly recommended.

This is the school once attended by William Shakespeare. The tour guides are so enthusiastic and really bring the school alive for visitors.

Great immersive experience, which takes you back to Shakespeare's school days. The staff are intelligent, well-informed professionals eager to share their extensive knowledge and ensure you have a fun time while learning so much. Great value for money.