Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info More than 25 million people from around the globe have visited Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon since it was bought as a museum back in 1847. A staggering 180 visitor books, including famous names like Charles Dickens, Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill and Princess Diana, are held across 30 metres of shelving. It's easy to see why it is so popular. Because the museum is like stepping back in time, giving visitors a chance to see the bard's background, his inspiration and family ties and why he continued to make this beautiful riverside town his home after he was greatly in demand in London. Read more: 30 brilliant things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon Read next: I visited Anne Hathaway's Cottage to see what was inside His family home is a 16th-century half-timbered house on Henley Street, right in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon, which makes it really easy to reach and a good base for a day out exploring the rest of the market town. John and Mary Shakespeare lived here before their son William was born at the home in 1564. As one of eight children, he spent his childhood in this house, which doubled as a workshop and shop for John's glove trade, which he made at the property and sold through the front window. He also had a hidden attic space where the museum guide told us he would stash his illegal wool trading deals. He was quite an entrepreneur! Shakespeare's Birthplace and New Place - in pictures Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582 when he was just 18 and she was 26 and pregnant with their first child. The newlyweds moved into the Shakespeare family home, and their own children, Susanna, Judith and Hamnet, were born here. You can visit the parlour, hall, workshop (which would have been smelly due to the urine used in leather making), two bedrooms, including the birth room, and see the attic space above. It's the guides that bring the place to life, sharing stories of family life here. There is a lovely garden at the back, which once would have been used for hens and a pig, together with vegetables, fruit and herbs. In 1597, having published Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, Henry VI and A Midsummer Night's Dream amongst others, Shakespeare bought the largest house in the borough - New Place, just down the road from his birthplace. It had an impressive courtyard, 10 hearths and more than 20 rooms. You can also visit this space although the original house was demolished by a later owner, who also chopped down a mulberry tree planted by Shakespeare. This is a fascinating museum with a stunning formal garden. You can visit it if you buy a pass to all the Shakespeare museums, which also includes Anne Hathaway's Cottage, which is a short drive away. John Shakespeare died in 1601 and, being the eldest surviving son, William inherited the family home on Henley Street. He leased the small, two-room cottage adjoining the main house to his sister, Joan Hart. The rest of the Tudor house was leased as an inn, called the Swan and Maidenhead Inn, which remained in operation until 1847. We learnt that PT Barnum (aka The Greatest Showman) tried to buy the building in 1844 in a bid to take it down, brick by brick, and move it to his museum in New York. Fortunately, his plot was foiled by a group of English gentlemen, including Charles Dickens. For which, we are very glad. Whilst at the birthplace, we enjoyed seeing the first folio of Shakespeare's published works. Without this publication seven years after his death, 18 plays would have been lost and it's likely we wouldn’t know Shakespeare as we know him today. It was also great to see his family tree, plays and try on costumes too before watching extracts of our favourite plays in the courtyard. Find out more and book tickets via the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust website here. A new exhibition is opening on May 24, 2025 exploring the influences that helped shape a young William Shakespeare, blending historical narratives with immersive storytelling. Becoming Shakespeare is included in both the Shakespeare Story and Shakespeare’s Birthplace tickets. We felt so proud, walking around Shakespeare's Birthplace, to think that the great bard lived in the Midlands and created such timeless classics that continue to be revered around the world. The museums really bring this to life and it is wonderful that the birthplace has been so well preserved. For us, it was the curators and guides who really helped us to step back in time and imagine ourselves in Shakespeare's shoes. Well worth a visit, especially if you make time to go to the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre and have a walk by the River Avon on the same day. How to get to Shakespeare's Birthplace from Birmingham Shakespeare's Birthplace is in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6QW. There's easy parking just around the corner on Windsor Street. It takes less than an hour to reach from Birmingham via the M42 and the M40. There's a train station too. It takes just 45 minutes from Birmingham Moor Street Station.