Reading Room

Important Announcement: Please note, the Reading Room will be closed for Christmas from Monday 23 December 2024 to Friday 3 January 2025 inclusive, and will reopen on Monday 6 January 2025.

Our Reading Room is free and open to everyone. You do not need to book an appointment however as capacity is limited we strongly advise that you book in advance to guarantee a space and that any items requested from our stores will be ready before you arrive.

Our opening times are:

• Mondays: 10:00 to 15:00
• Tuesdays: 10:00 to 15:00
• Wednesdays: 10:00 to 12:30

Each appointment is 2.5 hrs.

Please use our catalogue to search for items you wish to consult, you will be asked to provide reference numbers on our booking page. If you have any questions or need advice on using our catalogue please email us on [email protected].

Please bring a valid form of photo ID along with you on your first appointment in order to register for a Reader’s Card.

Terms of Service

We kindly ask visitors to the Reading Room must adhere to our Terms of Service. This includes

• No bags or outdoor coats
• No food and drink in the Reading Room
• No flash photography. Photography in the Reading Room is subject to charges, please see ‘service charges’ below
• Use pencils not pens

We can provide free of charge:

• Pencils
• Lockers
• Wifi
• Friendly handling advice

Finding Us

Our Reading Room entrance is located on Guild Street to the rear of the Shakespeare Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6QW. On arrival please press the buzzer and wait to be welcomed by a staff member.

Getting here

The closest car park is the Windsor Street multi-storey car park. Blue badge parking is available at the top of Henley Street near the jester statue. There is also a local Park and Ride service.

The closest train station is Stratford-upon-Avon which is a 15-minute walk from the Shakespeare Centre. There are several local buses with stops in nearby Bridge Street and Wood Street.

Accessibility

Our Reading Room is situated on the first floor of the Shakespeare Centre. Once in the building access to the Reading Room is via a flight of stairs with handrails. Where visitors require lift access we can accommodate this via staff access routes. Ambient toilet facilities are located at the front of the Shakespeare Centre at the main entrance on Henley Street. Our listed building is not ideal, but if you get in touch we will do our best to facilitate your visit.

Photography and Copy Services

Visiting our Reading Room is free, but some service fees apply for copy orders and photography. Please see Reader Services & Fees for more details.

Enquiries

If you have any questions about accessing our collections or visiting the Reading Room please email [email protected].