Revamped Folger Shakespeare Library Will Be Home To Collection Of ‘First Folios’

After a decade of planning, three years of renovations, and US$80 million worth of investment, the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is finally set to reopen its doors to the public this November.

The project, led by architecture firm KieranTimberlake, will see the transformed site welcome visitors with new exhibition halls, a learning lab, lush gardens, and expanded amenities, including an added café and gift shop.

According to Folger, the location’s brand-new galleries and visitor experiences were designed in consultation with a diverse cross-section of the city’s population, so as to create a museum that provides “a sense of belonging and inspiration for all.”

“More than buildings and spaces, it’s about creating true accessibility to the wonderful cultural resources and experiences that make the Folger a singular place to visit amongst the impressive group of DC cultural institutions,” said Director of Programming Karen Ann Daniels.

In the new space will be the museum’s first permanent exhibition of its namesake: Shakespeare, which will mark the first time all 82 copies of Folger’s Shakespeare’s First Folios—over a third of the copies remaining in the world—will be publicly displayed together in a 20-foot-long vault.

While the other spaces will expand opportunities for artists to connect with one another, with special features commissioned from famed contemporary artists, such as US Poet Laureate Rita Dove’s new poem in the west gardens and artist Fred Wilson’s cultural symbols.

Visitors can spend time in the new, fully-accessible gardens housing native plants and foilage mentioned in the Bard’s works, wander through exhibition halls, take part in activities in a hands-on learning lab, and study in collaborative research spaces.

Doors to the Folger Shakespeare Library officially reopen on November 17, 2023.

[via Archinect and Folger Shakespeare Library, images via Folger Shakespeare Library]