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Stratford Festival

99 Downie St. (Avon Theatre) More locations ( 2 ) • View on map »
Stratford

With a half-century of critically acclaimed performances to its credit, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival remains one of the country’s best destinations for theatre. If you visit during theatre season (April 23 to November 9), hop on the backstage Festival Theatre tour for a peek at where actors make split-second wardrobe changes; the costume warehouse tour offers visitors the chance to suit up in one of approximately 50,000 costumes and props. The Stratford Summer Music Festival (519-271-2101, 1-866-288-4313) promises a spectacle of its own; this year, the three-week event begins July 23. The off-season also has its particular delights, among them sophisticated meals prepared November to March at the Old Prune Restaurant (519-271-5052) by students of the Stratford Chefs School. Stratford’s most elegant B&B, Touchstone Manor (519-273-5820), is a stately 1930s Georgian revival house featuring four guest rooms.

Driving Time:: two hours.
When:: Festival Theatre tour, June 4 to Nov. 8; costume warehouse tours, W–Su June 4 to Nov. 9.
How Much:: tours, adults $7, students and seniors $5.