The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. has reopened after a four-and-a-half-year renovation, unveiling a new 12,000-square-foot basement gallery that showcases its impressive collection of 82 copies of Shakespeare's First Folios, the largest in the world.
The First Folios, published in 1623 and containing 36 of Shakespeare's plays, were previously accessible only to academic researchers but are now on display for the public in a dazzling wall case and glass vault.
The exhibition features interactive displays and activities, allowing visitors to explore the contents in different ways, such as setting type, bantering with Shakespearean lines, and creating poems.
The reopening event featured special exhibitions, lawn games, food trucks, and performances, celebrating the library's grand and fantastic reopening.
The library has undergone a four-year transformation, introducing new museum spaces, leadership, programming outreach, and interactive displays to cater to a broader audience beyond scholars.
Sources: New York Times, Fast Company, KidFriendlyDC, OPB, AwardsDaily
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
