Stratford (Ontario)

Stratford is a town in Southwestern Ontario that is internationally known for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, acclaimed for its presentation of Shakespearean, classical and musical theatre. In 2021, it was home to 33,000 people.

Understand
Before European settlement, many Indigenous groups called this land home: the Anishinaabe, Attiwonderonk (Neutral) and Haudenosaunee peoples.

Stratford is the seat of Perth County, which was settled by English, Irish, Scottish and German immigrants, in almost equal numbers, starting in the 1820s but primarily in the 1830s and 1840s. Most became farmers. Today, the area around Stratford is known for mixed farming, dairying and hog production.

Stratford is known as the hometown of musicians Loreena McKennitt and Justin Bieber.

By car
From Toronto: follow Highway 401 west to Kitchener, then west via Highways 7/8.

From London: east via Highway 7.

By bus






By train

 * Operates daily between Sarnia and Toronto including stops in London, St. Marys, Stratford, Kitchener, Guelph, Georgetown, Brampton, and Mississauga.
 * Operates daily between Sarnia and Toronto including stops in London, St. Marys, Stratford, Kitchener, Guelph, Georgetown, Brampton, and Mississauga.

By plane
Travellers arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Kitchener-Waterloo International Airport, or London International Airport will require another mode of transportation to get to Stratford.

By taxi
Taxis are plentiful and service is available for a flat rate of within Stratford.



By bus
Stratford Transit operates bus routes from the transit terminal on Downie Street close to the downtown core. There are six regular routes that run for six days a week, M-Sa 8AM-10PM. There is bus service on Sundays however, there are no set routes. Instead, riders book a pickup and drop-off location by calling, using an app, or accessing the city's website.

See


The Festival runs from April to October at the following theatres:

In addition to the play performances, the Festival hosts a wide range of tours and events. Tours run from mid-June to late October. Check the Festival website for more details.

Other attractions include:

Do

 * The park system around the Avon River: Stroll the shaded path around the lake. There are lots of benches for people-watching and picnicking. There are many swans, ducks and geese to be seen in the city. You can rent a canoe or pedal boat from the York Street Visitors Kiosk, +1-800-561-7926 or +1 519-271-5140.
 * Stratford is the home town of pop superstar Justin Bieber. The tourism website has an audio guide of places he used to hang out at. The schools are not open for tours, and has no places where he lived.
 * Stratford is the home town of pop superstar Justin Bieber. The tourism website has an audio guide of places he used to hang out at. The schools are not open for tours, and has no places where he lived.
 * Stratford is the home town of pop superstar Justin Bieber. The tourism website has an audio guide of places he used to hang out at. The schools are not open for tours, and has no places where he lived.

Buy
Startford's downtown core has an eclectic assortment of stores to browse, including bookstores, clothing boutiques, toy stores, and craft stores. Stroll along Ontario, Wellington, and Downie Streets to get an overview. The stores downtown are generally open 7 days a week during the theatre season. Most stores open at 9:30AM and close at 5:30PM, and many stay open until 8PM on Friday evenings.

The Theatre Stores, located at the Festival Theatre and the Avon Theatre, +1 519 271-0055 x2320, sell gifts, clothing, books and music related to the current year's Stratford Festival playbill.

Eat
For a pre-theatre meal, be sure to make a reservation.





Sleep
There are variety of accommodation options for visitors to Stratford, including a large number of B&Bs. This is a small sampling of what's available, the Stratford Tourism Alliance website has a more complete list. Prices quoted below are for high season, which runs from approximately mid-April to mid-November.

Bed & breakfasts

 * Others available through the Stratford Festival office.
 * Others available through the Stratford Festival office.
 * Others available through the Stratford Festival office.
 * Others available through the Stratford Festival office.

Go next


Some options for further travel include:


 * Niagara-on-the-Lake - for more theatre, visit the Shaw Festival in this picturesque historic town