Stratford (Ontario)
A theatre town on the Avon River, home to the annual Stratford Festival's Shakespeare productions, with Mennonite countryside and Lake Huron towns nearby for road trips.
Stratford lies in Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, about 150 km (roughly a 2-hour drive) from Toronto, with a population of about 33,000. Named after Shakespeare's hometown, it has the Avon River running through it, dammed to form Lake Victoria and lined with continuous parkland. The Stratford Festival, which opened in a tent in 1953, is now North America's largest classical repertory theatre festival, staging Shakespeare, musicals and modern plays at the Festival Theatre, Avon Theatre, Tom Patterson Theatre and Studio Theatre every Apr–Oct and drawing hundreds of thousands of theatregoers.
The town centre revolves around the Victorian-style City Hall and the old streets around Downie Street and Ontario Street, packed with restaurants and cafés, plus food routes such as the Chocolate Trail and the Bacon & Ale Trail. Walking east along the Avon River takes you to the Shakespearean Gardens, swan-dotted Lake Victoria and the Festival Theatre — the most scenic stretch; the Swan Parade in early April is a town tradition. Road trips: the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market and Mennonite countryside about 45 km northeast, Elora Gorge about 75 km northeast, the Lake Huron towns of Bayfield and Goderich about 70 km west, and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys about 20 km southwest.
The best season is May–Oct — theatre in summer and fall foliage in autumn; in winter the festival goes dark and many shops shorten their hours. Getting there: take VIA Rail from Toronto (about 2 hours) or the seasonal festival bus; the town is walkable, but you'll need a car for the surrounding sights. Stay 1–2 nights and see 1–2 shows; in peak season book tickets and accommodation in advance.
Top sights
- Festival Theatre (Stratford Festival) – The main theatre of the Stratford Festival. Its distinctive thrust stage surrounds the audience on three sides, making it North America's t…
- Avon River & Lake Victoria – The Avon River flows through the town and forms Lake Victoria. Its green riverside paths connect the theatre with the old town, and the swa…
- Shakespearean Gardens – A formal garden on the banks of the Avon River, planted with flowers and herbs mentioned in Shakespeare's plays, with a statue of the Bard…
- Avon Theatre – A historic proscenium theatre on Downie Street in the city center, the festival's second-largest stage, often hosting musicals and classic…
- Tom Patterson Theatre – A new theatre on the Avon River, opened in 2022. Its glass-walled building and thrust stage bring audiences close to Shakespearean and cont…
- Downtown Stratford & City Hall – A Victorian old town centered on the triangular red-brick city hall of 1899, with dense restaurants, bookshops and chocolate shops, ideal f…
- Gallery Stratford – A public gallery housed in an old 1883 water pumping station, showing contemporary Canadian art. It sits next to the Festival Theatre, maki…
- Stratford Perth Museum – A local museum northwest of town presenting the history of Perth County and Stratford, with permanent exhibits including a feature on Justi…
- St. Jacobs Farmers' Market – One of Canada's largest year-round farmers' markets, where Mennonite farmers sell homemade apple butter, pickles and maple products, with p…
- Elora Gorge – A limestone gorge carved by the Grand River, with cliffs about 22 meters high. In summer visitors float down on tubes, and the old town of…
- Bayfield – A Victorian village on the eastern shore of Lake Huron, with tree-lined main street shops and galleries, and a pier and beach that are prim…
- Goderich Square & Huron Historic Gaol – A lakeside port town known for its octagonal central square and courthouse. The 19th-century octagonal jail is now a museum, and the waterf…
- Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum – The national baseball hall of fame in the stone town of St. Marys, showing Canadian baseball history and the memorabilia of star players, w…
Where to eat
- Bijou at the Church – A long-standing farm-to-table restaurant in Stratford, now housed in a historic church on Brunswick Street, and nearly…
- Mercer Kitchen & Beer Hall – A downtown hotel restaurant serving izakaya-style fusion dishes with Ontario craft beer, open from breakfast until late.
- Pazzo Taverna & Pizzeria – A long-established Italian restaurant on Ontario Street, with an upstairs taverna and a downstairs thin-crust pizza bar…