Stratford was founded in 1832, and much of its historic heart has been preserved. Ninety-minute guided tours of Stratford take place Monday through Saturday in July and August, and on Saturday only in May, June, September, and October. They leave at 9:30am from the Visitors' Information Centre by the Avon river and are free of charge (call ahead to confirm). The visitor's booth also has maps for self-guided tours.
Paddleboat, kayak, and canoe rentals are available at the Boathouse, behind and below the information booth. It's open daily from 9am until dusk in summer. Contact Avon Boat Rentals, 40 York St. (tel. 519/271-7739). There's also a boat, the Juliet III, that offers scenic half-hour tours.
Past the Orr Dam and the 90-year-old stone bridge, through a rustic gate, lies a very special park, the Shakespearean Gardens. In the formal English garden, where a sundial measures the hours, you can relax and contemplate the herb and flowerbeds and the tranquil river lagoon, and muse on a bust of Shakespeare by Toronto sculptor Cleeve Horne. For a picnic-friendly patch of green, visit Queen's Park, a stone's throw from the Festival Theatre. It has a great view of the swans on the Avon.
Stratford also has a fine art museum, the Gallery Stratford, 54 Romeo St. (tel. 519/271-5271; www.gallerystratford.on.ca). It's in a historic building on the fringes of Confederation Park. Since it opened in 1967, its focus has been on Canadian artists. Its hours change with the seasons, but mid-May through late September, it's open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm (call ahead for hours during other times of year). Admission is approximately C$5 (US$4.75/£2.25) for adults, C$4 (US$3.80/£1.80) for seniors and students 13 and up, and free for children 12 and under (admission prices change with the special exhibits on display).
An Open-Air Art Gallery -- Museums are grand, but who wants to spend a glorious summer day indoors? Thanks to the Art in the Park (tel. 519/272-0429; www.artintheparkstratford.com), you can have both. On Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from June to September, regional artists gather at Lakeside Drive and Front Street, and put on a show from 9am to 5pm, weather permitting. The artists and artisans work in various media, so you'll find paintings, sculptures, ceramics, jewelry, and glass, among other things. While many of the works are for sale, this isn't just a market: The artists are selected through a juried process, and they are required to demonstrate their medium as part of their display.
