Tudor World Museum

Tudor World is a small, theatrical museum in a genuine timber-framed building on Sheep Street, a few minutes' walk from the river and the theatres. Instead of glass cases it uses atmospheric rooms, lighting, sound and costumed characters to give a picture of everyday life in Shakespeare's England, from the kitchen and the sickroom to the street and the courtroom. The building itself is part of the attraction, with sloping floors, low beams and creaking stairs that suit the subject. It is not a scholarly collection in the way the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust houses are, and it does not pretend to be. Its strength is the way it makes the period feel lively and a little gruesome, which children and teenagers tend to enjoy far more than a quiet period room. Visits are short and flexible, so it fits easily around a morning at the Birthplace or an afternoon when the rain has set in.

Plan the visit as a lively contrast to the more formal houses. A standard visit is self-guided and takes roughly an hour, and the rooms are arranged as a route through the building, so you move from scene to scene at your own pace. Some displays are designed to startle, and the tone leans towards grim humour, so think about how sensitive any younger children in your group might be before you go.

Staff and performers in costume add detail and answer questions, and the experience works best if you chat with them rather than just reading the panels.

The building is the star for anyone who likes Tudor architecture. Look up at the carpentry, notice how the upper floors lean over the street and ask how a timber frame was assembled and repaired. Many visitors say it helps to see a Tudor building as a working structure, with a hearth, stairs and cramped rooms, and then compare it with the grander furnishings in the Shakespeare houses.

If you are interested in how ordinary people lived, the sections on food, medicine, crime and punishment give plenty to talk about, and they are pitched at a general audience rather than specialists.

After dark the same building hosts lantern-lit ghost tours on selected evenings, which take the story in a spookier direction and appeal to older children and adults. These are separate tickets and run to their own schedule, so check before you plan an evening around one. Access is limited by the age of the building, with steps and narrow stairs, so anyone with mobility needs should ask in advance about what can be reached.

Combine the museum with the town walk, a pub lunch nearby and the Birthplace for a full, varied day in the old town.

Think about timing and combinations. The museum is at its calmest on weekday afternoons outside school holidays, and busiest on wet weekends when everyone has the same idea. If you are building a day around the old town, start with the Stratford Town Walk, break for lunch on one of the lanes nearby, then use the museum as your indoor stop while the weather decides what to do next.

Teenagers who are lukewarm about houses and gardens often rate it the best part of the trip. Staff are usually happy to explain how the displays were put together, which is a good way to start conversations with younger visitors.