Stratford

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.

Visitor Information Stratford Tourism Office, 47 Downie Street (across from City Hall), toll-free: +1-800-561-7926. M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-1PM 2-5PM. Audio tours available on the website.

Climate

Getting there

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

By bus FlixBus. Bus service from Toronto and London. (updated Jul 2026) PC Connect. Service from London, Kitchener/Waterloo, and Listowel. (updated Jun 2023) Stratford Direct Bus, ☏ +1-800-567-1600. For Stratford Shakespeare Festival theatre-goers, the Festival offers direct bus service between Toronto and Stratford for performances from mid-July to late October. Online booking is available. People with special needs should book by telephone. Return $34. (updated Jan 2023)

By train

1 Stratford railway station, 101 Shakespeare St (One block east of Downie St). (updated Apr 2019) VIA Rail Canada, toll-free: +1-888-842-7245. (updated Apr 2022) Operates daily between Sarnia and Toronto including stops in London, St. Marys, Stratford, Kitchener, Guelph, Georgetown, Brampton, and Mississauga. GO Transit, ☏ +1 416-869-3200, toll-free: +1-888-438-6646. GO Transit offers train daily train service between Toronto and Stratford, but note there are differences between weekday and weekend service. On weekdays, an early morning trip leaves Stratford to Toronto and a late afternoon trip returns to Stratford. On weekends, a morning trip leaves Toronto to Stratford and a late afternoon trip returns to Toronto. The full trip time is about 160 minutes. Passengers using this service west of Kitchener must have a smartphone and purchase e-tickets as the station in Stratford does not have Presto readers, GO ticket vending machines or a ticket counter. (updated Jul 2026)

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.

Stratford Airporter, toll-free: +1-888-549-8602. Provides shuttle service between Stratford and Toronto Pearson International. 1 person $129, 2 people $169, 3 people $199, 4

Getting around

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

City Taxi, ☏ +1 519-272-2222. (updated Jan 2023) Taxi Dispatch Stratford Limited, ☏ +1 519-271-2600. (updated Jan 2023) Radio Taxi, ☏ +1 519-271-4242. (updated Jan 2023)

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

1 Stratford Festival, toll-free: +1-800-567-1600. Drawing more than 600,000 visitors each year (before COVID-19), the Stratford Festival is North America's largest classical repertory theatre. While always including some plays of William Shakespeare, the Festival also produces many other classical and contemporary works: the 2023 playbill features 14 plays and musicals. (updated Jan 2023) The Festival runs from April to October at the following theatres:

2 Festival Theatre, 55 Queen Street. 3 Tom Patterson Theatre, 111 Lakeside Drive. 4 Avon Theatre, 99 Downie Street. 5 Studio Theatre, 34 George St. East (corner of George and Waterloo streets, behind the Avon Theatre). 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.

Statford Festival tours, toll-free: +1-800-567-1600. At the Set Changeover Experience, you'll watch the stage crew transform the stage for the evening performance. The guide will explain the process, including technical details. On the Festival Teasures Tour, you'll visit the Festival's costume warehouse stores costumes and props from past productions. It is one of the largest costume warehouses in North America. $15 per person per tour. (updated Jan 2023) Pre- and post-performance discussions, toll-free: +1-800-567-1600. There are a number of different discussions including Meet the Festival (free discussions with actors and production staff), Talking Theatre (free discussions with Festival staff on selected topics), post-performance discussions (free question and answer sessions with actors after selected performances), pre-show lectures (free lectures on that night's play hosted by a noted academic). (updated Jan 2023) Other attractions include:

6 Stratford-Perth Museum, 4275 Huron Rd, ☏ +1 519-393-5311. Daily 10AM-4PM. A community museum dedicated to the cultural heritage of Stratford and Perth County. Adult

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’s Bacon & Ale Trail, ☏ +1 519-273-7818. This self-guided tour introduces you to Stratford's pork and brewing history. With each ticket, you get five vouchers for a bacon or ale treat from the participating businesses. Buy tickets at Destination Stratford, 47 Downie Street; Bradshaws, 129 Ontario Street; Small-Mart, 119 Ontario Street; and Werk Shop, 111 Ontario Street. $40. (updated Jan 2023) Stratford Summer Music Festival, ☏ +1 519-271-2101, toll-free: +1-800-567-1600. Stratford Summer Music (July/August) is an annual multi-week concert series set in various outdoor and indoor venues around town. A mix of free and ticketed events are offered. (updated Jan 2023) 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