Such a wonderful proprietor! He is an actor with true charisma, who will share the story of the Shakespeare museum and how it came to be. Articles, gifts and tokens are available for sale. Donations gratefully accepted, whether they be cash or articles from an estate. We came upon this business by happenstance, because they were next to the Elkhorn Slough safari tour shop, in Moss Landing. I will definitely have to re-visit all things Shakespeare, after this visit. My college experiences were so long ago, lol! Thank you kindly dear sir for sharing a lovely refresher adventure. read more

New Shakespeare Sanctuary - Thank you kindly for sharing all the fabulous British history! - Performing Arts Near Me - Moss Landing, California

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We just happened to see this museum when going on our boat tour of the slough and so glad we stopped. They were able to rescue many historical items from various Shakespeare museums. They are very knowledgeable about the time period and Shakespeare. Their collection is extensive. They also have items for sale for all ages. It's never too early to expose young (and older) children to Shakespeare and the times he lived. There is no doubt we will be back when we have more time. read more

Shakespeare lovers will enjoy this eclectic collection of Shakespeare memorabilia and gift items. If you are lucky, you will get a short tour in which the manager enlightens you regarding the history of the organization and some of the background of the items you will see. He is very knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic about all things Shakespeare. The building is quite rustic and rented, so I recommend phoning before you go. read more

Cool little shop with a whole lot in it. The gentleman who was representing the history and wares was very knowledgeable. He seemed to have a true love and awe for the bard. read more

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Great little gem of Shakespeare items in a small museum'! Curator is very friendly and helpful. Costumes can be tried on. Nice stop in Miss landing. read more

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I took a tour of this incredible place just after they opened. The proprietor was really excited about his place of business and so very passionate about what he does. You could tell he was definitely in his environment. He was very helpful and explained all about all the dioramas he had set up. A great place to learn all about things Shakespeare. read more

A very cool place! The giftshop keeper was akin to a museum tour guide- he had so much knowledge about Shakespeare and the Global Theater. He let us try on vintage costumes and take photos. For Moss Landing themed souvenirs, it might not be worth the visit, but for any theater/ history/ art buff, it's a must see! P. S. The giftshop keeper also gave us tons of brochures and even some Shakespeare themed tea bags as gifts. Even the bag he bagged our things in to was a gift bag- so sweet! He gave us a few flowers as a parting gift as well. Customer service could not have been better read more

Pros- This place has a very substantial collection of old Shakespeare Folios, costumes, playbills, and other ephemera. The CEO and proprietor is very passionate about the subject matter and can tailor his discussion based on your needs. We learned a lot about Shakespeare's contributions to the English language and enjoyed the opportunity to dress up in Shakespearean costumes. Highly recommended stop if you are in Moss Landing. read more

I was excited to see "New Shakespeare Sanctuary" near the marina when my sister and I were heading for our whale tour and wanted to visit after to learn more. It was a very strange experience. It's a rather large open space, the front part is mostly "gift shop" -ish -- coffee mugs, coloring books, magnetic puzzles, handicrafts and artistic items that are sort of Shakespeare related. The back 2/3 is furniture and props, and a couple of rows of costumes. The place is pretty well organized and cleaned -- someone does pay attention to dusting, to be sure! The proprietor, a middle aged man with piercing blue eyes and curly grey hair, asked if it was our first time there and launched into a bit of history... and kept going. We got the full effect of his bitterness, hostility and desperation and none of the charm mentioned by other reviewers. We heard about how the organization was forced out of the historic location after the founder died and a search all over the state landed them out here, in the rural Central Coast of California. When I asked if the organization had purchased the building -- thinking that must be the incentive for choosing the location -- the man looked at me in disbelief and said "What are you? A trust fund baby?" I suspect that others have experienced this as we were told "I've had 1000 people tell me they know rich donors and they are returning with their money friends -- but they never do!" Probably -- they were just saying that to get out the door. As much as I like supporting the arts -- I think most donors would like to see a business plan and we were told that most of the local schools can't bring kids there for field trips because it costs nearly $30 per student even to bring them from 10 minutes away, and provisioning private parties with costumes and props didn't provide enough revenue to support the non-profit. A business plan might go a long way to getting others to support the dreams of the organization, and I didn't get much of a sense of organization from what was shared with me that visit. As soon as new victims, er, visitors, arrived -- my sister and I made a dash for the door. read more

This shop is so quaint and wonderful, I can't help but love it! I, being a lover of the theater in almost all shapes and forms, cannot help but be drawn to a place like this, with all its costumes, paintings, and books. The curator/owner/proprietor was a tall, cheerful, and funny man who clearly loves his job and all things Shakespeare. He knew almost every detail about every article in the shop, and was happy to tell us. He was constantly running back and forth between ourselves and the other party in the room, telling us tidbits about each artifact we held in our hands. All in all, this was a wonderful sanctuary, with almost everything related to Shakespeare possible, and a wonderful man guiding its place. (They also have some very interesting fact sheets with trivia such as words that Shakespeare invented.) read more

Wonderful hidden gem, with lots of interesting memorabilia and unique gifts for friends and family. We happened across the spot after seal/otter watching and got a tour of the art, antiques and costumes. It's a great way to spend 15-20 minutes and learn about the history of Shakespearean theater in the US. read more

Coming here made our wonderful day trip to Moss Landing even more enjoyable! Make sure to greet the man who runs the shop. He's cheerful and hilarious, and will guide you through the different sections of the shop and provide some history and fun facts. We spent like half an hour there contemplating some old books, photos from Shakespearean plays, and dressing up. It was interesting hearing about the many different versions of Shakespeare's plays (like a Star Wars version). I also enjoyed looking through a bunch of books classifying his different quotes and analyzing the plays through different perspectives and theories. Definitely a paradise for Shakespeare lovers. I purchased 'Much Ado About Nothing' for I want to say it was $1 or $2. They have a whole section with some of his plays for a very cheap price. I also bought the flowers in Shakespeare playing cards. I recommend anyone passing through to stop by! read more

My wife and I were camping at the RV park across the street and figured we'd walk around the immediate area on our last day. We went here without knowing what we were getting into, but were pleasantly surprised. While the first few shelves were full of Shakespeare related souvenirs, beyond that was an incredibly large collection of relics, from stage props and playbills to centuries-old books and scale models. Terry, the CEO of the Shakespeare Society of America, seemed more than happy to give us the grand tour. We're not exactly well-versed in the work of the bard, but he made it really interesting and fun. If we had a question, he had the answer. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area. read more

Stumbled upon this place while stopping shortly in Moss Landing for lunch and to rest for a bit before heading back on the road. This place will catch your interest because of the large metal knight statues outside the entrance. You'll walk in one of the doors and immediately notice all the Shakespeare literature in the gift section area. The whole place gives you the feel of being in a historically important place. Much like a place that you visited in Elementary School to learn about past history or cultures. This was exactly what the place was setup to be as the name suggests. Terry, the CEO of this non-profit happened to be there and confirm that it was in the process of being setup as a Shakespeare education field trip location from schools in the SF bay area. Very nice guy and reminded me of a high school teacher. Carefully showed us some the important history behind the Shakespeare Society of America and a previous location in Los Angeles. The place houses anything from sculptures, playwrights, costumes used in real plays, various images of Shakespeare, books, props, etc. Some things seemed strange, and some very old. Visiting this place had actually brought back some memories of when I studied Shakespeare in high school. I actually saw a Mid Summer Night's Dream back then for extra credit assignment. So ultimately I can understand how these things can be so greatly appreciated... as Shakespeare's work is truly one of a kind. read more

My family and I stopped in about a year ago. This place is unique for the area and very neat. The gentleman that was running the nonprofit establishment was very friendly. He took time to show us around and explain some of the items and their historical importance and meanings. This is a great place to stop for anyone who enjoys Shakespeare literature or wants a new and educational experience. read more

This was a great little shop in Moss Landing. A fun change from the usual shops. Right upon entering we were greeted by a friendly man full of jokes! As we shopped, he shared a plethora of knowledge and pointed out some of the cool and fun items on the shelves. No pressure at all, but after this guy talks to you, you'll probably want the Shakespeare version star wars books! Stop in for a nice time warp to Shakespeare's era! read more

Wonderful collection in a quaint little shop. The curator was very knowledgeable and friendly. If you appreciate the Bard definitely make the stop. read more

We walked into this little museum/office without knowing anything about it or what to expect. The small room is packed with things about Shakespeare. Books, documents, costumes for different plays. The owner himself looks like he just time travelled back from a meeting with Shakespeare. It is just very strange... As we were the only ones in the museum we immediately had the attention of the owner. He seemed to know a lot. Because we knew almost nothing about Shakespeare and were also not really interested in details we left after some small talk. For someone really interested this is probably the place to go. Otherwise there is not much reason to visit this "museum". read more

What a great place to come across. I enjoyed myself. I love the tour and history. I would like to spend a little time with the books, maybe next time. One can dream. read more

Wow. I stumbled onto this place during a weekend getaway. All I can say is the man who runs the Museum is packed full of endless knowledge and excitement about anything theater or Shakespeare related. His hair even emulates the image one conjures in their mind of a actor circa 1800. If you've got hours to spare stop by and enjoy the wonders this little hidden treasure possesses. read more

That was an unexpectedly interesting experience after pulling out in front of the store on a motorcycle trip simply to ask the proprietor if I may loiter while taking a smoke break. I ended up staying for twenty minutes and talking to him because he is unique as is his establishment. read more

I'd always wondered if there was anything to do in Moss Landing. Wonder no more but get ye to the New Shakespeare Sanctuary. Go Terry! He is utterly charming, savvy and has great knowledge of Shakespeare and the history of the collection in the shop. Our visit here was all too short, we came somewhat close to closing time. I came with my friend and her eleven year old niece for a girl's day out and I think the kid though she'd be stuck with gallery tours/shopping/spa/food as her only entertainment. She'd brought along 2 books plus the iPad as backup. But Terry took one look and brought out the costumes. We had a grand ole time with the dresses, tunics, swords, armor and taking over the world (you see they have the Globe). Wish I'd had some time with the books (some of the editions are extremely rare) and prints. A shockingly large percentage of the materials are originals. It's hard to believe. There is a gift shop which needs some more work but has some materials for young kids. They've selected some beautiful engravings and prints for replication but aren't ready for mass production. But they do have a surprisingly excellent selection of Shakespearean ties. The whole operation is still being set up but I think it's great; you could really see kids would get excited. We all agreed it was quite the unexpected adventure in Moss Landing. I'll be back. You bet. read more

An awesome place to visit & shop. Curator is very knowledgeable & friendly. So much history! A must visit!

I love everything Shakespeare and visiting this little place was a delight. While the kids were putting on costumes which belong to the theater that once was located in LA but had to move, I was checking out the vast library, with oh-so-many Shakespeare related titles. The place itself is small but holds so much, you can spend an hour at least going through all the little things (a book, a tiny statue) hidden behind big things (an adorned chair from a play or a tapestry). My children came out wanting to learn more about the playwright and my husband came out with a printed list of words which the bard himself invented and are in use today still. Added to our pleasure was a meeting of bagpipe players which as I understand, meet here every Sunday to play. We listened, looked around and for a few moments forgot when and where we were. Don't skip this gem, and then enjoy the great restaurants in walking distance. read more

This is a charming museum and gift shop. Plan time to listen to the proprietor's story of how the place came to be - we're not even into Shakespeare, and we loved it. read more

What a pleasantly unexpected find. It was so fun stopping at this place in Moss Landing. We were immediately welcoming in and shown around. My daughter enjoyed dressing up in costume and sitting for photos, as prompted and encouraged by our guide. We had a wonderful time and learned a lot too. read more