Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

The half-timbered house on Henley Street where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and grew up. You can see the room where he's believed to have been born and the workshop of his father, a glove maker, and actors perform scenes from his plays in the garden.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust also runs Anne Hathaway's Cottage, his wife's family farmhouse, and New Place, where he lived later, plus his grave in Holy Trinity Church. Combine it with a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Stratford-upon-Avon is about 50 minutes from Birmingham by train.