Today’s review is of the Tudor Guild. If you’re new to this series, I’ve been on a mission for several years now to discover as much as I can about my own city of Ashland, Oregon. I want to visit more places, have more in-town experiences, and see our city with the wide eyes of a tourist.
My first stop was unexpectedly disappointing: A winery my husband and I had been meaning to visit for a long time. The staff treated us like we were invisible, offered no cheese or crackers with the paid wine tasting, and was pouring wine that was as bad as their customer service. This was the opposite of what I hoped for and I felt guilty about writing such a negative review.
“I’m glad you were honest but I hope you don’t write about us next!” One good friend who owns a business in town said to me. But when I go on Project Discover Ashland outings, I’m hoping to find the good, not looking for the bad, I explained.
“Kidding,” she added.
She grew thoughtful for a minute.
“So, did they ever contact you?”
Her feeling was that the owners of the winery should have invited me back for a second look to give them another chance.
We’re still waiting for that phone call …
My second stop was … the beach.
The discerning reader will realize that Ashland is not on the coast.
Sometimes you just have to break the rules.
Today’s review is of The Tudor Guild.
The Tudor Guild in Ashland, Oregon is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s gift shop run by gray-haired volunteers that sells everything from manuals on how to teach Macbeth to locally crafted Elizabethan masks.
The Tudor Guild
15 South Pioneer Street (located on the bricks by the OSF theaters)
541-482-0940
Note that their hours of operation change in the winter. You may want to double check the information on their website by giving them a call.
Oriented towards tourists, the Tudor Guild is not the kind of store usually frequented by Ashland residents. But it’s a fun place, full of clever items and nice gifts.
We decided to check it out on December 6th when they had a holiday open house and my husband’s chorus (More Fools Than Wise) performed there. (That’s him out of focus in the dark purple shirt to the left of the skull in the picture below.)
Anyone need a skull piggy bank?
A handmade mask for Mardi Gras?
Or how about a miniature swords to use as a letter opener?
Or a nice blank book? (Blank books are always an excellent gift for writers.)
My 9-year-old son bought a book, Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor, on the history of weapons:
My 3-year-old daughter looked longingly at the fairy and princess costumes they have (in toddler to adult sizes):
I bought a book on King Lear.
The Tudor Guild gets two thumbs up.
The (all volunteer) staff was friendly and helpful.
The prices are reasonable.
The merchandise is fun.
Next time I’m shopping for a gift, I’ll stop in here.
Let’s just hope they’re open.
Related posts:
Best Coffee in Ashland
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Dagoba Chocolate Factory Outlet
7 Things You Need to Know about Ashland, Oregon
Published on December 10, 2012
Updated on November 11, 2019
What a great idea to explore and report on your local town! Love it.
The tudor guild is such a fun store! sometimes I forget what treasures we have in our own town.
Oh, I’ll check it out, I’ve lived in Ashland area for 7 years, and have never stopped by the Tudor Guild. Thanks for the idea, and for inspiring me to see some new sites around home!
The Tudor Guild IS a treasure, and I can’t help but feel much of it is laid back helpfulness of the staff–mostly volunteers who are there because they love the OSF, love Shakespeare, love theatre.
As for their wares, it’s a deadly place to go if you’re a bardolater. They have a website, too, if you can’t go in person. I especially love their posters and DVDs and colectible back issues of OSF publications.
Great series, Jennifer!
Are you sure it was only open that day? I thought it was just the 30% off day! I wanted to go back for the princess dress and the morningstar….
That looks like a fun shop. I’d like to learn more about my community too. Seems like I’m always going by places thinking I should stop in, but then I don’t make the time to.
Looks like a fun shop. I love it when you can discover fun things like this in your own area.
Cool, just the sort of store where I might actually buy something. Few of them, my friend.