Stratford-upon- Avon vs. Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle is a medieval castle with a long and interesting history. It belonged to the Earl of Warwick, called Warwick The Kingmaker because he put whomever he wanted on the throne in those times. His daughter married King Richard III, who was an evil man, if you believe the play Shakespeare wrote about him.

The current owner of the castle is Merlin Entertainment, a group which also owns Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London. They have installed a lot of entertainment features, such as medieval jousting, employees in costumes, and wax figures throughout the castle.

None of this diminishes the enjoyment of the medieval castle. You can look past the entertainment features. And make sure you are not charged extra for entertainment and shows upon entry. Likewise, don't pay extra to see the Dungeon. Not worth it. Just tell them you want the basic price just to get a look at the castle.

"perhaps better for children than senior citizens."
No, you can easily go and look at the medieval castle, enjoy it, and do read the following article which will help you make a decision.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warwick_Castle

Walk around the town of Warwick as it has quite a few medieval-era buildings to be seen and a couple of good cafes.

Spend an adequate amount of time in Stratford-Upon-Avon seeing the Shakespeare houses. The best part is a walk south along the River Avon to the church where Shakespeare is buried, Trinity Church. The River Avon is beautiful with boats, swans and ducks.

A good place to sit and have coffee is the terrace behind the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. It is at the water's edge. The theatre has a new rooftop restaurant and bar with views over the River Avon. Good restaurants for dinner in S-U-A.

I would do both Warwick and Stratford-Upon-Avon. For me, they (together) were the best part of my entire trip to England last spring (for one month). A half day at each would be adequate. We spent two nights in S-U-A, however, and loved the extra time to stroll around.

To rate them, Stratford-Upon-Avon is #1, Warwick is #2. In case you don't have time for everything.

We recently did both a few weeks ago, one day in Stratford and one at Warwick Castle. I have three small children, though, but here are my thoughts about what was appealing about each destination:

Warwick Castle - Very cool destination, but it does feel like a theme park in a sense. You have a lot to see, the castle, the outdoor shows, the grounds, and it makes for a good day trip. Much of what we saw was appealing to the kids, but my husband and I liked it all too. The castle is huge and authentic, with a lot of exhibits and wax figures in various scenes from different eras of history. Outside, we really liked the trebuchet show, the falconry, and picnicking on the castle courtyard grass. There were also peacocks walking around and extensive gardens. But again, the whole thing was managed and organized really similarly to a theme park, which we didn't mind. Lots of kids and families.

Stratford - This is an entire town or city, so there are lots more sites and experiences. I'm a huge Shakespeare fan, and I just liked being in the city and walking around and soaking in the atmosphere. We didn't watch a play because my kids are too small. You have the area around Shakespeare's birthplace, which is pretty cool to see. There are also several sites within walking distance that are related to Shakespeare's life. We really liked seeing Shakespeare's gravesite at the nearby church. There is also the Avon River, which is very scenic and has its own host of activities, such as parks and boats. This part of the city was really beautiful.

So, in summary, the adults liked Stratford the best. Warwick Castle was nice, but I've been to other castles that I enjoyed a little more because of the lack of that theme park atmosphere.

Been to both and liked Warwick much more. To me it was "real" where as Stratford was more "manufactured". Just my impression.

I think you would enjoy Blenheim Palace a lot more then Warwick Castle. From Stratford take Line 50 to Chipping Norton then bus S3 to Woodstock then walk to the Palace. Or take the train from Stratford to Oxford, then bus S3 to Blenheim Palace, which runs every 30 minutes.

When you say "Our plan had been to see a performance at the Globe".......

The Globe Theatre is in London. http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/theatre/whats-on/globe-theatre

The theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon is the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Here is their website, different from the Globe's website.
RSC website:
https://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/

You may find that something is on you'd like to see, on the date you want. You may have searched the Globe's website before.
The Royal Shakespeare Company does plays in both London (Barbican) and S-U-A but you should look on the RSC website before you give up on finding a play to see in S-U-A.

You could also go to the ticket office of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon the afternoon you get there, and ask if they have any tickets left for that night's performance (whatever is playing). Could be that they will have some tickets.

Robin has a great suggestion. If you are not especially into medieval castles, skip Warwick and go to Blenheim. Blenheim is a lot more glamorous and opulent.

I would choose Stratford-on-Avon before Warwick Castle myself, without kids in the mix though.
Blenheim Palace and Oxford would get my nod too.
Note that RSC Corialanus starts previews in Stratford on 15 Sep.

Confused. The RST in SUA has performances on the 12 September. The Globe is in London

Also I note that the RSC theatre at S-u-A offers a family activity called Dressing Up Box while you're there, allowing kids to try on costumes.

Backing up what the others said, the Globe has nothing to do with Stratford upon Avon!

Or were you hoping to see a play there in London during your trip to the UK?

I love Stratford on Avon. Warwick castle, while a nice castle, is nothing but a tourist trap. While I wouldn't go back, I wasn't totally disappointed.

It is not "nothing but a tourist trap." It is a medieval castle which survives today because the money from admissions pays for the upkeep and repairs to the castle.

To point out that jameelsabio is incorrect in their assumption that Warwick is a tourist trap, I have included a link to an article about castles in England.

The magazine is Anglotopia, and the article is "Top 16 Best Castles In England", with Warwick Castle listed as number 1.
http://www.anglotopia.net/anglophilia/top-16-best-castles-in-england/

Thanks to everyone who replied to my posting. We will consider all of the responses. We will definitely be visiting Blenheim Palace while staying in Oxford. Right now, we are leaning towards spending the day in Stratford-upon-Avon. Sorry about incorrectly calling the Royal Shakespeare Company the wrong name. Nevertheless, my understanding is that there is not a performance on Sept. 12th. We do hope to attend some theater while in London. By the way, any recommendations for London are appreciated as well. We have been there before, but that was many years ago. There are some museums we want to visit such as the V&A and British Museum. We also plan to go on some London Walks. We only have three days there, so we are trying to prioritize. For instance, is it worth it to visit Windsor Castle or the state rooms at Buckingham Palace during that time (or neither)? We've also heard that the Churchill War Rooms are quite interesting. We really do value all of the opinions expressed. Thank you all!