Stratford-upon-Avon was founded by the Saxons in the 7th Century, when they invaded and inhabited this land. The name is derived from Latin, Old English and Celtic languages: 'Stratford' meaning Ford on the Roman Road/Street and 'Avon' meaning River/Water.

The site where the museum is located can be dated back to the end of the 12th Century, where Bishop John of Countances, the Bishop of Worcester, became Lord of the Manor at Stratford. In 1196, King Richard I granted a charter for Stratford to hold weekly markets, transforming the village into a proper market town complete with blacksmiths, carpenters, brewers, shoemakers and more. Sheep Street remains as one of the oldest streets in the town. We also know from documents that a house likely stood on this site as early as the late 1400s.

Between 1536 and 1542, Shrieve's House was built and named after the owner of the property, William Sheryve (Shrieve). Not much is known about William, but we do know he served as an archer for King Henry VIII.

On the 11th July 1564, an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague hit Stratford-upon-Avon, where an apprentice weaver by the name of Oliver Gunn died at The Garrick Inn. For the next six months, 238 people died from the deadly disease, with numerous plague pits dotted around the outskirts of the town. Thankfully Shakespeare's family escaped it, but could you imagine how different the world would be had they'd not been so lucky? Another outbreak of the Plague occurred in 1645, where on the 24th May at least 16 residents were infected. By the end of the Autumn, the disease was on the decline and in total 61 people lost their lives. The population of Stratford-upon-Avon during the 16th and 17th Centuries was anywhere between 1,500 to 2,000 people, despite two plague outbreaks in the town.

In about 1582, a new tenant moved into the property called William Rogers, and it's here that he opened the Three Tuns Tavern which served food as well as ales and drinks. It was the personality and life of William Rogers who later inspired William Shakespeare to create the comic character 'Falstaff'. As well as a tavern, a blacksmiths and a stable were located on the site too. In September 1595, a large fire swept through the town and straight across Sheep Street. The damage the fire caused at Shrieve's House is not clear due to contradicting accounts, but from tenant documents surrounding William Rogers, he was leased a new house on 30th October 1595. In one of the documents, it describes the House as being "consumed and clene burnd downe to the grounde to the losse and hyndrance of the sayde Willm", describing how devastating the fire was in this area, and that a good majority of the house had burned down.

A fire would strike Stratford-upon-Avon again on the 9th July 1614, but only the front portion of the building was damaged during that. In 1619, William Rogers' daughter Elizabeth is listed as being a tenant in the property, and that she spent over 10 shillings on repairs to it. Elizabeth had eight children and was widowed, so even though there's no evidence that she kept the tavern running, it's likely that she had no choice but to continue with it. It is widely reported that William Shakespeare visited Shrieve's House many times, walking up and down the cobbled courtyard to the tavern, and there's strong validity to this with Elizabeth's nephew William Walker being Shakespeare's godson. Shakespeare's daughter Suzannah was also close friends with Elizabeth, further establishing the playwright's connections to the building.

At the beginning of the English Civil War before the first battle took place at nearby Edgehill, Parliamentary troops under the command of Colonel Behr were billeted at No.40 Sheep Street (Shrieve's House). There is also a long stated rumour that Oliver Cromwell stayed here too before the Battle of Worcester. Colonel Lucas who was also a Parliamentarian, rented the building around that time from John Woolmer, who himself lived at the top of Sheep Street. John was often targeted by the locals for being a Royalist sympathiser, but once the Monarchy was restored under King Charles II, he negotiated the new Borough Charter and eventually became the first Mayor of Stratford; one of only three mayors to have lived at No.40 Sheep Street.

The Falstaff Experience was also featured on a leap year weekend special of Most Haunted Live! back in 2004, where strange happenings like battery-powered lights being drained, objects being thrown, and the late great medium Derek Acorah who had a traumatising experience being possessed by a mentally-crazed spirit.

Today the building is a tourist museum known as Tudor World, but is often referred to by its previous attraction name, the Falstaff Experience.