 Garrick 's Temple to Shakespeare is a small garden folly erected in 1756 on the north bank of the River Thames at Hampton in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames . Grade I listed , it was built by the actor David Garrick to honour the playwright William Shakespeare , whose plays Garrick performed to great acclaim throughout his career . During his lifetime Garrick used it to house his extensive collection of Shakespearean relics and for entertaining his family and guests . It passed through a succession of owners until coming into public ownership in the 20th century , but fell into serious disrepair by the end of the century . After a campaign supported by distinguished actors and donations from the National Lottery 's " good causes " fund , it was restored in the late 1990s and reopened to the public as a museum and memorial to the life and career of Garrick . It is reputedly the world 's only shrine to Shakespeare . 
