About the Museum
Victorian Gothic home where Samuel Clemens wrote his masterworks including Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Interprets Gilded Age Hartford's literary culture.
Mark Twain is one of the nation's defining cultural figures, and the Mark Twain House & Museum has restored the author's Hartford, Connecticut, home, where Samuel Clemens and his family lived from 1874 to 1891. Twain wrote his most important works during the years he lived there, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The historic home is a National Historic Landmark, and the institution describes itself as "a house with a heart and soul."
Tours, Programs, and Collections
The historic home is shown by guided tour only, and the museum offers more than one way to experience it:
- General house tours of Twain's restored Victorian Gothic residence
- Living history tours that bring the Clemens household to life
- Educational programs and activities that illuminate Twain's literary legacy, life, and times
- Author talks and lecture series, including the long-running Trouble Begins lecture series and the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award
- The Mark Twain Store, whose proceeds support the upkeep and restoration of the historic home and its programs
Planning Your Visit
The museum is generally open seven days a week, with final tours beginning in mid-afternoon. Because hours, ticketing, and special events change seasonally, confirm current details and reserve tours in advance through the official website at marktwainhouse.org.
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