Explore a piece of literary history at The Mark Twain House & Museum. From the outside, the Gothic building might look like just another historic home in Hartford, but inside lived one of the world’s most beloved authors.
Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, moved to Hartford soon after he and his wife Olivia married in 1870. They lived here for two decades, which Twain would later call the best years of his life.
Take a tour through the house and dive into life in the Clemens household. Twain and his wife built the sprawling three-story mansion to be close to his publisher. You will learn about everyone in their daily lives, even including the family pets.
Special tours are offered throughout the year. The Graveyard Shift Ghost Tour gives visitors a taste of the Victorian era’s fascination with spooky spiritualism. Play an interactive game of “Clue” throughout the house on the popular Clue Tour. During the holiday season, the house is decorated as it would have been during the Twain family holidays.
A visit to the Mark Twain Museum Center, opened in 2003, will provide more information about Twain’s life and writing. Watch a mini-documentary on the author’s life and explore his works in a series of exhibits. Be sure to investigate the rotating exhibit hall, which has frequent interesting temporary displays.
It is fitting that the museum’s store is full of books. Pick out one of Twain’s masterpieces or purchase a Victorian-era souvenir. Have a snack at the Nook Farm Nook. It also offers healthy lunch options, desserts and beverages.
You can enter the house only while on a guided tour. The ticket includes a full tour of the house and admission to the museum. Try to arrive early, because tours commonly sell out. Don’t worry about finding a parking spot there are ample free spaces in the museum’s lots on Farmington Avenue and Forest Street.
The Mark Twain House is open every day of the week, excluding major holidays. It opens slightly later on Sundays and is closed on Tuesdays from January to March.
