Mark Twain may be more associated with the Mississippi and the Wild West, but the Mark Twain House and Museum are actually in New England - Hartford, Connecticut, specifically. Mark Twain - or as his real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens - lived here with his family from 1874 to 1891. It was here he wrote many of his greatest works, and he lived there with his wife, Olivia, and his daughters, Susy, Clara, and Jean.
For another Mark Twain attraction, check out the Mark Twain Cave in Missouri that inspired his novels.
A Little About Mark Twain
"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."
"Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits."
"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first."
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) was born in 1835 in Florida, Missouri, and was the sixth of seven children. As a boy, he lived on the banks of the Mississippi River and at the time Missouri was quite a new state, and also a slave state. His father owned a slave and his uncle owned several slaves. He spent part of this boyhood playing in their living quarters and learned much from them, including many tales and insights.
His father died when he was 11 and soon after that, he left school to work as a printer's apprentice for a local newspaper. He embarked on a career that would see him living and traveling in much of the United States and living in the Nevada Territory before moving to Connecticut.
Today, Mark Twain is one of the most famous figures in American history and certainly one of the most famous American (or even English language) writers. Today the restored home is a National Historic Landmark and a great museum to learn about Twain's literary legacy and his life and times.
About The Mark Twain House
Poor financial investments made Mark and his family move to Europe in 1891. One of his daughters died in 1896 and with that family tragedy he and his wife, Olivia, could not return to the house. They ended up selling the house in 1903.
After the Clemens family sold the building it went on to be a school, an apartment building, and even a public library for a time. In 1929 it had a brush will demolition but was fortunately saved by the Mark Twain Memorial. Today it is open to the public and boasts a large multi-million dollar visitor center.
- Declared: National Historic Landmark In 1962
- Opened: Openned As a Museum In 1974
Justin Kaplan was Mark Twain's biographer and he termed the house "part steamboat, a part medieval fortress, and park cuckoo clock." This is the place from which Mark Twain wrote many of his best-known works including:
- The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer
- The Prince and The Pauper
- Life On The Mississippi
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- A Tramp Abroad
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Visiting Mark Twain's House
Like so many attractions around the United States at the time of writing, the house and museum are open - but at reduced capacity. It is highly recommended that one purchase tickets in advance and plan ahead. One can show up without a ticket, but there is no guarantee that one will be able to be accommodated. All public access to the Mark Twain House is by guided tours only.
- Opening Hours: 10:00 am to 4:30 pm
- Days Open: Wednesday through Sunday (Closed Tuesdays)
- Adults: $21.00 (For The General House Tour)
- Children: $13.00 (Aged 6 to 16 Years Of Age)
- Kids: $0.00 (Aged Under Six)
There are a number of tours to choose from. Some of these are:
- A Kids Tour: Growing Up In The Gilded Age: About Everyday Life in Susy, Clara, and Jean’s House
- Mark Twain House Tour: A General Tour of the Interior Filled with Family Anecdotes and History, Daily Tour, about 55 Minutes In Duration
- Living History House Tour: Lead By a Costumed Actor, This Tour Brings Historical People Back To Life And is A Scripted Theatrical Experience, Duration Around 70 Minutes
- Graveyard Shift Ghost Tour: This Is A Spooky Night Tour Filled With Haunted History, Duration around 70 Minutes
For more information, schedules, other tours, availability, and pricing see here.
Mark Twain's works offer insight into the past and the world of the rapidly changing United States of the era. He watched the young United States that had only just been torn apart by years of civil war and other internal conflicts transform into one of the largest international powers on earth. He saw firsthand America's dramatic westward expansion and industrialization. He saw the end of slavery, advancements in technology, and the evolution of big government. He had many things to say about these life-changing events.