The Mark Twain House & Museum

Welcome to The Mark Twain House & Museum, where the great American author lived and worked from 1874 to 1891.

Purchase your tickets in advance ⬇️

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

Look closely at this house.

Today, it is one of Hartford’s most recognizable historic landmarks.

But there was a time when the Mark Twain House almost disappeared. Samuel and Olivia Clemens lived here from 1874 to 1891, raising their family and creating a home where Twain wrote some of his most enduring works.

After the family sold the property, the house passed through several owners and was even used as a school for boys. Then, in the early 1920s, its future became uncertain. At one point, there were plans to tear the house down and replace it with an apartment building.

The exterior was ultimately spared, but the interior was converted into 11 apartments, with a large dining hall in the basement. For several years, that was the future of Mark Twain’s Hartford home. Then Katharine Seymour Day stepped in. Day, the grandniece of Twain’s former neighbor Harriet Beecher Stowe, helped lead an effort to save the property. In 1929, the Friends of Hartford purchased the house and began the long process of preserving it for future generations.

It would take decades. Apartments remained in parts of the building, while the first floor housed a branch of the Hartford Public Library. Major restoration work began in the 1960s, and by 1974, a century after the Clemens family first moved in, the principal rooms had been restored and opened to the public.

Today, visitors can walk through the same library, conservatory, dining room and billiard room where Twain once lived, worked and entertained. Historic places do not survive by accident.

They survive because, at some point, someone decides they are worth saving.

And Hartford did.

Come visit: https://t.co/B5aVz9rDu6

#MarkTwainHouse #MarkTwain #HartfordHistory #HistoricPreservation

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

✒️ The Mark Twain House & Museum is pleased to announce the four finalists for the 2026 Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award: Atavists by Lydia Millet, Flashlight by Susan Choi, Fox by Joyce Carol Oates, and The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai.

Now in its 10th year, the Award honors distinguished fiction that speaks with an American voice and tells a uniquely American story. It carries a $25,000 prize and was established in 2016 through the sponsorship of novelist and Board member David Baldacci and his wife, Michelle. This year's finalists were selected from 127 submissions by a judging panel chaired by Rand Richards Cooper, with Adriana Trigiani, Ben Shattuck, Michael Gorra, and Laura Pedersen.

The winner will be announced in early October. Join us in Hartford for Award Weekend: the ceremony on Friday, November 6, and "Creative Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," a symposium bringing together writers, editors, educators, and critics, on Saturday, November 7.

Full press release: https://t.co/GQIG1RST47

Learn more: https://t.co/scB42BPxff

#MarkTwainAward #MTAVL #MarkTwain #BookPrize #Hartford #Connecticut #Literature #Books

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

We celebrated the publication of Kevin Mac Donnell’s new book, Mark Twain’s Black Muse, George Griffin.

Kevin was joined by Valerie, Elliot, Donna, Jeff, and Irene in front of Twain’s Hartford home for the occasion, along with a familiar yellow mug.

Congratulations to Kevin on the publication of this important new work exploring the life and legacy of George Griffin.

#SundayTODAY #MarkTwainHouse #GeorgeGriffin #MarkTwain #HartfordCT

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

A meaningful day for George Griffin’s legacy.

On Saturday, The Mark Twain House & Museum gathered with friends, scholars, supporters, and members of the public at Linden Hill United Methodist Cemetery in Queens to dedicate a new monument honoring George Griffin.

The ceremony was the culmination of extensive research and an extraordinary community effort. More than $11,000 was raised by 115 donors to make Griffin’s monument possible.

We also recognized Kevin MacDonnell, whose research helped locate Griffin’s gravesite and the only known photograph of Griffin at the Mark Twain House, as well as the many people who have worked to bring greater attention to Griffin’s remarkable life.

Guests joined us from Connecticut, New York, Texas, California, and beyond, and historian Ron Chernow was among those in attendance. The day concluded with lunch in Manhattan and a private tour of The Frick Collection.

To everyone who contributed, attended, researched, organized, and supported this effort: thank you for helping preserve George Griffin’s story for future generations.

Full press release here: https://t.co/XcAbZQVvMQ

#MarkTwainHouse #GeorgeGriffin #MarkTwain #PublicHistory #AmericanHistory

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

TONIGHT at 7 pm, FREE EVENT at the #MarkTwainHouse in person or livestream.

Join us for a fascinating presentation by independent scholar Kevin MacDonnell on Mark Twain’s Black Muse: The Life & Legacy of his Butler, George Griffin. Reserve your spot, in person or livestream, via our Events page: https://t.co/9FX3BFxKpI

#GeorgeGriffin #MarkTwain #History #Events #TroubleBegins

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

On this day in 1908, Mark Twain became a mark himself.

In the early hours of September 18, two burglars broke into Twain’s Stormfield home in Redding, Connecticut, and made off with family silver.

Twain’s secretary, Isabel Lyon, raised the alarm, and the thieves were tracked to a train. Deputy Sheriff George Banks apprehended them after a dramatic struggle involving gunfire, and Twain was there later that morning as the men faced charges.

But perhaps the most Twain-like part of the story came the next day.

On September 19, Clemens posted a notice on Stormfield’s front door addressed “To the Next Burglar,” politely directing any future thieves to the plated ware and reminding them:

“Do not make any noise, it disturbs the family.”

More than a century later, Twain still gets the last word.

#MarkTwainHouse #MarkTwain #OnThisDay #ConnecticutHistory #Stormfield

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

A special thank you to Rachel Lenda, Michelle Bonner, and the team at Adams & Knight for helping bring this launch to life, and to Governor Ned Lamont for helping spotlight all that Connecticut has to offer this season.

If you’re looking for chills, history, and one of the most legendary homes in Connecticut, come see why the Mark Twain House is a must-visit stop on the Haunted Trail. Our ghost tours kick off next week!

#MarkTwainHouse #ConnecticutHauntedTrail #CTvisit #HauntedConnecticut #ConnecticutTourism

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

A hauntingly good kickoff. 👻🎩

We were thrilled to welcome participants of the new Connecticut Haunted Trail to the Mark Twain House & Museum yesterday for photos and video as part of the official launch. Thank you to Connecticut Tourism for including us as one of the featured stops on this exciting statewide trail celebrating Connecticut’s spookier side.

[Connecticut Foodshare @CTFoodshare]

We’re excited to share this message from our friend and UConn basketball player @silas_demaryjr 🏀

The @sdj5foundation Back to School Bash was a success! Connecticut Foodshare was proud to support the event as 500 backpacks were distributed to Hartford students
#UConnBasketball

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

🎩 A little trouble. A lot to talk about. Join us for two evenings of The Trouble Begins lecture series at The Mark Twain House & Museum!

📚 September 16 at 7 PM: Pulitzer Prize winner Liaquat Ahamed discusses 1873, exploring the financial crisis that helped shape the modern world.

📚 September 21 at 7 PM: Kevin Mac Donnell presents Mark Twain’s Black Muse, exploring the life and legacy of Twain’s butler, George Griffin.

Attend in person or via livestream, and name your own ticket price (yes, even free!). Every contribution helps support the museum and programs like these.

Learn more and register: https://t.co/OWEZ6mySlC

#MarkTwainHouse #TheTroubleBegins #MarkTwain #HartfordCT #CTEvents #SupportMuseums #LiteraryEvents

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

Mr. Clemens has a few new haunts around Connecticut. 👻

Spotted him on our new billboards? He’s taking spooky season on the road, but the real fun is back at his house.

Now through October, join us at The Mark Twain House & Museum for ghost tours, special events, and a little mischief. Come for the stories. Stay for the spirits.

Plan your visit at https://t.co/B5aVz9rDu6, and tell us where you’ve spotted Sam!

#MarkTwainHouse #MarkTwain #HauntedOctober #SpookyCT #GhostTours #VisitConnecticut

[Silas Demary Jr. Foundation @sdj5foundation]

What a day at the Hartford Back to School Bash! 🎒💙

Silas is showing love to the sponsors and partners who made it all possible, none of this happens without them. Thank you, ALL! It's always a blessing to be a blessing! 🙏

#sdjfoundation #silasdemaryjr #BackToSchoolBash

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

An assist worth celebrating. 🏀📚

Thank you to @silas_demaryjr and his foundation (@sdj5foundation) for bringing their Back-to-School Bash to The Mark Twain House & Museum! We were proud to host a day dedicated to local families and helping students start the school year strong.

Silas sent along this thank-you, but the gratitude goes both ways. Thank you for giving back to Hartford and making us part of it! 💙🐺

#MarkTwainHouse #SilasDemaryJr #UConn #BackToSchool #HartfordCT

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

The Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Weekend returns November 6–7 for its 10th anniversary.

Nov. 6: Literary Award Celebration
Nov. 7: Creative Writing in the Age of AI

🎟️ https://t.co/EkL7qMyGHr

#MarkTwain #AmericanLiterature #CreativeWriting #ArtificialIntelligence

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

"It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart; the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you."

- "Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar"

#MarkTwain #MarkTwainQuotes

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

"The reports of my address have been greatly exaggerated. For the record: Hartford, Connecticut. I built the house. I wrote my best books in it." @Jeopardy

Come visit: https://t.co/WCFh4Otm5N

#MarkTwain #MarkTwainHouse #Hartford #Connecticut #Jeopardy #History #Museum

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

Announcing the 2026 Longlist for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award (Mark Twain Award). 📚

In its tenth year, the award celebrates fiction that tells American stories in a uniquely American voice. From 127 submissions, our readers and judges have curated 30 remarkable books, ranging from slender story collections to a 1,200-page epic.

Shortlist in August. Finalists in September. Winner announced September 30. And this year, the celebration grows into a two-day #AmericanVoiceWeekend including a symposium on Creativity in the Age of AI, November 6 and 7.

See the full list and follow along at the link in our bio and via link here: https://t.co/73BS8NK5co

#MarkTwainAward #AmericanVoiceAward #AmericanVoiceWeekend #LiteraryAwards #AmericanLiterature #BookTwitter #Bookstagram

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then Success is sure."

- Notebook, 1887

#MarkTwain #MarkTwainQuotes #Success #Confidence #Ignorance

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

"Fine. I'll bite on this desk trend. Had to use two, one wouldn't hold all my vices." - MT
📍 The Billiards Room, Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford CT

#MarkTwain #MarkTwainHouse #WhatsOnMyDesk #DeskTour #Hartford #MuseumFun

[The Mark Twain House & Museum @TwainHouse]

The Mark Twain House & Museum is participating in Birdies for Charity 2026; a giving program connected to the @TravelersChamp that adds a 15% bonus to every gift made through our page. 🎩

In America's 250th year, there's no better time to support the home of one of the country's defining voices. Your gift helps preserve a National Historic Landmark, care for our collections, expand learning for students and teachers, and keep Mark Twain's work active, relevant, and accessible to new generations.

Donations must be made through our Birdies portal to qualify for the boost.

Deadline: June 28, 2026: https://t.co/D0KbxPABUc

#BirdiesForCharity #MarkTwainHouse #MarkTwain #Museums #America250 #Hartford