Tuesday

The dramatic and uplifting story of legendary outdoorsman and conservationist John Muir’s journey to become the man who saved Yosemite

Tuesday, March 28 at 7pm ET - Dean King on GUARDIANS OF THE VALLEY: John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite with MTH&M's Rebecca Floyd (Virtual)

In June of 1889, John Muir meets face-to-face for the first time with his longtime editor Robert Underwood Johnson. Before long, the pair decide to venture to Yosemite Valley—the magnificent site where twenty years earlier, Muir experienced an awakening that would set the course of the rest of his life. Upon their arrival the men are confronted with a shocking vision: the defacement of “the grandest of all the special temples of Nature” by private industry. The story of the pact they form to fight back, told in Guardians of the Valley, is a timely and powerful “origin story” as the toweringly complex environmental challenges we face today become increasingly urgent.  

$5 per stream. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.

Thursday

Go Behind the Scenes at One of London's Fabled Rare Booksellers

Thursday, March 30 at 12pm - A Lunchtime Conversation with Oliver Darkshire on ONCE UPON A TOME: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller (Virtual)

Once Upon a Tome is the colorful story of life in one of the world’s oldest bookshops, Henry Sotheran Ltd (est. 1761). Oliver Darkshire describes Sotheran’s brushes with history (Dickens, the Titanic), its joyous disorganization, and the unspoken rules of its gleefully old-fashioned staff, whose mere glance may cause the computer to burst into flames. Darkshire shares trivia about ancient editions and explores the strange space that books occupy in our lives—where old books often have strong sentimental value, but rarely a commercial one. Once Upon a Tome is love letter to the benign, unruly world of antiquarian bookselling, where to be uncommon or strange is the best possible compliment. 

$5 per stream. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.

Come enjoy our new exhibition: FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? TWAIN'S SUMMER SOJOURNS

Summer getaways were a favorite of the Clemens family. Follow their adventures as they hit the road to Elmira, NY; Old Saybrook, CT; Dublin, NH; and more! This informative and artifact-rich exhibition will include Twain items and glimpses of how the rich (and not so rich) enjoyed their summers in The Gilded Age.

On view now in our Museum Center. Admission included with your Mark Twain House tour ticket. Reserve your tour by CLICKING HERE. Museum Center-only admission available. No reservation required.

 

In addition to this comprehensive and fun exhibition, we will be offering For Business or Pleasure?-related programming throughout the year. Our first event, a Paint & Sip Night, is on sale now. Information below!

For Business or Pleasure: Twain's Summer Sojourns is supported by the Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation. Additional support is provided by Connecticut Humanities Council, State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, and Webster Bank.

2023 CT Teacher Open House Week

Between April 10-14, teachers at Connecticut schools can tour “the loveliest home that ever was” for free! Visit Mark Twain’s historic home, see our brand new exhibit on summer vacation in the Gilded Age, and talk with our educational staff about what our museum has to offer you and your students—field trips, interactive programs, internships, and free resources you can use in your classroom at any time.

This opportunity is for K-12 teachers at public and independent schools, as well as those who teach undergraduates. To register, CLICK HERE.

March Madness Sale

The Mark Twain Store is having a March Madness sale with museum members receiving 25% off all purchases except books and sale items. We have a wide array of items ranging from custom items, houseware, apparel, jewelry, gifts, and, of course, special items for the Twainiac in your life. Visit our online store and enter your membership information to receive the discount.

Not a member? CLICK HERE to join and receive wonderful benefits including free house tours and access to wonderful members-only opportunities.

Visit The Mark Twain Store

Coming Next!

"That I was born Puerto Rican was happenstance, but that I have no connection to what it means is no accident. My grandparents made conscious decisions and so did my father as part of the first generation born here in the States...I’m still grappling with what I’ve lost and how I can miss something I’ve never had." - Robert Lopez

Tuesday, April 4 at 7pm ET - Robert Lopez on DISPATCHES FROM PUERTO NOWHERE: An American Story of Assimilation and Erasure with Sean Forbes

In-Person at The Mark Twain House & Museum or view via Livestream!

 

A family’s efforts to assimilate within their new homeland led to the near complete erasure of their heritage, culture, and language within two generations. Robert Lopez paints a compassionate portrait of family that attempts to bridge the past to the present, and re-claim a heritage threatened by assimilation and erasure.

In-Person Event: $10 non-members, $5 MTH& members.

Livestream: $5 non-members and members.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.

Thursday, April 13 at 6pm ET - PAINT & SIP NIGHT with Artist Julie Phillipps (In-Person)

The Clemens family spent two summers at artist colonies in the mountains – one at the Onteora Club in the Catskills, and one on the slopes of Mount Monadnock in Dublin, New Hampshire. The family’s circle of friends at both locations included well-known artists such as, Abbott Thayer, J. Carroll Beckwith, and Candace Wheeler.

Join the Mark Twain House and Julie Phillipps for an evening of art and cocktails. Tickets include supplies and instruction to paint a watercolor raven and two cocktail-tasting drink tickets. Additional cocktails can be purchased from the bar.

The cocktails served this evening will be a part of our “Hartford on the Rocks” mixology competition; winners to be announced at our October 19th Literary Cocktail Night.

This is one of many For Business or Pleasure events happening this year. Keep an eye on our website for more information.

In-Person Event! $50 / $45 for MTH&M Members. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.

Show Sam Some Love:

Vote for Us for Best of Connecticut Museums! 

Spread the word to your friends & family and cast your vote CLICKING HERE.

Voting ends on April 9!

Thank you for your continued support of Twain's beloved home.

Come Visit!

Plan your visit to America's Best House Museum (Forbes Magazine, 2021) by CLICKING HERE.

PLEASE NOTE: The museum will be closed on Tuesdays through March. We will be open all other days from 9:30am to 4:30pm, with the final tour of the day stepping off at 3:15pm.

Upcoming Events

V = Virtual Event; IP = In-Person Event

March 28 - Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that Saved Yosemite with Dean King (V)

March 30 - Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller with Oliver Darkshire (V)

March 31 - Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours of The Mark Twain House (IP)

April 4 - Dispatches from Puerto Nowhere: An American Story of Assimilation and Erasure with Robert Lopez (IP & V)

April 11 - An Assassin in Utopia: The True Story of a Nineteenth-Century Sex Cult and a President's Murder with Susan Wels (V)

April 13 - MTH&M and the American School for the Deaf present After the Miracle: The Political Crusades of Helen Keller with Max Wallace (V)

April 16 - Paint & Sip Night with Artist Julie Phillipps (IP)

April 18 - Must Love Trees: An Unconventional Guide with Tobin Mitnick (V)

April 21 - The Bark Twain Bash...It's the Cat's Meow fundraiser with Kenway's Cause (IP)

April 25 at 12pm - The Unsealing: Gilded Age Love, Lust and Murder with Robert Brighton (V)

April 25 at 7pm - The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho with Paterson Joseph (V)

April 27 at 7pm - Advika and the Hollywood Wives with Kirthana Ramisetti (V)

April 29 starting at 7pm - Get a Clue Murder Mystery Tours with Sea Tea Improv (IP)

More to be announced soon!

To see all event information and registration, CLICK HERE.

To preorder books for our upcoming events, CLICK HERE. Signed books will be mailed after the event. Please note that we cannot ship outside of the U.S. at this time.

Your donation to The Mark Twain House & Museum helps us meet our mission to preserve the home and legacy of Mark Twain. Thank you for your generosity!

Support the House

Author programs at The Mark Twain House & Museum are sponsored by Connecticut Public Broadcasting and the Wish You Well Foundation. Virtual author programs are supported by Suzanne Hopgood in the memory of former MTH&M Trustee Frank Lord.

Programs at The Mark Twain House & Museum are made possible in part by support from CT Humanities; the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts; Ensworth Charitable Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee; the Greater Hartford Arts Council’s United Arts Campaign; The Hartford; The Mark Twain Foundation; The National Endowment for the Humanities; and Travelers.