The Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford

The museum and gift shop is nice and the house is incredible. It is 11,500 square feet. It is a magnificent house and has so many unique & detailed design elements from stenciling on the walls to intricate hand carved woodwork. There are so many rooms. The house is very dark because that was the style back then. There was a 1 hour guided tour, which was very informative. Photographs inside the house are prohibited.

One of my "bucket list" visits. The museum is great as well as the tour of his home. You can even have a tour of the house by an actor in period costume who portrays someone who knew Mark Twain such as his wife. If you wish to tour the house I strongly suggest you purchase tickets in advance online at the Museum website. I did so. The day I went they were "sold out". There were a large number of "walk-ins" who were disappointed and could not tour the house. Tour is limited to eleven people with a tour every fifteen minutes. Tour itself lasts approximately an hour. Photos are not permitted of the interior of the house. A great stop for those with teenagers who have had to read one of his books for school. They also have one of the nicest gift shops. You can cover both the Mark Twain House & Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe house on the same day since they are literally right next to each other.

The tour of Samuel Clemen's house was very informative and gave us more insight into his life and writing. The house is well preserved and has much architectural detail that is unique. For example, Tiffany did the wall treatments long before he became known for his work with stained glass. Also, we did not realize that Clemens and Harriet Beecher Stowe were neighbors and influenced each other's views on social justice. Plan to take the Stowe house tour after your visit to the Twain house for a more complete experience. There is a snack bar and bathrooms on the premises so a day trip is easily accomplished. Also, be aware that no photography is allowed in the house itself.

This was a great find on our trip to Hartford. My wife and I are both big fans of Mark Twains works. To see the desk he wrote at and the house he lived in breathes new life and gives color to his works. Unfortunately the interior tours were booked the day we arrived impromptu. We will plan another trip here and schedule a tour of the house. We were able to look in at the arboretum / green house section which looked delightful. A beautiful house and wonderful artifacts. Great memories!

I enjoyed the tour very much. Lusting was our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable. Every question I could think of I asked along with my children and Pastor. He never seemed annoyed. He just answered, making sure to speak directly to the person who asked, no matter how young. It was enjoyable as well. The home felt like somebody was in it with us and I'm not talking about other people. The gift shop prices were not for the week. The lowest priced item was a ball that was $2.50. overall nice art gallery and tour.