The Mark Twain House & Museum Reviews

This was our second visit to Mark Twain's house and we're glad we went back. Our guide was in character of the lady's maid (Katy) and at times it felt we were actually talking to some one who had lived with the Twain family and we were eager to ask questions regarding the family dynamics, or get her perspective on how the events of the time affected their interactions and Mark Twain's work. We understood a bit what it was like to be a guest of this family at the time they lived there, what make them happy and sad, and some of the tragedies they had to face. You can't take pictures or record the tour but this gives you the opportunity to focus more on what is said. Also the museum is well organized with a nice bookstore and Mark Twain's phrases all over the walls.
I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who is visiting Hartford.

We visited the museum on June 14th. The tour guide was wonderful, and my husband and I really learned a considerable amount of history, not only of Mark Twain but of his family and the historical period. Both of us did further research on his family when we returned home (it was so sad to realize three of his children died at such a young age). The only item of concern for me was an allergic reaction -upon entering the home the first room was quite musty/dusty/particulate filled. I was worried that I would have to leave, but once I was out of the entry room, I was OK. The stairs were a bit trying, but I took my time and held on to the handrails! All in all, definitely worth the trip - such a remarkable man.

We had some time to kill before a flight out of Hartford and picked the Mark Twain house on a whim. It was an excellent choice! The movie before the tour was interesting and informative, and the tour guide gave an extremely interesting tour of the house, telling of the history of the family, house, and individual pieces. My only disappointment is that we couldn't photograph inside the house. Oh, and that the neighboring Harriett Beecher Stowe house is not open on Tuesdays. I highly recommend this tour! Try to make the first tour of the day for a smaller group.

The museum, house itself, movie and gift shop are great. However, our "Living History" tour was lackluster and not as informative as we would've liked of the house itself. Found our group asking lots of questions (thankfully) rather than the guide offering information to share. Also, many times when asked questions he/tour guide said, "that's a good question" or "I'm sure the gift shop has information/books about that." Disappointing and not what I pay extra $ for. So yes go, but take the general house tour which hopefully does not have this same man leading it.

we had a very garrulous guide who was informing us about Twain's life while saying little about the remarkable house itself. For example, she never remarked on the beautiful fireplaces or anything about the wall paper or stenciling beyond mentioning Tiffany. The house was dark, the wallpaper is peeling on the living room ceiling and has a dirty old carpet on the floor. The upholstery is faded, the furniture not remarked on (like inlays, mosaics). The conservatory was not mentioned etc.
It looks as though a tremendous amount of money has been spent on the exterior approach (MANY)steps to the house, and the new visitor center. More should be spent on restoring the interior. and even though they would have had gas lights...
TURN UP THE LIGHTS!!!!

I hope you are as lucky enough to take the Living Tour with Tom Raines portraying Mark Twain’s Butler and friend of 17+ years: Mr. George Griffin. It was the BEST historical museum experience I have ever had! The museum is great, Mark Twain’s home is like nothing you’ve ever seen and the live tour was marvelous! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Thank you, Mr. Raines, for letting us step back in time with you ❤️

We have visited and enjoyed many historical homes over the years but my wife and I agree that visiting the Mark Twain House in Hartford was one of our favorite historical home experiences. The house itself is very well maintained and preserved. The tour group was small and the guide was thorough, informative and engaging. There are two things that made this historical home experience stick out from others. First, it’s Mark Twain who lived here, a person who is an important and central figure in Americana and his times, and an author who many of us have read. His fame level is off the charts! Second the film and exhibits in the museum section of the attraction are excellent!! And it’s just a short distance away from Interstate 84 with plentiful parking. The ultimate “easy-on-easy-off” historical experience. You and The Twain must meet!

I'm a Twain geek and have been wanting to come here for years. It was everything I imagined and more. The Twains put a lot into the decorating inside and out, and the house is truly beautiful. We got to see every single part of the house except the basement. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. She even let me answer someone's question about his pen name. 😊

Note that you are not allowed to take pictures inside the house, but they sell a book in the giftshop that has many interior photos. The gift shop was great and there was also a good museum where you buy tickets.

We visited the Mark Twain house in Hartford with some friends. I really didn’t know what to expect and was, quite honestly, not sure whether I would enjoy it. I was very, very wrong.

Samuel Clemens a.k.a. Mark Twain, Was certainly an interesting character. His life was full. Some sadness, some devotion some inspiration. His home, now a museum, was decorated with period furniture and the tours were guided by live actors and actresses bringing the entire experience to life.

The museum portion had wonderful artifacts and a Ken Burns movie about the life and times of Samuel Clemons. So, If you are in for a pleasant bit of history, visit the Mark Twain Museum.

Highly recommended.

Museum spacious and modern dedicated to the life of Samuel Clemens includes a gift shop, rest rooms, and cafe. Our tour of the home was over an hour with a very well informed guide dressed as the “butler and personal friend” of the Clemens family. As well as facts about the home and furnishings, he also told antidotes about Mark Twain and his family during the time they lived in the home. The architecture and beautiful decor of the home is much more lavish than expected. Highly recommend the visit.

It was really cool to tour the house of THE Mark Twain. It was interesting to learn all about the family and to see the space where "all of the magic happened." Definitely worth a stop!

Four of us stopped for the tour of the home. Prior to the actual tour we watched a very informative video of Mark Twain and his life. The tour was throughout the home and we got to see a lot about how life was back in his time.

Took a guided tour with the butler, George Griffin. Learned a lot and the house is very impressive. Many stories and anecdotes. Museum and Ken Burns film were also well done. Worth a stop and a few hours

This was a very fun and informative experience. The museum is beautiful, clean and looks new. The staff is exceptionally friendly and knowledgeable. They are meticulous about following safety protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the facility. Interpretive exhibits are well organized and interesting. There is an informative video that runs about 20 minutes. They have clean restrooms and a nice bookstore with books and a variety of other souvenirs. The house is marvelously maintained and the architecture impressive. The house is filled with period pieces, many original to the house or the Clemens and Langdon families. The interpretation by the docent was wonderful! You can also see the exterior of the Harriet Beecher Stowe house, which is right next door.

What a magnificent home and piece of history! It was a beautiful home and our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the home, the family and the community. It was very interesting to hear about the struggles the family lived through, and to see so many original pieces of furniture that they were able to recover based on auction records. The most touching things for us were the handwritten documents in the museum and the beautiful letter that his middle daughter wrote in thanks for creating a museum of her childhood home.
Note that photographs are not allowed in the home, so plan to put your cell phones away and enjoy a relaxing tour of the home.

The tour was very interesting and it's a really gorgeous house. If you are in the area, well worth the admission.

My adult daughter and niece and I visited the Mark Twain House on a bright sunny fall day in October 2021. The house was beautiful, inside and out. The group we were with was manageably small and our tour guide was excellent. Everyone asked questions; all were answered easily and completely. We spent far more time than anticipated walking around the grounds and taking photos, and truly appreciated the comprehensive museum. Especially liked the Lego life-size figure of Mark himself! Although we thought we knew a lot about him, we learned so much more about this amazing man and his family and their lives. So glad we went.

Fantastic house built in 1873. Guided tours provided so much depth to the visit. Nice attacked museum. I learned a lot and would do it again.

I have to admit I was prepared to be bored at some point but we weren't. My husband and I arrived at 10:45am. We took a walk around the house and took pictures. Harriet Beecher Stowe's house is right next door, so if you are early enough before your tour, take a quick tour of that too. We had a 12:30 tour time so we looked at both the main exhibits, the gift shop and the cafe in this time. We went on the live tour with "Livy" the wife of Mark Twain. As everything was from her perspective it was all about the house, it's furnishings and her family. The history was interesting and she was able to answer any questions you had. The tour went very quickly, even though it was almost an hour. At the end there was an open q and a. We ate at the cafe and the sandwiches were well prices (7.99) and packed full of fresh, good quality meats. We even had a Huckleberry Fizz, that Avery's Soda makes just for the Museum. The prices in the gift shop were very reasonable. The staffw as very friendly. Everything seemed safe and clean. I would like to go back and get a different guide on the live tour so we could get a different perspective, and a totally different tour. I highly reccomend three or four hours here if you include lunch.

We visited the Mark Twain house on October 3rd and purchased tickets for one of the living history tours. Our tour was lead by a guide acting as Mark Twain's best friend, The Rev. Joseph Twichell. From start to finish we were totally enthralled by the experience. We gained tremendous insight into Twain's life and his time spent at this residence. There are also several other Living History tours that I'm sure are equally amazing. If you visit, take a living history tour, you won't be disappointed!!

We’ve visited many historic homes and artists’ museums, but this has to be one of the very best. From the way that the house has been restored to the superb guide we had, this was one of our top American highlights.

On our first visit to the House, we paid a bit more & took the Living History Tour with a costumed interpreter portraying Mark Twin's pastor & goof friend--Henry Twichell. The house itself is truly one of a kind--beautiful & eccentric. The tour was excellent. The actor stayed in character & told many personal stories about Twain: his history, family & character. As well as, information about his works, inspiration, the house & the time period. Don't miss the Ken Burns film on Twain & the very good gift shop. The house is a don't miss in Hartford, even if not a Twain fan, & highly recommend the living history tour.
Note: the house was hot on a July day & there are many steep steps up & down 3 floors.

The home is stunning with its mix of cultural decor. Many of the items in the home are original to the home. There are family photos throughout as well, reminding visitors that this was a family home. We did the guided tour where our guide was a “family friend” and provided interesting information about the family, author, social climate or Hartford, and anecdotes from the perspective of the time. Very enjoyable!

A delightfully restored house with some exceptionally talented guides. They walk you through the house as if you are a guest. The museum and exhibits on the grounds add the the excitement and when you enter the gift store you never knew how many books and incredible quotes Mark Twain created!

Honestly, we just wanted something to do on the long, boring drive to New Jersey. We all LOVED the Mark Twain House. and Museum. The gardens, museum and house are all worthwhile. Our tour guide, Beth, was outstanding. There is also a nice gift shop, which is normally not our thing.

It is a beautiful house loaded with history. Definitely worth visiting. Did not take the guided tour hence could not go inside the house. Only if you take the guided tour you can go inside the house. Nevertheless, enjoyed the museum and the souvenir store.

My wife and were here for a Living History Tour on Saturday morning July 20, 2019. Tours are limited to 14 people. We booked our tour online and printed our tickets at home. They offer a shorter less expensive general tour and the longer Living History Tour. Today we took our trip back in time with Mark Twain's daughter Suzy at 17 years old. NO pictures at all are allowed inside. This tour took us up to the top floor, there are no elevators! The home is in excellent condition and our guide was excellent and she was able to answer any question she was asked. At the end you are brought into the basement where you can "touch and feel" relics from the time. Make sure you see the 25 minute video before the tour. There are 2 parking lots. Highly recommend visiting.

Mark Twain was an American treasure. His writings and pithy sayings are relevant to this day. A visit to his house should be on everyone's list who comes to Hartford.

Nestled in the heart of historic Hartford (which itself is a delightful town full of old world charm), Mark Twain’s house and museum is a real treat! Built when Mark Twain was a wealthy man, the house is a perfect example of the era’s architecture and interiors. I especially loved the mod-con kitchen with its advanced oven! We were told that it had gone into disrepair which was lovingly restored to its old world glory. What we enjoyed the most was the character tours - actor guides assume the characters from Mark Twain’s household and regale visitors with first person accounts of what happened in the house. This fantastic immersive experience was truly a time travel for us and we enjoyed the tour thoroughly! Highly recommended!

It's worth it to see more about the man himself in his environment. The host was in period costume & played the part well. Very informative & worth taking the time.

Paid the little extra to do a "character tour" and this was led by George, Mark Twain's butler. He told us not only about the house and the history but also about his duties. Told in a very entertaining manner with a bit of humour.
No photos can be taken inside the house and of course (understandably) they do you want you to touch anything.

From the first moment to the last we were so very impressed. We were drawn into the history of this amazing writer and international orator. The home is superbly maintained with period items not seen in many others today. We got every cents worth our admission price in quality, & historically pertinent information . We never thought this last minute decision to make this stop on our way home from NYC would be so inspiring. We all started to look through our books to pull out his writings & reread them now that we have better insight.

This tour was very interesting and informative. We really enjoyed the stories about Samuel Clemens and his family.

Hubby and I visited recently, and we had a blast! We booked a living history tour with “Lizzie”, from the perspective of a housemaid during that time. Even though it was only her 2nd tour to give, she did an amazing job. The house is so beautiful, and we learned a lot through the tour, short movie, and exhibits. I would love to visit again from another perspective.

I’ve always wanted to visit here. We booked the living history tour on a Friday afternoon. It’s small groups and a very knowledgeable actor plays out someone from the life of Mark Twain. We had Aaron who played George Griffin. He was awesome and made the tour so interesting and fun. I love touring historic homes and I can say without doubt that the living history tour made it so much more interactive. There’s a museum you can browse before or after the tour. It’s nice. There’s also a super informative movie playing on loop that’s worth the watch. There’s a nice gift shop with both Mark Twain and other literary themed gifts. If you have a national parks passport you can actually get it stamped here. I didn’t know and forgot mine so they stamped it on a card but it smeared. If you have the book make sure to bring it!! They have events like things at Halloween (and maybe even more). Even though I’m not up north anymore I plan on going back to check some of their other events in the future!

The Mark Twain House in Hartford is a fascinating place to visit, with unique architecture and hand-stenciled wall designs. We thoroughly enjoyed the guided tour. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, but discouraged questions, which was too bad. Photos are not allowed to be taken inside the house itself. The entrance fee is kind of pricey, but there are a few discounts available. There is a cafe at the museum, but we didn’t eat there.

Always a fun place to enjoy Mark Twain's influence, both from a literary perspective and from a social perspective.

Very interesting to see the home of such a legend. Tour guides were friendly and knowledgeable. The home itself is very interesting from an architecture and design perspective.

We chose the Living History Guided tour. Our guide, Olivia, was fantastic. She did a great job and was able to answer questions. The house itself is beautiful and was fun to take a step back in time and imagine what it was like to live there. Besides the tour, the museum has additional things to view. A delightful trip.

I loved this museum! The house is stunning and the tour guide was very knowledgeable. He was very informative and able to answer all of our questions. The gift shop was great as well.

Beautiful 19th century home. Excellent guided tours. The Visitor Center has a informative film by Ken Burns about the life of Mark Twain. Don't miss the gift shop.

We did a walk in enroute to Boston and had a wonderful guide take us through this magnificent home. Beautiful wallwork and woodwork with the home. The museum part of the center is beautifully done as well. If you have time, take a guided tour with a "character" which has some added fun. We stayed about an hour here but could have stayed longer. Nice gift shop too.

Always amazing to see a piece of history that is being restored and valued. Beautiful place to visit. Group tour was small so it was easy to be able to see everything and mostly hear the tour guide. Our tour guide was Excellent (a true love for what she does).

Our tour guide for the Mansion tour was Stephanie who was a font of information and very enthusiastic. You could tell that she really enjoyed giving tours, making the experience wonderful for everyone. There was not a question that she was unable to answer. Ironically, Stephanie was also the person at the front desk of the Gallery who sold us our tickets. When we arrived at about 12:30 (we were a party of 3), all tours for the remainder of the day were almost sold out and none had enough slots left to accommodate 3 persons. Indeed, a tour was starting shortly after we arrived with only 4 people on it and we were told that even though 7 people (who had reservations) failed to show up, their computer system would not allow us to buy tickets. Thus, we resigned ourselves to merely seeing the movie and the small gallery. While we were watching the movie, Stephanie came into the theatre to tell us that she had a cancellation and we could buy tickets to tour the Mansion after all (which made us all very happy since we traveled all the way from Florida to see it and would have been greatly disappointed if we had not). However, Stephanie had to call the Manager to override the computer because, despite the cancellation, the computer would not recognize it and allow tickets to be sold. So the lesson to be learned is that, if you want to tour this Mansion, you should call ahead to make a reservation! We got lucky that Stephanie was there to intervene for us. Thank you Stephanie!!!

This is a must if visiting Hartford. The tranquillity of the setting alone is appealing. The Twain house has been faithfully restored and the informative tour is worth every penny. The book/gift shop is quirky and well stocked. Restrooms are clean and there is a half hour film on the life and times of Twain. The cafe is well presented with polite and efficient staff (we arrived well after lunch time:1400), so the choice of food had thinned out, but the salads and wraps were fresh and tasty.

Please DO NOT purchase tickets unless you are absolutely certain that you can attend. Even if you spend the extra for purchase protect, you will not be reimbursed unless you have a verified doctor's note. In the case of contracting covid, and unable to attend you will be out of luck!! Very disappointing for this type of establishment.

$20 ea entry but worth it. 1 hour tour and guided inside and out. Cafe present for lunch etc and toilets. Fascinating home and very interesting.

We drove 2 hours on a rainy day to check out Mark Twain’s house and it was completely worth the drive. We did the living history tour and it was definitely worth the little extra we paid. Our guide was Lizzie the maid and she gave us a “first hand” account of her days there chock full of gossip from her time. Apparently depending on who your guide is your tour will be somewhat unique to their experience, from a daughter to the butler, or whatever other cast of characters. It was really like stepping into the past. My 13 year old daughter and 11 year old son thoroughly enjoyed it. Hands down the best historical house tour we’d ever been on, not only educational but also humorous at times.

The Mark Twain House and Museum offer an interesting view into the writers life and the second half of the ninetieth century. The house is in very good condition and the modern additions are very comfortable.
The tour group is small due to social distancing requirements.
People were turned away for our tour since they didn't make reservations. I think that advance planning is a good idea for a visit here. Particularly on the weekend.
Our tour guide was pleasant and informative.

I would probably have given this a better rating, however we were not able to get to go inside the house due to our time constraints. You can only go inside with a 60 min guided tour....we had 30 min to visit and get back on the road😩

The exhibits were viewable without a guide. There were lots of interesting facts about him available without the house tour and we did get to take pictures of the outside of the house.

Downstairs in the exhibits there is a Lego statue of Mark Twai .

This house, along with the Harriet Beecher stowe house, is a great place to tour along with your family or on a School field trip. In my case, I first came in a school field trip and I learned a lot about how the house was built and how mark twain lived. There is also a museum and gift shop if you want to buy any souvenirs.

For Twain fans, this is a must see tour. Our guide was very informative, albeit humorless. The house is very odd, almost creepy. Compared to other historical mansions that I’ve toured, this one is more church like. The museum and gift shop are small but interesting. The neighborhood surrounding the Twain house doesn’t have much to offer; very urban and slightly run down. They don’t allow photos to be taken inside.

We were not expecting much here. But this is one of the best tours we have ever done. We paid the extra $5 for an actor tour guide. Our guide played the role of the Twain's butler. He stayed in character the entire time and dressed the part. He shared excellent stories that helped us better understand the context of Mark Twain's character and his families' life in Hartford. The house is superbly maintained and is gorgeous. It is an architectural marvel. Well worth the time and $25.

We really enjoyed the tour of the house and getting to know more about Samuel Clemens and his family. I found it interesting that the house was used as a school for a period of time. Not everything in the house is original but you are told what is and what’s not is typical for the time period so would have been quite similar anyway. The small museum has a few things belonging to Clemens (Twain) on display as well as interesting information about him. There is also a film to watch in the visitor centre as well as a shop and cafe. Unfortunately you can’t take photos inside the house or museum due to copyright reasons we were told.

The house is nice, not much of it is in the original state which could not be helped. No picture taking inside. I often wonder why places have this rule. I found the tour informative and I learned some from it. I do not think it is worth $20.
Rating lost points due to the tour guide. I don’t know his name, but he had a lisp. He appeared unkempt with his wrinkled shirt and ill fitting pants. Being a registered nurse, I was repulsed by him. He sneezed in his hands and wiped it on his shirt. I offered him hand sanitizer and he said no! Wow! I couldn’t t believe it. He went through the house touching door knobs and pictures for show. Gross! Unfortunately, my mind was consumed by this unsanitary act of his!

We did not do the normal tour, we did the Get a Clue. Yes, we played a live version of Clue and it was fun. The actors playing the characters (suspects) were very good and added to the experience, Something different to do than just a regular museum tour. If you like playing games, it's worth it.

Wonderful first person tour by Twain's "daughter." whose real name I believe was Anna. The house is a gem architecturally and has lots of Twain items. Good sandwiches and interesting exhibits at the center. For seniors the house has several flights of staiirs.

I took the tour with “in-character” guide that played the family driver. He was awesome knowing much history about the home & family. It was well the cost.

An amazing, sad story of one of America's best writers. His rise to fame and subsequent loss are the framework of his experiences. He is quoted to this day.

We bought tickets right before a tour started. We didn't want to wait another hour and a half for the tour with the actor, but it did look fun. Al was our guide. He was knowledgeable and tried to be engaging with the four members of our group. Photography is not allowed inside the home. We toured the house and the galleries in the museum in under two hours.

This tour was absolutely the most interesting and fun that I've experienced. They have proven themselves as outstanding in the museum tour world. An experience you shouldn't miss.

Reserved tickets online in advance (recommended). Lobby/waiting area is nice. Bathrooms clean, decent gift shop. Ample parking.

Tour guide was knowledgeable, if somewhat stern. Not much time to check out each room in depth, but enough for a quick look. The house itself is wonderful, pretty unique. Informative tour overall. Kids would probably be rather bored.

We took what they call the Living History tour. Basically a tour is given by someone who acts and dress "in the period and as an acquantance" of Mark Twain. There is a lot of back story and it makes you feel as if you were back in time. We had a tour by MT's best friend and also a pastor. It was quite good. He was also a wealth of knowledge on the period. Also a beautiful property.

The house is beautiful. We learned a lot about Mark Twain and his work and home life. The historical character guide made it even more interesting.

We felt lucky to get to join the last tour of the day late for an interesting talk about Samuel, his life and family as we walked thru his beautifully decorated home. The library where the family gathered and he told many stories to his girls had an amazingly beautiful wood carved mantle brought over from Scotland. The mahogany stair case was gorgeous! One of the beds was also massive with wood carved angels on each post. The children’s room had sweet toys. Yes - 3 floors but a rest and looking at rooms in between. The billiard room where he wrote all the books we remember is on the 3rd but worth the climb - just to be in “the place”. Interesting to see the kitchen and how cook, maids, and special butler George lived. The had a bell system but also a whistle system to call for help. The grounds were very nice and the little museum “90 things in the attic” was fun for a quick look. We ran out of time and regretted not viewing the film.

Really amazing place. Guided tour was fantastic. The people who work here were very nice and knowledgeable. Recommended! I learned a lot!

Everyone from New York City to Boston must go. The multimedia exhibits bring Mark
Twain to life. The grounds are lovely.

Great experience. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. Only down fall is they don’t allow pics inside the house. The furniture, decor, and wood work is amazing.
Highly recommend. We took the regular tour.

With a very friendly staff and well documented. The house is well preserved and the guides very prepared: both for answering your questions and also to manage the crowd in a safe and friendly way.

I visited today and it thought it would be an awesome way to kill time. I paid $6 to go through the main part of the museum. They had a lot of interesting artifacts but the museum was structured oddly. There seemed to be no flow to it and they had interactive listening head phones but they weren’t working. I didn’t do the house tour so that might have improved my experience.

Arrived, climbed all the stairs, to see a sign in the door, closed for private party. Three employees watched me climb and said nothing. Employee who was watching the door said that I should have gone online and tried to order tickets and then I would have known not to come. Very disappointing experience with lackadaisical staff.

I have always enjoyed Samuel Clemmons'(Mark Twain's) books so it was interesting to see where he lived for the majority of his life. The style of the house is really different (not my style at all but you have to appreciate the craftsmanship that went into building the house). It was funny to see where Twain actually did his writing (in the billiard room at the top of the house on a little table). It was definitely a different era as you can tell by the "stick" style of the house and the furnishings -- I LOVE that type of thing. The museum and bookstore are very interesting. We ate lunch at the cafe there -- a wrap sandwich and an antipasto which were both delicious. I'd recommend this if you are in Hartford, but not if you have small children (they might find it boring) but otherwise GO.

We got there just before closing, so they let us look at the display cases. Due to COVID19 restrictions, the number of open spots to tour the house are hard to get. If you are considering going, make your reservation! Worth doing! We walked around the grounds too.

This is a hidden gem! Exhibits are so detailed that you get to know so much about Sam and his family. Our tour guide Sydney was awesome! She was very knowledgeable and answered lots of questions for our group! The house is beautiful and to see the desk and the room where he wrote so many of his classics was surreal.

Lovely old residence. Twain was such a character. He was vell traveled. Good job with the addition an enhancing it

If you enjoy any of Mark Twains works, this is a must see. Very, very enjoyable and a relaxing visit to boot. Be sure and bring your reading glasses

Great tour of the house. The guide was very knowledgable and it was amazing to imagine life in the house of Mark Twain and his family.

This tour is totally worth it. The tour guides are in costume and walk you through every room, sharing details of Sam Clemens and his family that we never knew. The inside of the house is stunning - we were especially taken with the color and detail of the wallpaper in each room. Tour is a solid hour, so make time to walk around the grounds as well.

My teenage son and I visited the House and Museum and at the end of our house tour my son declared that we needed a house like that! Our favorite rooms were the library and conservatory. Our tour guide was exceptional and could answer questions about anything inside the house. We were transported back to a more simple time, if only for an hour. The details in each room are marvelous, something you just don’t see now. A real pleasure to visit.

Most people fly into Bradley Airport and miss seeing Hartford. The city does have its issues. The effort in seeing Mark Twain’s House in West Hartford is well worth the effort though. It was Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) home from 1874-1891.

We would highly recommend taking the historical character’s tour. We had Mrs. Clemens take us through a 45-minute tour of this house that looks like “part steamboat, part medieval fortress and part cuckoo clock.” Our docent never strayed out of character and she was by far very interesting to listen to telling about their life together.

The only negative about the tour is that you can NOT take pictures inside the house. The experience, though, is worthy of "FIVE TRIP ADVISOR STARS."

This home, built in the American High Gothic style, is regarded as one of the “Best Ten Homes in the World.” It became a National Historical Landmark in 1962.

Mark Twain’s neighbor was the famous author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote the 19th century influential book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” That home, too, can be toured.

It was in Twain’s house that he wrote such famous works as “Huckleberry Finn,” “Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Prince and the Pauper” to name a few of his famous writings.

We found it fascinating to learn about the unique relationship Mark Twain had with his African-American butler, George Griffin. Due to financial difficulties, the home was sold and the Clemens moved to Europe. Samuel L. Clemens was born and died in the 76 years of Halley's Comet.

The house became a school, an apartment building and a public library. The home was about to be torn down before a local non-profit group took it over. With the generosity of Hartford citizens and corporations we not only have the house, but also a museum next to it.

The extensive museum has a video to be seen. There is also a cafe. Finally, there is a quite large book store with many if not all of Mark Twain’s books for sale.

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My friends and I took a Sunday tour of the house and explored the museum after. I’d highly recommend booking the costumed actor tour if you can - we had Beth as our guide, and she was excellent as Olivia Clemens. We learned a lot about Mark Twain, their family, history, and life in 1880s Hartford. Beth made history come alive; a highlight for me was seeing Twain’s billiards room where he wrote many of his most famous works. Tons of literary output in a single place. Would recommend this tour to anyone.

I love this place. The house is amazingly ornate in the Stick style with hand-stenciled wallpaper, cathedral vaulted ceilings, not what you would expect from the man who wrote Roughing It. (His study is much less designed to impress). Learning about the family and servants is fun and the guides are always so informed and attuned to how much the group wants to know (some people like to look. Some want to know everything). I would advise that if you find climbing difficult, though, there are lots of stairs, but the guides pull out folding chairs for you if you need a break. And Harriet Beecher Stowe’s house is right next door!

This was the best historic house tour I've taken, and I have been on many. The restoration is nearly perfect, S.L. Clemens is a very interesting personality, and the in-character tour guide was great. It's a wonderful view of upper-class life in the gilded age, in a beautiful house (which was Twain's favorite home).
The tour is a bargain at $20. There is easy access from the highway or downtown Hartford - but use 385 Farmington Avenue, Hartford for GPS to the parking lot. Otherwise you'll get to the main address and handicap lot (65 Forest Street) and need to go on a round-about drive.
Be aware that there are a few flights of stairs and there is no photography inside. The visitor center (included with the tours or $6 by itself) is handicapped-accessible and shows some very interesting artifacts. A small cafe has some sandwiches - I can personally say the Chicken Salad wrap was delicious.
The site is adjacent to the Harriet Beecher Stowe house, I intend to visit it next time I'm in Hartford.

The house is beautiful with all of its architectural innovations, but the Living History tour put this experience over the top. Our docent, in the role of Twain's daughter, made us feel as though we were there in 1889 experiencing life as it was then. Can't recommend this site and tour too highly. You will not be disappointed.

The Mark Twain’s house and museum is excellent. You will be surprised at the wealth his family had as the house was very modern for its time. Great stories and best to do the interactive tour. Recommended.

The Mark Twain aspect is I interesting and the reason people go, but it really is a beautiful house and provides insight into the domestic situation of the upper class during Twain’s time. I loved seeing the kitchen and nursery set-ups.

The house is a gem whether you like Twain or not!

My sister and I took the Mark Twain Living History Tour. Our guide (real name Josh) was Twain's best friend and preacher, Joseph Twitchell in the year 1903. It was fascinating to see the house, its art and furnishings, however, more interesting was to learn about the family including all the joys and sorrows they encountered. I gained insight into when the Clemens family lived in the house and why/when they moved as well as their other residences and their friend/associates. Our guide was so knowledgeable and passionate about his work. It was truly memorable tour. Highly recommend!!

House and tour were very interesting. Would do it again. Our tour guide was an actor representing the oldest daughter and she kept in character through the whole tour. Really enjoyed the trip

Fabulous tour conducted by George, Mr Clemens’s butler as portrayed by the actor Tom Raines. Tour takes place in 1878.

The architecture and woodwork is amazing. The condition and originality is pristine.

These are historic and interesting houses to visit. You learn a lot of history and interesting things. Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stove are interesting people to know about and they also wrote famous books too.

Little did I know about Samuel Clemens, aka the famous writer & humorist MARK TWAIN...so many fun facts on this tour. If you have an interest in history, literature, or architecture, this is a great tour. The museum is informative, modern & educational with a nice cafe and grounds for taking a break from the road. Great giftshop, especially for bibliophiles. Harriet Beecher Stowe museum right nextdoor. A giant dose of American history in the small town of Hartford, Connecticut.

I was in Springfield, MA for NCAA hockey games on Thursday and Saturday, so decided to spend Friday in Hartford (only 26 miles south). Being a great fan of Mark Twain, I searched for the House. A search made somewhat difficult by a lack of signage except right at the property.

Directed to the ample parking, I was somewhat surprised to find it considerably below the grade level of the museum and house. As I can have difficulty with stairs I was a little put off, but the stairs were pretty low-rise with good handrails. Later I observed there was an unobtrusive ramp to one side. While the Museum makes every effort to be accessible, the House itself has a lot of stairs, with no apparent alternative.

I signed up for the next tour and while I was waiting perused the first floor gallery of exhibits. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and witty.

The House itself has been spectaculary restored after a history of varied occupants. Architecturally it is a late Victorian gem by Edward Tuckerman Potter, with a stairway atrium rising through all three stories. Interior decoration by Tiffany and Candace Wheeler is stunning. The artifacts inside are a combination of actual Twain belongings and period pieces. When queried, the guide ably distinguished which prices were originals. The Clemens were widely traveled and the house is full of curios. I learned a lot about the Clemens and their trials and tribulations. Alas, no photos were allowed inside either the House or the Museum.

After the tour, I walked through the museum's second-level galleries, full of Twain memorabilia and learned a great deal more about their lives.

Today we made one of the best decisions of our visit to the area and toured The Mark Twain House and Museum. We were greeted at the door by Mark Twain's BFF, the Reverend Joseph Hopkins Twichell, who gave us a guided tour of this most magnificent home. The house and furnishing are beautiful and astonishing on there own, but having someone so close and intimate with Master Twain show us around was the absolute best! If I'm not mistaken, Craig was the portrayer of the Reverend and what a wonderful characterization he did; he is extremely knowledgeable, animated and gregarious; the perfect guide. We were informed there are two tours a day in character and wish we had more time for the next one up. If we lived in the area we would be sure to visit and be guided by every character they offer. Outside of driving to the summit of Mt. Washington, this was definitely one of the highest highlights of our vacation. Pay the extra bucks and have someone in character be your guide, you won't regret it.

There is a guided tour to the house, and they have a small exhibit dedicated to Mark Twain in a building next to it. We loved the tour, the guide was very knowledgeable, I learned many things I didn't know about Mark Twain and his family. The house itself is beautiful. I would recommend it to everyone who likes Mark Twain and everyone who likes history. The only bummer is that you're not allowed to take pictures inside the house.

My husband and I were here as part of a trip through New England. Ours was an immersive tour, guided by a young woman playing Susie, one of the author's daughters. She started by walking down a long staircase, singing the entire way. Beautiful soprano voice! She greeted us and led us back up the staircase and through the doors into the past. We stood on the rounded veranda admiring the gorgeous brick work and wooden rails. Then, we entered the house. I cannot begin to describe the beauty of this incredible structure. The intricate woodwork, curved staircases, spacious rooms, and special items imported from around the world--everything was simply breathtaking. Every detail has been painstakingly restored, and some of the pieces of furniture and personal belongings are original. Best of all were the stories told by "Susie," whose name was Olivia T, a fantastically talented seventeen-year-old. She made the experience truly special, and we learned so much about the Clemens family.

This is a beautifully restored and maintained house. Great historical context with a live character actor as a guide.

Recently visited the Mark Twain house and took the living tour with Reverand Twitchell as the tour guide he was great as he ptrayed Mark Twin’s best friend, touring as though we were back in 1903, well worth the time we spent there.
Thats the only way to take the tour. Would like to go back and tour with other characters although it would be hard to beat our first experience

We thoroughly enjoyed the guided tour, viewing the home, and hearing about Mark Twain. The house sits on beautiful grounds which offered lovely Fall colors.

The house was beautiful and well restored. The guide was very knowledgeable on it's history. It was worth the cost of admission and would highly recommend it if you are a fan.

We did not buy advanced tickets but we were there when the doors opened. We were able to get in the first tour group. Our tour guide (I think Beth) was very knowledgeable about the house and Mark Twain's life.

The museum is quite small and what you really go for is the guided tour of the house. Entertaining and informative and whilst you are not allowed to take photos inside, you build up really good memories.

Beautiful house. Tour guide was very knowledgeable about Mark Twain, his family and the house. I would definitely like to go again and would recommend a longer tour for people who would like even more detail about the house. They do let you go up all 3 floors which was really nice.

Definitely worth the extra $5 to do the tour with the character. It is a beautifully kept home. Our tour guide “Lilly” was the maid & she did a wonderful job. We loved it. It was neat to be able to check out the basement & touch/handle the items from that time era as well. A must see!

National Geographic rates this as the Top 10 best historical house in the world. I agree! The opulence. No photography allowed inside. Our tour guide from West Des Moines, IA) our neck of the woods), was a lot of fun. We got to walk into every room, not just stand behind a rope. Don’t forget to walk through the separate museum, too.

The museum was very cool and interesting, the house tour was overpriced $20 per person. Go just to see the museum. Very nice gift shop also.

We did the guided house tour with an actress playing Lizzy the Maid. It was very informative and I now know much more about the life and times of Mark Twain

We took the Living History tour and had Rev. Twichell (Josh) .. I hope I’m remembering right. (We have taken a lot of tours this trip). He was fabulous.. truly did such a great job, takes you with him on the story and history of Mark Twain and the house. We loved this house/tour. He stayed after, out of character, to answer any questions. There’s NO photos of the inside of the house so just enjoy it. The museum was really nice too & the short video. The home is stunning.. beautiful art with & woodwork. Although it’s dark in colors it’s not gaudy. Lots to look at and see. Allow at least 2 hours ..

Beautiful museum and house. I learned a lot of new information about Sam, his family, friends, and the time period overall. Highly recommended.

Make sure to buy your ticket in advance. I waited until a couple of days before I was due to visit and was lucky to snag one of the last ones. I arrived in advance of my tour and watched the video and saw the exhibits before my tour.
They have two different options you can go thru with a guide in character as one of the members of the Twain household or just a normal tour. The regular tour which I took runs about an hour. We had an excellent tour and learned a lot about his life. well worth a stop.

The house is a “must see.” My only reason for giving it fours stars is that the tours are a bit rushed. This is probably unfair to complain of because in order to get many people through requires them to speed things along.
The home is a feast for the eyes and I can see why Clemens loved it so.

Very interesting history and a very interesting family. The house itself is gorgeous and the tour lasted longer than I'd expected. The actual tour wasn't quite an hour but considering we just walked through a house it was worth the time and money. My only complaint is that you aren't allowed to take photos inside but they do have a 360 degree tour on their website. The museum center is a very nice facility too and there is lots of parking. Tour was $20.

Beautiful place to visit! Handicap parking in the rear also. The architecture is cool just to see for its self

I was in CT for a business trip and my flight got delayed by half a day. So, I looked on Trip Advisor for attractions in Hartford. I was happy I found the Mark Twain House and did a tour.

If you visit, I highly recommend showing up 30 minutes earlier so you can watch the movie about his life. The tour guide will go through a lot of details about Mark Twain and his family but it sure did help put the pieces together because I had watch the 20 minute film.

The house is just absolutely beautiful, inside and out. It was very cool t me to see where Mark Twain sat and wrote his novels.

It's not just a children's book writer home, he was much more an humourist, an animal lover an excellent writer

We were only in town for a few hours (waiting for a flight), so didn't have much time. The outside of the house itself was lovely, and we were disappointed that we weren't able to go inside.
That being said, the lady (purple hair, sorry I don't remember her name), was very pleasant, sharing information not only about Mark Twain, but about Harriet Beecher Stowe, and her sister as well! :-)

The guide talk made you feel like Mark Twain/ Samuel Clemens could come home any minute to greet you like a real guest. This home is a must on your todo list. Just exquisite.

My gang of 4 adults enjoyed the tour of the home...well one of the homes.... that Mark Twain and his family lived in from 1874 to 1891. It is quite a large but gorgeous house with many wonderful and unique furnishings...some unusual to match the unique and charming author. Inside the lighting in general can be quite dark, so be prepared for your eyes to adjust and/or be extra careful if you have vision problems. But no doubt you will like the tour, the home and many stories about the family that lived there...lots of stairs as well, so again be extra careful if you have health concerns connected. But a definite stop to visit: if you purchase the admission to see Mark Twain's house, buy the admission to see Harriet Beecher Stowe (author of Uncle Tom's Cabin)...and save $3.00 per person.

I learned alot that I did not know about Mark Twain and enjoyed the house tour. I thought that the tour guide could have been a little less dry. They also need to provide chairs for people with disabilities instead of centering them out and making them ask for one.

Great historic visit. I went there when I was a kid and now my kids have visited. It's our family tradition!

Located right in Hartford, but tucked away in it's own little area, the Mark Twain house is a must see if you are in the area. It's available only by prebooked tour, and they do book up ahead of time so purchase tickets before driving out there. The cost of an adult ticket is $20, which seemed a little pricey until we were on the tour, and it quickly became apparent the price is worth it. Our tour guide Brendan was phenomenal, his knowledge of the history of both Mark Twain and the house itself was unmatched. The house is rich in history and was very advanced for its time, including having one of the first residential telephones which is still there today. The tour takes about 60-90 minutes, and then plan an extra 20-30 for time at the museum and gift shop.

I had been here several times before when I was growing up but this was the first since they opened the new visitors’s center, and our tour was great-Gary was very informative.

We learned so much about Mark Twain from the general tour of his house. Our tour guide was an excellent story teller who weaved in stories about Mark Twain and his family. He entertained questions from the group. Salute is an excellent close reasonable priced Italian restaurant if you want to eat after the tour.

Our visit was lovely. The only way to visit the house is with a guided tour. The tours are 45 minutes to an hour. We had a new guide that hadn't quite figured out the timing of the tour as each guide makes their own tour and our tour was about an hour and a half. It was much longer than planned, but she was so interesting! She was a history major and you could tell how much she enjoyed her topic. She gave us so much information about Mark Twain and the family. I really enjoy hearing "backstory" information and interesting tidbits and she had a lot of them.
There is a nice 25 minute video and a couple of interesting museum displays as well as a small gift shop.

My cousin came from Fl and she wanted to go here. I haven’t been here in 30 years. We took the live tour with Livy Clemens (Beth). We were given the tour in 1888. It was amazing and so informative. It was well worth it.

Mark Twain’s work is not really discussed in the UK though many have heard of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn so was not sure we could appreciate or enjoy a visit to the house. How wrong I was, Al, our guide, brought the tour and house alive with interesting facts and stories about the man, his work and his family. The house itself is beautifully restored and puts into context his life and tastes. Well worth a visit.

Very much enjoyed the Mark Twain House tour While waiting for the tour to start there is a Ken Burns movie about Twain you can watch The tour of the house is amazing with many interesting facts. Nice way to spend a warm summer day -there is air conditioning throughout

I really enjoyed the tour of this house and the museum at the entrance. While I couldn't take photos inside (and I in fact deleted the ones I did take by accident a few days later), the attraction, as well as the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center next door, is one I'd definitely recommend.

Absolutely loved my tour. I learned so much more about his life while in the home as well as his family. The tour's pace was just right and questions were encouraged. Beforehand (or after) you can watch a 20 min film, browse the gift shop, and look at the museum. (Location of check-in is more convenient for those who drive over pedestrians coming from off the main road.) Had a wonderful tour and would highly recommend.

We traveled as a group - 19 people in 11 Mazda MX-5 Miatas showed up at the Mark Twain House & Museum on a Wednesday afternoon. The staff were very professional, very knowledgeable, and gave a REALLY good tour of the house. The house itself is incredible, and being able to walk through to see this slice of history was an incredible experience!

If you pay $24, save several hours to visit and get your money's worth. The tour is not enough to justify $24/person. There is a 23 minute abbreviated version of Ken Burns' PBS biography on Mark Twain. There is a timeline museum of Twain's life. We got there for the 330pm tour and did not do anything but the tour, unfortunately. 3 of us agreed that is too costly for the tour itself. It is only OK, with period-like pieces inside the rooms ; few authentic items.

We took the Living History Tour with Olivia as our guide back to the late 1880s. She was excellent as Susie, the eldest daughter of Samuel Clemons. Her presentation was very lively and included both a selection on the piano and a vocal rendition. We highly recommend this tour.

During the pandemic, I enjoyed virtual discussions with authors sponsored by the Mark Twain House. They were and still are awesome. So I absolute needed to visit Mark Twain's House in person while in New England. The house is gorgeous and the tour was fantastic. I took the suggestion of other TripAdvisor reviewers to choose the Living History Tour and they were so right. The tour is led by a costumed actor that performs the tour. Do order your tickets online because the tours can fill up quickly.

What a great tour! We learned a lot about the house and the purpose of each room. To see the top floor, the room where Twain’s most popular novels were written, was incredible. Definitely worth a visit. The house is gorgeous and tastefully decorated. Great to see and to learn!

The tour of the the Mark Twain House was very interesting and the guide quite knowledgeable. There was a problem with a woman in another tour group becoming ill, which backed up the different groups but the guides handled the interruption with aplomb.
I would have liked to learn more about the architecture and interior design of the house besides the information of the family. It was explained that the lighting levels of the interiors was of a similar lux to that of Samuel Clemen's time, but it was difficult to see clearly in some of the north facing rooms, expecially on a dingey day outside.
Overall I enjoyed the experience immensely.

My husband and I have been taking local day trips most weekends since our bigger travel plans have all been put on hold in this Covid world.

We’ve tried different cities around New England and hadn’t yet done something in CT. We are both history buffs and avid readers so this made a lot of sense.

The Mark Twain house recently reopened to limited tours and we managed to get two spots the day before we wanted to go.

The tour was awesome! The guide was perky and energetic, the house is quirky and fun, we learned a lot about Samuel Clemens, his life and family and the Mark Twain film by Ken Burns was great!

And honestly, I loved the fact that our tour was limited to six people. It made it much more personal.

I loved this experience. Touring the Mark Twain House is a must!!! My fiancé and I were in Hartford for the weekend and we bought tickets for the General House Tour. We weren’t even big Mark Twain fans before this tour, but we walked out of the experience with such admiration, but that was thanks to our tour guide, Lauryn (shoutout!), who was wonderful and so knowledgeable.

The General House Tour is set to last around 55 minutes and we went just a little over an hour. I was completely satisfied with general tour and I would select this option if you are short on time.

You can’t take photos on the inside of the house, but there are plenty of photo-worthy opportunities on the outside.

+ wonderful little gift shop with unique items that are reasonably priced.

A great way to spend an afternoon for those who love Mark Twain and his works or for those who would like to learn more about the great writer and his interesting life. A beautiful, well preserved home, museum, and informative tour guides make this a must-see in the Hartford area.

We had a most thrilling afternoon enjoying the Living History Tour of Mark Twain’s house where Samuel Langhorne Clemens lived with his family from 1874 to 1891. It is here that he wrote some of his more famous books including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), The Prince and the Pauper (1881), Life on the Mississippi (1883) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884).

The tour began with his eldest daughter, Susy Olivia Clemens descending the steps to Reception to meet the group, singing the traditional Welsh folk song The Ash Grove (Welsh: Llwyn Onn) composed in the 19th century by the harpist John Thomas. Susy’s ethereal singing voice preceded her appearance at the top of the steps, and sounded at first, as if it were coming from somewhere beyond. She was using the lyrics of the English dramatist John Oxenford, setting us all agog with anticipation as to the rest of the proceedings.

Susy was attired in impressive period Victorian costume, complete with her chatelaine. The tour is set in 1889. And it takes one through the rooms on three floors of the house which is well preserved and immaculately maintained with framed photographs of the family and artefacts from their travels. The rooms had fireplaces and some had speaking tubes to communicate their needs down to the kitchen.

The character of Susy Clemens was brought to life by the skill and talent of Miss Olivia Tummescheit. In response to the request of one of the group, and without a moment’s hesitation, Olivia even impressed us by adroitly playing the Steinway piano in the grand drawing room.

Her inimitable presentation and engaging narrative made it a most worthwhile 75 minutes. Her recollection of the events and affairs of the Clemens family was detailed and she was able to answer the searching questions from the group concerning her parents and her siblings as well as their cats and pet squirrel. Remarkably, Olivia Tummescheit correctly remembered also the names of each of our 14-strong group while answering our questions. That was, without doubt, a testament to her phenomenal memory, which was evident of course in the manner in which she was able to carry off the amazing theatrical performance with confidence and aplomb, from start to finish.

In summary, this tour will interest anyone interested in American literature and the life and works of the legendary Mark Twain. This excellent tour should be mandatory for the confirmed Twainiac and/or the committed bibliophile.

Interesting as a period house as well as for the history of the writer, Mark Twain. Tour guide was excellent; well prepared and articulate

I had been here many years ago and wanted a friend of mine to experience the uniqueness of this home. We chose to have a tour led by a gentleman from 1903! He spoke as if it were that year and his relationship with Mark Twain and the family. It was very well done. I have been in many homes across the United States and Europe and this one is different. It is something that everyone can enjoy.

We had a wonderful tour of the house by a guide who was very knowledgable and interesting. While I am not a fan of this house and its design, it is interesting to hear how it came about and was used. What is really interesting is this enclave of writers and artists. There must have been some interesting and colorful conversations.

To stop by one of Hartford's treasures. We took a tour with Stephanie, a relaxed and friendly source of information. The tour was complete with anecdotes and facts about Samuel Clemens and his family. Lovely home from a time when family and friends were everything. Lots of steps. Make the time to visit. Only a few minutes from the Art Museum at University of St Joseph. And next door is the Harriet Beecher Stowe home.

Mark Twain museum is definitely the primary destination in Hartford. We booked a living history tour a few weeks prior to our arrival. It turns out there are currently six different living history tours narrated by Mark Twain' wife, daughter, best friend, domestic help, etc. Our tour was interesting and a bit unusual since everyone had to stay in the narrated period - 1882 in our case. The house is remarkable and has all original or true period furnishings. The museum has a wealth of material and an excellent documentary film about the most famous American writer. We spent 3 hours doing the tour and looking at various exhibits. The museum has a huge free parking lot and beautiful gardens.

This was the best thing I did on my six day trip through New England! I did the basic house tour and had a very informative and knowledgeable guide who really elevated the tour. The tour takes about an hour and has some tight spaces - might not be great for young children.

This is a tour that I would absolutely do again.

We enjoyed a tour of Mark Twain's house with Al. He was enthusiastic about Mark Twain's family, life and home. Be aware that there are some steep stairs. Also, I thought it was a bit overpriced at $18/senior. The Ken Burns movie is a must.

I love visiting homes of historical figures but this was so much more than the boyhood home of 'Mark Twain'. The background and autobiographical information is fascinating and made me want to read more about the man, Samuel Clemens, and more of his works.
Children will like visiting the caves. As a kid that was what I remembered and what brought me back.

We loved the in-character tour by The maid Lizzy (Barbara). Great info and fun facts! The house is architecturally stunning. A great way to spend a few hours!

We visited on a weekday in September and were amazed at how busy the museum was. Reservations were required for the tour and we were able to see most of the museum before it started. Like any other museum, some will be more interested than others. Reading is necessary. The house itself is a work of art, whether your interest is Mark Twain or architecture. There is ample parking on site. The museum and first floor or the house are accessible but there are three stories in the house tour that require climbing stairs. This is a fast-paced tour and those who cannot move swiftly are left behind. I understand the need to adhere to a schedule, but I was not able to fully enjoy my time in the house.

Mark Twain has long been of interest to us. We've visited Mark Twain sites in Hannibal, Missouri and Elmira, New York, so had to visit this site in Hartford, Connecticut. We bought timed tickets in advance (since tours are hourly and limited in size). The house itself is a Victorian beauty, with a lovely Gothic interior. We had an enjoyable tour led by Sam as we learned more about Samuel Clemens and his family. Be advised that no photos allowed inside the house. The museum has some nice exhibits that expand on Mark Twain's life and writings. Check out the Mark Twain sculptures...a seated Twain on a bench (great for a selfie!) and a standing Twain made of Legos.

We were passing through Hartford and decided to choose one thing to do and this house was worth it.

The price was fair to us for an hour tour and access to the museum. We enjoyed our tour guide who was very knowledgeable and painted a picture for us about what it would have been like living in that house.

The attention to detail was amazing and the decor was beautiful. It was also interesting to learn that house daughter visited and helped describe what it was like living there.

What really impressed me of this museum was the beautiful house of Mark Twain. From outside is an incredible building, but you don't really expect to see what's inside. The house is very well thought-out and the attention to detail everywhere is outstanding. The staff do a great job in having the house in perfect condition and the tour guide provided lots of information about Mark Twain and his family. Love this tour!

Absolutely loved the "character docent" tour as Mrs. Olivia Clemons (Mark Twain's "wife" ) gave us a tour of "her and Sam's family home " It was fun learning more about this amazing writer and how his own life experiences were integral to his writings. Be sure to watch the Ken Burns edited PBS film on Twain's life before your tour; it will enhance your experience. You don't have to be an avid reader to enjoy this tour! Great parking too. It was a perfect midday stop as we traveled from Ogunquit Maine to the Hudson River Valley in NY.

We toured the house and museum with my parents. It was truly enjoyable. The tour guide was knowledgeable and answered all our questions.

this is one of the must see exhibits in Hartford. The tour guides tell interesting stories about Samuel Clemens family, and make Mark Twain truly 'come alive'. You should combine this with the Harriet Beecher Stowe house tour, which is immediately next door.

I highly recommend a visit. I learned so much about Mark Twain and his writing inspiration. The house is beautiful with many unique features from a home of that time period.

Great house tours and special events. The entrance building has great exhibits, museum store and workshop rooms. The house itself is only available through tours and special events, like improv theater murder mysteries.

We paid the extra to have a period guided tour. Our guide was Lizzy a house maid from 1882. She was so good playing the role and talking about the home and Clemens themselves. The house is beautiful we saw all rooms. There are a lot of stairs so make sure you can handle that. If you get there early there is one of the two museums to look at along with a 20 minute movie to watch. There is also a gift shop when you walk in. Once you are done with the tour you can check out the cafe and 2nd museum on the 2nd floor. This is worth the stop

The Mark Twain House is one of the top ten houses to visit and it certainly lived up to the reviews.

We went for one of the tours led Lizzy gossipy maid. The tour by Lizzy was given totally in character. She was great. A lot better than reading a guide book.

We did the guided tour with the ‘Housekeeper’ in her character role. Very interesting & informative. The guide kept in character throughout the tour until the end. Lots of things to see and discover.

This was one of the best experiences my family and I have had. We love historical locations. My children and I adore Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. The Mark Twain House brings his experiences and stories to life! It's an amazing place to visit and a must see in Hartford. Our tour guide Stephanie did a fantastic job and all three of my children ages 6, 9, and 11 enjoyed the tour! Thanks for a fantastic day!

The tour guide was very knowledgable and gave a wonderful history of the house. The grounds are beautiful and a nice way to relax after the tour. The only downside is that you can't take picture inside the house. Would definitely recommend.

We visited the Mark Twain House and Museum on Sunday, December 15th, 2019. We have visited both the house and museum in the past and have always enjoyed them. We got our tickets a little before 11:00 AM for the 11:30 AM guided house tour.

During the time before the guided house tour we were able to see the special exhibit on the second floor, ‘Twain’s Attic: 90 Years, 90 Treasures’. Seeing this exhibit before the actual house tour was a great use of our time.

The special exhibit celebrated 90 years of collecting, preserving, and interpreting the life and times of Samuel Clemens, his family and house with 90 items from the Mark Twain House and museum that are rarely displayed or that never have been on display. This was an interesting exhibit providing historical information on the house and the founding of the museum to preserve the Twain legacy. It also provided interesting information about Mark Twain, his family and his work through various types of interesting artifacts and displays. It even had a motion picture film on his granddaughter’s graduation. The exhibit was a nice tribute to Mark Twain’s life and legacy. It definitely was nicely done and was worth seeing, as were the special exhibits in the past. It also had interesting and rather unique write-ups to explain what was on exhibit.

The tour of the house, which took about an hour, was excellent. Each time we have taken this tour we have gotten a different perspective and learned new details, so it is worthwhile taking it multiple times. Our tour guide, Ben, was very knowledgeable, interesting and informative, making the tour an enjoyable experience. He answered all questions and provided great details and stories about the house, its architecture, Mark Twain’s life as well as the life of Twain’s family, with focus on how they lived and the activities that they performed during the Christmas season. The house itself was beautifully restored and maintained, both inside and outside. Both the inside and outside architecture were impressive.

The inside of the house was nicely decorated based on documented accounts of how the Twain family would have decorated it during the Christmas holidays. Unfortunately, we were not able to take pictures of the inside of the house during the time that we were there. All the rooms in the house had very nice furnishings from the period when Mark Twain lived in the house, 1874 – 1891. Even though only a few of the items were actually original, everything looked authentic to the period and belonged in the house. Some of the rooms were a bit dark but they were all well preserved/restored. I especially liked the Mahogany Guest Room as well as the billiard room, where Mark Twain did his writing for the drafts of seven of his books while he was in the house. This tour was a nice walk back through time.

After the house tour, we finished viewing the ‘Twain’s Attic: 90 Years, 90 Treasures’ exhibit. We then saw the film as well as the exhibit in the Aetna Gallery, titled ‘I Have Sampled This Life’, both being on the first floor. They provided additional interesting details about Mark Twain’s life and could have been seen prior to the house tour, but we were not able to do that due to lack of time.

The exhibits in the Aetna Gallery on the first floor provided a great timeline of the events that were happening in Mark Twain’s life based on the events that were happening in the world at the same time, providing a very nice perspective of Mark Twain’s life and the time period in which he lived.. They were also accompanied with informative and interesting write-ups. This exhibit illustrated Mark Twain’s love of travel, writing and new inventions; his various opinions and how he was a sounding board for the nation and much, much more.

We spent a little more than two hours in total viewing all the exhibits, the film and on the guided tour of the house. We could have easily spent three hours all together, perhaps a bit more time on the exhibits. However, we only had about two hours to spend on our visit. It was definitely worth visiting and spending the time there.

We enjoyed our visit to the house and museum and recommend them to others to visit. We hope that you have the opportunity to enjoy them as well. There was also plenty of free parking, which was very convenient to the museum.

My wife and I went on a day trip to Hartford, CT. Stooped here to see the home of Mark Twain. They have a very informative information center with a short movie. As for the house tour it was very interesting, you get to see a good portion of the house covering 3 floors. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and Twain and his hohse.

I love reading Mark Twain. I also love being in places where notable minds of the past created things and shaped our culture. I was NOT disappointed with this visit! The house is beautiful, an education in past luxuries all by itself, but then, over there is where Samuel Clemens personally sat and wrote his books about Tom Sawyer And Huck Finn! If the guide had not had an eagle eye, I'd have hopped the rope and gone over to sit where Mark Twain sat as he wrote. Our guide, Nikki, was superb, a virtual biographer of the Clemens family from the standpoint of a long-time personal servant of the household. The galleries in the welcome center are quite interesting and informative, and the lunch I had in the cafeteria was very good. I will go back one day!

Whether or not you're a huge fan of Mark Twain, I think you'll enjoy touring this historical home. Besides learning more about the Clemens family, you'll see some beautiful architecture and grounds. Much of the interior is preserved and filled with furniture and decor from the Clemens family. The docent was very knowledgeable and obviously enjoyed telling the stories of Twain. The main building you enter before touring the house contains a gift shop with lots of books and fun items, as well as exhibits and a short film. The general tour takes about an hour and you can spend more time outdoors touring the grounds on your own. Note that there are lots of stairs, getting from the parking lot to the house and inside the house, so if you have any mobility issues this won't be a good choice. Be sure to also tour the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center which is just a walk across the yard. Hearing their individual stories and how they intersected in friendship was really interesting.

We had a chance to stop by but no time for a tour. It was a cute little place and I can't wait to come back and do a tour. So cool this part of history.

Great tour and the house is AWESOME! Our guide was Al who was very informative and friendly. He answered all our questions.
There were so many interesting artifacts and stories. You could spend hours and hours. Next time we will try an interpretive guide.
If you have any interest in history or Mark Twain or 19th century life (or 19th century personalities - Mark Twain knew EVERYONE!) come see this house.

The tour is about 1 hour and our tour guide was quite knowledgeable and patient and answered most all of our questions. No photography is allowed inside, which was a bummer. The house is magnificent.

I am so glad I took the time while here ti take the living history tour. It was a great experience. I grew up in the area and wanted to imagine the history of Mark Twain and his family.

My girlfriend at the time used to work at Vanderbilt and Lindhurst Mansion and when visiting from New York insisted we go to the Mark Twain House. i had been before when I was younger but thought I could use a refresher, now that I've read many of his books. Our tour guide was very engaging, knowledgable, and helpful. We had a great time and loved talking with her more about the house and the history after the tour. The house is beautiful and well-maintained and this trip was very much worth it. I would go again and recommend it to any lover of history or American literature.

I am so divided on this place.

Firstly, I am an avid reader and I am also a writer - so this is exactly up my street. I think it’s important to provide this context to illustrate I am already invested in visiting these types of places so essentially a captive audience.

I will start with the good: the house itself is gorgeous. Absolutely loved it, and it’s beautifully maintained. I didn’t think the tour group sizes were too big, and everything was timely and efficient. Bathrooms were clean and the main part of the museum building is modern. The gift shop is very well stocked and one of the best on my trip.

Now to the bad: the tour just isn’t that good, especially for the price. You barely learn anything - it’s very generic and quite robotic. I feel like if you want to do something that doesn’t require your attention, perhaps you’d enjoy this, but for someone wanting a little more detail about the author and his life, it’s really lacking. We did a lot of tours on our trip and for content, this was one of the worst. I also think there should be a wider variety of tours - more literary, and more paranormal. It was also really difficult to schedule this stop into pit road trip since the slots aren’t released until really close to the date, whereas many other places advertise a year or more in advance.

I don’t know if my next comment is negative as such, but I don’t think they make good use of the museum space at all. It’s a huge, lovely airy building and there’s barely anything in it. I expected much more for what we were paying.

Lastly, the gift shop staff were rubbish. I asked the price of a couple of things in a cabinet, which seemed to be a huge effort for the staff to find out, and when I asked if they had a particular variation of something, I was told ‘dunno - maybe somewhere in the back but it would require a search’, and then they just stood there looking at me. Okay then, clearly you don’t want my business (and again - it is easy to sell me anything literary!).

I would want to go back and give it another chance. Maybe we just got a bored tour guide and the gift shop staff were having a bad day. But I would struggle to recommend it as it stands. It seems like a lot of glossy and not a lot of substance.

Mark Twain’s house is a great treat to know how he lived, delivering his most successful works, between 1874 to 1891. Now treated as a national heritage building, it was restored in the 1950-60, with the support of his surviving daughter. Very good guide gives us a picturesque idea about the life of Clemens, his wife, daughters at his place. You will not be able to take pics inside the house. But you can feel his presence. Entry is $20 for adults

We were very fortunate to join a tour conducted by an actor dressed in period attire speaking in the style of the era. She was a young lady named Olivia, 17 years old and almost a lookalike of Susan Olivia Clemens, the eldest daughter of Mark Twain. She asked all of us our names and then took us through an hour long tour of the house and related to us the story of her life growing up with her Papa, Mama and two younger sisters. We were mesmerized as if travelling back almost 150 years in time visiting Mark Twain and his family. Just for fun, I told her that I was a friend and fan of her Papa. I related to her some of the anecdotes I knew about Mark Twain. It was a fun visit. I have never had such a surreal visit to the home of a famous personality from more than a century ago. The feelings and emotion are still fresh in my mind.

Thanks to Olivia (in the role of Susan Olivia Clemens) for hosting our visit and sharing the story of your family - especially your Papa Mark Twain. Thanks also for your calligraphed note!<3

Beautiful home, friendly guide. I really wish you could take photos, but that is verboten. That said, well worth a visit.

I was impressed by all the items they had acquired that used to belong or were used by Mark Twain. House tour was a little on the high price side.

Who doesn't love Samuel Clements (aka Mark Twain)? In this picturesque, 25-room example of Gothic architecture, one get's to learn so much about Clements and his family. The docent was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. No photography is allowed inside the house. There are also many Clements related exhibits in a separate museum building.

Stephanie lead us on an interesting and lively tour that really brought Samuel Clemens, his wife, his family, his friends, and the time in which they lived, to life as we visited this exquisite home. The house is decorated for Christmas now too.

Interesting visit into the happy home. Facts of the family and tragedies were detailed. Architecture was very interesting. You are not allowed to take pictures inside the house. Tour guides try to be interactive.

The living history tour is well worth the added cost. The time period was set at 1903 and the docent acted out the part of Joe Twichel a close friend of Mark Twain. “Joe” gave a fantastic performance and presented history in a very interesting and fun way. Recommended highly.

Awesome tour and guide. We go on a lot of tours and this is well worth the price of admission. Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered every question thoroughly. You can tell she really loves history. Beautiful home and grounds.

Mark Twain lived at this house when he wrote some of his most famous works. A thorough tour explains the history of the house and Twain's time there, including the billiards room he used as an office and the desk there, and a lot of information about the personal and financial tragedies that ultimately led to Twain leaving the house. The Museum aspect of the site includes a film, a one-room exhibit hall with a chronology of Twain's life and personal artifacts, and a special exhibit art gallery.

Two star deduction for the COVID-craziness that includes mandatory masks in all indoor locations, social distancing signs everywhere, and tour guides with buttons touting their vaccination status long after it has become clear these restrictions are no longer needed and are ineffective. Let people make their own choices and allow them to enjoy the site rather than continuing these unnecessary requirements.

A visit to the house of Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens (1835-1910) is a must. Twain was the most well-known writer and humorist speaker in the 19th and early 20th century. The house was his dream home. He was involved in every aspect of the construction…which included trips to Europe for the furnishings. The house was even sited by a river--the Hog/Park River which now runs underground. This extravagant and high-maintenance home was more than he could afford. While still keeping the house, he moved to less costlier living in Europe. The tour began with a film in the reception center and followed by the house tour. As the tour was limited to 14 people, we had a chance to ask questions. The tour guide was excellent: she spoke loudly, clearly and knew all the answers. Twain might be thought of as fortunate and jovial—a charmed life—but not Twain’s. Although he earned a good income from his extraordinary talents, he could not manage it--which left him continually in debt.
Harriet Beecher Stowe’s house is next to Twain’s. Call before going—the house was closed the day we toured Twain’s.

house was great to tour. wish more was actually from the original house but most is just a copy or what they think it would look like.
we had trouble listening to our tour guide while we were on the tour because of the families that were in our group. the kids were crying, which is understandable as they were young children (under 4) but the parents would speak over the tour guide multiple times and go off wandering by themselves or get in the way of someone else's tour.
the tickets were also extremely expensive for not much to see. the house was very nice but not worth $23. the museums were okay, but which it was more about his life.

We went last year when the mark twain house was decorated for the Christmas holiday.Tour guides described the traditions of the time period and how the Twain family celebrated the holiday season. Music was also part of the program.
My husband lived in Hartford and remembered that is used to be the library when he was growing up. He was impressed that the house was restored according to the time that the Twain’s lived in the house. Interesting and informative

Like all Americans we are proud of Mark Twain. And to see his home with much of his furnishings was a true treat. Go early though because when we were finished our 3:30 tour the museum and gift shop were closed. It was a wonderful tour, marred only by our tour guide’s detrimental remark about our current President that wasn’t solicited or appreciated.

Definitely worth a visit. His life is fascinating and this house gives great insights into his life. The entrance, shops and interpretive center is modern and open. Masks are still required inside the house while on the tour.

I thoroughly enjoyed my 'private' tour with Ben! It was a quiet day so it was just me since my son got sick earlier in the day. Ben was knowledgeable and I found out things about Sam Clemens I didn't know prior to my visit.

Although the museum itself was under construction, the house was well worth the price of admission.

Highly recommended.

Very enjoyable, interesting. The house, museum, video of his life. Even the shop was nice and had a wide variety of books, jewelry, and knickknacks.

I dissent from the vast majority of reviewers. Price was almost offensive. and this for the standard tour (I would have taken the more complete tour, but did not fit schedule - book ahead). The guide was canned, somewhat corny and just this side of creepy the way he (tried to) interact with the few children on tour. You won't learn much you didn't know - perhaps a nugget or two; though this assumes a decent familiarity with the author and his life. No photos inside might have killed it for me at the outset had I known. Otherwise it's an interesting mid-Victorian house with expected accoutrements and bit more woodwork detail than normal. Unless you are Twain addicted or this type of dwelling is novel to you, there might be better things to see with that $27

Great tour and museum. Very informative. There is also a short video that I recommend to watch before the tour. Beautiful grounds.

We recently toured the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT via an actor led tour. Our tour guide, Olivia, did a remarkable job as Susy Clemens. She told us great stories of her childhood. Despite all our questions, she remained in character the entire time. Everyone in our family enjoyed the tour tremendously, teenagers and adults alike. We went on a Friday afternoon so there was only 2 other people in our tour group which made for a nice intimate experience.

Fantastic place to tour! Learned a lot and wished we had time to do an additional one of the 'host' tours. We did the butler one, but would have liked to do the 'Mrs Clemens' one, too! We just ran out of time.

Highly recommended!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the house tour! And walking the grounds! I highly recommend you make reservations for tour tickets as far in advance as possible - there were so many people trying to get in on a tour and the entire day was already sold out days prior! I bought my tickets about 7-10 days in advance and there was plenty of availability.

While waiting for your tour to start, there’s a museum and a little video. There’s also Twain quotes etched all over the walls and a great gift shop with some really cool items in it! Great way to kill time and didn’t even feel like I was waiting lol! You can take pics there and also anywhere outside, but not inside the actual house.

Our tour group was small to allow for social distancing - only 3 separate families. Our tour guide (Bryan I think?) was so knowledgeable and welcoming! He was a fount if historical information about all aspects of the lives of the Twain family, not just related to this particular house. And he was so happy to answer any questions! It was great! It’s a magnificent house, full of fascinating little intricacies and lovely historical stories! And also a great visit for any fans of Victorian life and style. There are quite a bit of stairs to climb throughout the tour so be aware.

There’s plenty of parking in the museum lot but it’s a little challenging to find, or maybe my gps was just being stupid lol. The surrounding neighborhood is sadly in very sketchy and poor condition so I don’t recommend any street parking or walking around outside of the museum complex. And the museum had plenty of bathroom access.

Nice home and what cracks me up is when Twain lived in Hartford, Hartford was the wealthiest city in the USA; now it is on the other end. The tour explains the house in detail and description of each room and also Twain and his life. It is sad as when one of his children died he never set foot in the house again.

I been on this tour a few times and each tour guide is different. The first time he was great the rest ok.

The tour was very interesting and showed the beautiful house. The amount of detail that was put into it was breathtaking. Our tour guide was thorough though a little awkward. The only negative was the group of boomers we were with who didn’t know how to function in a public space.

While my group really enjoyed seeing the house and the associated museum, our tour guide was not great. She seemed either really nervous or new, didn't know the answer to a lot of questions, and was repeating herself over and over. Who knows, maybe she just had a bad day or something. I would definitely pay for the upgraded tour if you can, when we heard other guides along the way they seemed much more knowledgeable and fun. That being said, don't let that stop you from touring this lovely home. Do not miss the gift shop, it is great!

The house is amazing. For a guy like Sam, who experienced financial problems, it is a really nice place. Very beautiful.
They thoughtfully put chairs that can be sat in on every floor so old-timers like I am can rest a bit.
Of course, there is a big story that goes with the house and it is very interesting.
Old Sam was an interesting guy for sure. Worth going to hear the full story.
It is not cheap [and I am]. But I think the tour and visit was worth it. Good visitor center, visuals, tour guides, a movie, lots of things from his younger days - although a significant number of displays are reproductions.
No photos may be taken inside the house.
Also, take the time to go next door to the Stowe house while you are there.

We took the historical "in character" tour and is was a wonderful glimpse into the past lives of the family and property. All ages would love this.

Came here once before and decided this would be a good stopover traveling between Phila and New Hampshire before Thanksgiving. Really liked the visitor center and the Living History Guided tour. Highly recommended!!!

visited here with our granddaughter (12) and had a great tour which last about one hour and 45 minutes. In addition there are several galleries dedicated to Twain and Hal Holbrooke. Also a short film.
we toured every room in the house and climbed 41 plus stairs. enjoyed every moment and would suggest this if you have never been

Really cool museum with a great house tour. The place has outstanding programs and beautiful areas to work and enjoy the scenery. Must see in Hartford.

I'm so glad I finally did this after it was on my to-do list awhile. (BTW, I booked in July for a September tour to be safe, so I rec booking ahead of time.) I've been on many ghost tours and I have to say this was one of the creepiest given the low`~mood~ lighting and overall sad feeling of the house given the tradgedies the family experienced. So if you're jumpy or scare easily, I would recommend opting for the daytime tour instead!

The house itself is ornate and beautiful. There were many times I was distracted by the Tiffany wall coverings or other design elements, only to pull myself back into the tour guide's narration. The guide was WONDERFUL. I've been on many ghost tours and sometimes the guides can lay it on a little too thick and get a little too dramatic. Not the case here! She did a wonderful job of weaving in facts about the family with retellings of first-person supernatural experiences in the home. There was *so* much information and we went all over the house (though not to every part) so it felt like a sufficient tour to see the place.

I won't reveal much about the tour, lest I spoil things for you. But I feel like I know so much more about Samuel Clemens and about his family. I want to go back and take a regular tour during the day!

We opted for the living history tour guide and that was AMAZING! Will definitely be booking more living history guides in the future. The "personal" stories that were woven into the history of the house made you feel as though you were really a part of the time period. Really excellent and worth the few extra $ to have that experience.

Decided to stop at the Mark Twain House and Museum on the way home from another trip. It was awesome—so glad we did!
Our tour guide David was enthusiastic, entertaining and energized by the information he shared about Mark Twain. The site of the museum is Mark Twain’s home that is on a land parcel adjoining Harriet Beecher Stowe’s House. There is also a tour of her house with a museum component. We had planned to tour both, but they operate separately. I wish they coordinated times and provided info about each other’s tour times to make it easier to do both.
The Twain tour includes a walk through of his family’s house, info about his life and there is a good size adjoining museum. Be sure to check out the room filled with artifacts that wouldn’t fit in the house exhibit but that were impressive nonetheless. I’m not a big museum fan, but I found this one to be fascinating.

We had a great experience here! I booked the tours in advance, we did the General House tour, my husband, me and our 8 month old. We put her in a carrier and left the stroller in the car, it was such a great experience! Beautiful home, we learned a lot and would recommend it for anyone spending time in Hartford.

It was very enlightening. Our tour was given by Samuel Clemens oldest daughter and was very informative. We were surprised at the size of the house. It was bigger than we thought.

Samuel Clemens was an interesting character and his home is full of interesting stories. In addition to a home tour, there are exhibit areas. One is interactive and based on his writings. Another area has a movie about his life. And the third has personal objects from the family. The property is attached to Harriet Beecher Stowe's home with small gardens. There is an area for a picnic lunch by the museum. Free parking is available behind the house. Follow the sign for the parking. This was one of my oldest child's favorite home tours. The home is beautiful and has lots of charm and personality. It is in need of some cleaning and a few repairs, but that doesn't take away from the views.

This was very educational. You must see the film on Twain's life. After you see the film take the tour of the home. There is no photography inside the home, but that's okay because you see so much of Twain's life. The gift shop has a lot of great books to buy.

This lovely Victorian mansion was the home of famous American author Mark Twain, and has been decorated to be authentic to the time period. The house is very attractive inside, full of intricate woodwork and pretty designs.

However, the most memorable part of this tour is the story of the family--the parents, the children, the staff--all of their sentimental experiences have been remembered, and are shared fondly with visitors. We leave knowing much more about the life of this famous writer than we ever thought possible. And as Mark Twain himself explained, "...Our house...had a heart, and a soul, and eyes...; it was of us..."

Great visit. Plenty of parking next to and surrounding the Museum. Nice snack bar. The house itself is well preserved. Our tour guide Al was very knowledgeable and made the tour a home run. Explained all facets of the home in great detail. No photos allowed inside the home. Museum gift shop had a lot great souvenirs. Must see if you're in Hartford.

We took the living historian guided tour. Our guide was in character portraying the butler. We got anecdotes about the familie’s day to day and the lives of the familie’s domestic workers. Was an excellent experience and more than worth the extra couple of dollars.
The house is gorgeous and beautifully arranged as it would have been when the family lived there.
I wouldn’t normally but I do recommend the gift shop after your tour. Many of the items are specific to the home; literary focused or motifs from the decor.
A must see while in the area. Total time was 2.5 hours. If the weather were warmer we would have sat in the gardens more.

If you know nothing about Mark Twain, don't worry... there's an exhibit to walk through that will give you a nice overview of America's premiere humorist who likely is the father of true American literature. If you've read his works, you'll have an even better time seeing some of the environs where he arguably had the best 17 years of his life and career.

The home and museum are impressive. The tour is well worth taking. Our guide (Beth) was knowledgeable, thorough, and accommodating. The details provided by the tour and from just gazing at the ceiling are amazing.

Be prepared for some stairs (the home has a second and third floor), low banisters, and low lighting (it is kept at levels thought to be consistent with the time period in which Twain resided there. Also, be prepared for the rules: Don't touch anything, the group has to stay together in the same room, and no photographs. A word to the wise: silence your phone for about a 1/2 hour and leave it in your pocket. You don't need it, you can't use it, and there's a great deal to take in with your eyes and ears. Rest assured, there are books and postcards if you need photographic evidence of the interior.

The museum has a second exhibit, which changes periodically but is of equal interest. There is also a 20-minute movie on Twain's life. It's probably the one thing you could skip if pressed for time. It's good, but you get what you need from the tour and the exhibits.

Check the website for interesting cultural events, such as book debuts/talks, lawn parties, and late-night tours. They even put on plays as Twain's children did long ago.

It is worth a visit when in Hartford or the surrounding areas!

What a rip off! Only allowed to visit with a tour. Not only tours cost either $27 or $30 per person but also had to wait for over an hour!
You can see same online for free!

Guided tours are really good (need booking ahead) and give a great insight into Samuel Clemens and his family life especially when they lived at this home. Saved from demolition 100 years ago and what a treasure. Look out for the WINDOWS (not mirrors) above some of the fire places and find out why (& how the smoke exited!). We would have loved to have had longer on the tour but the next group was hot on our heels. Good introductory video into his life and a good display of exhibits linking into his life. 2-3 hours needed for visit.

Great house and great your. We've been on similar yours in Victorian homes and felt very restricted on where you can go or what you can see. At this house they walk you through all three stores of the house. The tour guides are very knownable and can answer your questions.

The house can be visited only on a group tour with no photography allowed (the minimal lighting would make this somewhat difficult in any event). The guide was knowledgeable and kept the group moving together at a sensible pace. You get to see and feel how Mark Twain and his family lived for a significant period of his life, when he was prosperous and successful. The house has been carefully restored and there is a museum that adds further information.

I had toured Mark Twain's years ago on a regular tour and really enjoyed it. This time we paid a little extra to take the living history tour. We went with the Reverend who was Mark Twain's best friend. Other tours are offered by members of Mark Twain's staff or family. The docent stays in character the entire time--we were offered the tour because Mark Twain had just moved overseas due to the death of his daughter and the home furnishings were for sale. This is not to be missed. The combination of the beautiful home and furnishings with the living history was wonderful. There are several museum areas as well, and a small café.

This visit to the house was for a special event; the Sea Tea Improv Players were entertaining us as Twain characters in a very unique game of “Clue”, utilizing the house for each room in the game. Participants were led by our guide who established the details of the crime, in this case the murder of Pap Finn, Huckleberry Finn’s father, and led us “the detectives” around the home to obtain clues to figure out who, with what and where. Along the way, we were treated to factual detail about the house and a great deal of the history of the Twain family. As this was a nighttime activity, it also served as a great opportunity to view the home when it was dark outside giving a whole new perspective. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this creative approach to familiarizing ourselves with Mark Twain, the entire family and of course the architectural masterpiece that was the family home. The improv troupe did a spectacular job at re-creating the Twain characters— bravo!

This historic landmark continues to present wonderful activities above and beyond just a house tour to thrill the whole community. One of my very favorite places.....

We learned so much about Mark Twain and his family and lifestyle. The guide was knowledgeable. I had visited his childhood home in Hannibal, MO., but didn’t realize his adult life was among famous authors of the day in Hartford and beyond. Highly recommend!

In need of a family outing we chose The Mark Twain House and dinner in Hartford - both exceeded expectation. The guide at the museum was very knowledgeable and being within the restored interiors gives a rare perspective on the life and times of "the greatest humorist this country has produced."

This was a last minute stop on our trip north to New Hampshire and it ended up being a highlight of our trip north from Florida. The architecture itself is amazing and the woodwork detail is mind boggling.We learned more about Mark Twain including things that we never knew and were surprised to learn how many books he wrote here. A great museum that should be on everyone to do list.

Went on Living History tour and it was excellent. We had the minister. Great tour. The house is amazing.

I adore the Mark Twain House, the museum set up and even the museum store. Today I was fortunate enough to catch one of their “Living History” Tours of the home, this time given “by” the Reverend Twitchell, Mark twain’s best friend— our guide remained in character for the majority of our hour and a half tour, presenting Mark Twain‘s house and his life from the perspective of his best friend, set in the year 1903. There are several variations of this tour given by different “characters“ in Twain’s life— If any of them are half as entertaining and or informative as this one today, I will definitely be back to hear the others. As all of the tours of the Mark Twain House are guided, this particular genre of tour adds a little something new and interesting beyond the usual version for a couple of bucks extra— well worth it.
This state treasure only keeps reinventing ways to make the avid Twain fan love the place even more!

Nice way to see the house. There are different characters with different in-sites to the house and history. Our tour was by Lizzy the housekeeper. It was educational and entertaining too. It gave us a view of the entire family and their quirks. There is no photography allowed inside the house

This was my favorite place to visit in Hartford. I had an out of state guest and took her to the Mark Twain House. Watched the film of Twain's life before the tour and this added a lot to what we saw. Be aware that there are three stories of very steep stairs and it is not handicap accessible in the home itself. The museum has elevators, but the star of the visit is the home itself.

The house is very well kept and displayed, which with a very informative guide made it a worthwhile visit and made MT come alive.

The house tour was very interesting. The house itself is very unique and has a lot of intricate details.
We arrived early so we could looked through the exhibits at the visitor center and the gift shop. Highly recommend a visit.

Craig Hockenberry

This was an amazing tour and the guide knew ever detail about the House and the live of Mark Twain

My mother and I toured the Mark Twain House and explored the visitor center. It was decorated for Chistmas and Lindsey, our tour guide, was wonderful and very knowledgeable about the traditions of the Clemens family. She answered a variety of questions from our tour group of 8. There are a lot of stairs but my mother, with a cane, had no trouble keeping up with the group and there were folding chairs available in many of the rooms for her to sit in during the narration. This is a very interesting tour for anyone with an interest in literature, history or architecture.

They only offer guided tours and don't give you time to look around, pushing everyone to keep pace with the guide. The house is mildewed, pungent smell of mold coming at you upon entry. Immediately gave my husband and I an allergy headache so bad we had to leave before seeing 3 rooms. No photography at all. We got more from the free museum area that showed his life and books than the house. I hope they use the funds we spent to clean the place since I couldn't get a refund.

As an aspiring author and current homeowner, this really made me aware of how much more I have to go. Twain is a truly legendary figure and his house is fit for such an icon. I don't think you have to be an English person to be into it, but you definitely will enjoy it if you are.

We did the “Living History” tour with Butler George Griffin at our visit today. The tour was phenomenally acted, engaging, and informative. Enjoyable for a vast range of ages. The grounds were spectacular and immaculately kept. Lots to see and learn! Definitely recommend and will return in the future!

Recently we took two of our granddaughters to visit the Mark Twain House. They were visiting from out of state. My husband and I have been here numerous times in the past, but not since Covid. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and did a very good job pointing out various areas or issues that might interest the girls. They really enjoyed that! It was a small group which always makes the tour more manageable. I must say that every time I have taken the tour, I learn something new! After the tour we watched the Ken Burns video. As usual with any of his work, it was excellent and gave even more information about Mark Twain!
P.S. I can’t remember the name of our tour guide, but he was young and wore glasses.

Awesome tour guide Martha. The house had a lot of modern amenities such as hot water and heating. Martha was very informative even with questions that are not typically asked on a tour. It was nice that it was just my husband and my sister with her husband. It was very personalized. I would highly recommend the tour.

We visited the Mark Twain House in August. I am a fan of visiting historical sites and this did not disappoint. The house itself is beautiful and it was really cool to see all the original architecture and to learn the history behind the house. The location does a good job mitigating the risk of COVID 19. The staff is very professional and friendly. Overall a very good experience.

I learned a lot I did not previously know about this quintessential American author. Many features of the house and the museum deepen one's understanding of the author's spirit.

This house is beautiful. My friend and I had an early morning tour, only one other person joined so it was just four of us including the guide. I like smaller tours. The guide was very knowledgeable about Mark Twain and the house. I liked how we got to hear about the function/purpose of each room in the house and the restoration of the rooms as well. We really enjoyed this tour. I highly recommend if you're in Hartford to stop and visit. Be sure to get tickets beforehand.

It was a cloudy day in January and I was starting to go stir-crazy so I decided to check out the Mark Twain House. I arrived just in time for the noon tour which happened to be a "Living History Tour" with a gentleman playing the role of Twain's butler; George Griffin. The tour was excellent as our guide dressed the part and brought us back into Twain's time. The house is beautiful and large and church-like. I really enjoyed the tour and the guide was outstanding. It was worth the 1.5 hour ride I drove to get there. The museum had some interesting items as well.

I wish I could rate this higher than 5. The staff are extremely friendly and you can tell they love their jobs. The house is well preserved and easy to walk around. The film before the tour is very informative and adds to the tour. The store has a great variety of gifts. My only negative is I wish you could take pictures of the inside of the house as I love the decorations/furniture/structure but I understand that you cant do to copyright complications. On the plus side there are postcards in the gift shop that depict the inside of the home. There is plenty of parking on site and it is free. Masks are required in the home so it is nice to know that they take safety so seriously. Be on time as the tour leaves on time and it is extremely distracting if you show up late.

If you like Mark Twain go. Very interesting tour and our guide was very knowledgeable. Great gift shop. Short film. Snack shop upstairs. Not all furnishings were Mark Twain’s but they’ve done a good job of trying to obtain them.

We took the one of the "Living history" tours with Twain's coachman and it was just wonderful. He was interesting, full of local knowledge, and made us think we were back in the 1880's. We were a bit concerned about their warning concerning crowds on Saturday so we booked in advance. This was a good idea.... wound up with a private tour.

Yes, yes, yes. When in Hartford, you must go to the Mark Twain House. I was surprised by the history of both Mark Twain, his family, and their connection with this house. The house is in a lovely area, and has gone through many different lives,

Interesting walk through he home and museum. It was a little strange the family only lived in the home for four years, and it was turned into a museum but nice home to tour.
They were providing limited tours due to COVID, and encouraged booking online.

Was able to get a little information out of the tour ($25pp) and probably would not do again. The leader was pretty monotone voice and those kind put me to sleep.

Definitely worth a stop- the Living History tour with Josh was fantastic. He was terrific in character and really gave an interesting peek into the life and times of the Clemens family. The foundation did an unbelievable job of the restoration. Truly one of a kind home.

The house is immaculate and beautifully preserved/restored. We had recently seen the Ken Burns documentary on Mark Twain, and the house looks exactly like it did in the footage from the film. The tour itself was very interesting, and just the right amount of information.

My buddy and i on our east coast were trying to find something to do in Connecticut and come across the Mark twain house and museum. Really enjoyable. The house was amazing. The story of Mark Twain was very inteteresting. The tour guide was very zealous and enthusiastic. GIft shop there and food available.

I enjoyed the guided tour of the home very much. Our guide was excellent, the group was just right-sized for COVID times, and you learned a lot about Samuel Clemens. The house is really quite opulent, too, and some of the design elements are extraordinarily beautiful.

Joseph Twitchell is a remarkable actor who did a fantastic job in our Living Tours. Book in advance as this living tour experience with an actor as your guide is a one of a kind, takes you back to 1903. The story telling is captivating and adds to the overall experience. The house itself is beautifully preserved and magnificently designed. The wallpapers alone and furniture are a feast to the eye. Had a great time. The Nook Cafe has lovely staff and good Zuchini Bread.

The tour of Mark Twain's house was absolutely fantastic! Our guide provided us with so much context about his family, including when he decided to marry, information about his children, the staff at the house, as well as why the family had to leave the home for a number of years. The home is beautiful (please note, we were not allowed to take photos on the inside). I do recommend that you purchase a tour time before your visit. We bought our tickets several months in advance, and while waiting to go on the tour, we watched a number of people walk in to buy tickets to no avail.

What fun it was to visit the Mark Twain House & Museum . Our guide “George” was our guide who gave us the tour, stayed in character as Mark Twain’s butler. The house is magnificent and the tour was very informative The only drawback is that the tour is not set up for people with physical disabilities.

If you have the opportunity to take the Living History tour with Lizzie, don't miss it! Her authentic and believable take on the Clemens' Irish maid is spot-on. The beautiful home decorated by Louis Comfort Tiffany's New York designers is stunning. But it is brought to life by her charming and witty narrative. I wondered how my two nine-year-old nieces would do, but they were intrigued with the house and Lizzie, and asked thoughtful questions. Later at home they repeated a lot of her stories. Highly recommend.

Do you love literature or historic buildings? There's something here for people who like history, literature, historic figures, architecure or like to be surprised.

Every detail of this house tells a story--a story worth hearing. From the works of Tiffany to why Twain picked this location.

It's a MUST see if you are in the area.

Amazing! Our guide Josh was great. He knew so much information about the house and history. You walk away knowing and appreciate what mark Twain did for writing and American literature.

Stopped by here during a short trip to parts of New England. Here’s what I liked and didn’t like along with some tips.

Getting there and parking: Let’s just say this isn’t a place I’d ever want to walk at night. Google maps takes you to the side of the house without parking. Make sure you drive to the side with the large parking lot and entrance.

The main building: there’s a short film and a small exhibit. Both ok.

Tours: you have two choices either a general tour or a living history tour meaning someone pretends to be from the time of Mark Twain and takes you through the house. We got there on a Sunday morning around 1030 and already several of the general tours were sold out and so we were stuck with the living tour bc we didn’t want to wait hours.

The general tours are 45-60 minutes. Little did we know that the living tour is 75 minutes. If you’re a big Twain fan this is probably the best news you’ve ever heard. For me, yes I’m a fan but not an avid one and I had limited time on this day so this was quite torturous. Perhaps the museum is trying to give avid fans an opportunity to soak up as much Twain info as possible but
I know some folks like myself don’t have attention spans nor the stamina to stand and listen to someone talk on and on for 75 minutes (in fact our tour went on for nearly 90!).

I wouldn’t have minded paying the same amount for a shorter tour. Also it was clear during the tour that some of the seniors were annoyed the tour was going on for so long. There are NO places to sit anywhere inside the house.

The house: can’t take photos and it’s extremely dark so unfortunately its hard to appreciate the beauty of the architecture and objects. I understand the need to preserve but with the house being so dimly . . . you get the picture. The house tour starts on the first floor and then takes you upstairs and then into the basement.

Cafe: small cafe with sandwiches. Prices aren’t bad and sandwiches are decent.

If I could do it again, I’d have gotten here early for a general tour or skipped the inside and just taken photos of the house from outside!

Beautiful house and very knowledgeable guide, but the rooms' lightning is kept historically accurate which means most are very (very!) dark. The 2nd floor and 3rd floor stairwell railings were built ridiculously low, and are a very real trip hazard, with nothing in the space between the curving stairs to break anyone's fall. If you bring young children hold their hands on the second and third floor at all times

This stop, one of many on a trip from Tennessee to Maine, was, surprisingly for us, a trip highlight. We spent the extra money to take the tour with “Olivia Clemens,” Samuel’s wife, which helped make the tour an event that we’ve talked about ever since.

Not sure this is a stop that would be meaningful to young children, or teens who are not Twain fans.

The museum is very comprehensive and interesting! We started with the short movie about Mark Twain (very well done). We had a wonderful and knowledgeable tour guide of the house and were part of a nice small tour group. The house is beautiful and great care has been taken to present it as closely as possible to how it had been when the Clemens family lived there. As much as possible, original pieces are in the house, and the decor has been restored to very close to original. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. We were there about 2.5 hours, but we could have spent longer in the museum, if not for having other plans.

We arrived around 11:00 am and there was a tour starting very soon, but we decided to wait for the living history tour. We visited the gift shop, watched the short documentary, and looked at the gallery during the wait. We were given a card with our role in the scene that also had facts about the year 1903, when our scene was set. Our guide was in the role of the Reverend Twichell, Mark Twain's close friend. I loved the take on the role, and although saddened by the fact that many things Twain was speaking out against are still issues today, was quite happy these were addressed during the tour. The tour didn't shirk away from unsavory parts of our past. This tour was outstanding. I greatly wished I was allowed to photograph the wallpapers, but aside from that I have no regrets. Pay the small increase for the living tour. If I lived closer I would like to come back just to hear the stories the other roles share.

A lovely old home; very well furnished and cozy! Our guide shared many casual insights into Mark Twain's family life accompanied by family photographs.
It is situated conveniently and there is plenty of free parking.
The museum, a separate and modern building, is designed attractively and has a nice gift shop and snack bar area. It is also the entrance to get to the Mark Twain House. However, it is challenging, if you have any difficulty in climbing stairs. The house has 3 floors with long steep staircases and no elevators. They do, however, have a couple of folding chairs in each room that you are welcome to sit in while the guide speaks. The tour takes about an hour, but you must leave the house when it is over. You are not allowed to wander around on your own inside the Mark Twain House.

Our tour guide, Julia, a college student, gave an amazing tour - clear narrative,
balancing the glories and the tragedies and graciously addressing all our questions. The house is wonderful and her guiding made it even more special.

We enjoyed our tour of the first, second and third floors of Samuel Clemens’ (Mark Twain) home in Hartford. It is a very large house, about 11,500 square feet, with a unique Victorian style architecture. The grounds are beautiful. The interior has been nicely restored to reflect what it was like when Sam Clemens and his family lived in it. It is furnished with some of the Clemens’ family furniture, and other period pieces. Sam Clemens had the house built in 1873, and did a renovation of it 1881 involving work by the Tiffany craft guild. He and his family lived here from 1874 to 1891. In this house he wrote some of the most well-known Mark Twain books, including the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The house and grounds are very well maintained.

Our guided tour was a little late getting started, as it appeared that the scheduled tour guide ended up being not available, and another member of the staff scrambled to be our tour guide. Our tour however was fine. Seeing the interior of the house and hearing some of the stories about Mark Twain was fascinating. Photography is not allowed in the house. We had lunch in the small café in the museum. After the house tour we enjoyed visiting the nice gift shop in the museum.

We went to several museum tours on our vacation and this one was my favorite. The most interesting thing was seeing the desk where he wrote his greatest works. I really appreciated our tour guide. You can tell he is very passionate about this author, which made the tour more interesting.

martha was great tour gude ! we enjoyed hger tour veyr much. very informative and fun tour. would take again with ,marha

Honestly, I couldn't tell you the first thing about Sam Clemens/Mark Twain before visiting this house and museum, but I sure learned a lot there. The museum had plenty of interesting pieces and history of his life, and the tour of the house was fascinating. We went in mid-week in October and there were a lot of visitors there nonetheless, so I'd highly recommend getting tickets in advance. Parking is easy as they have a fairly large lot.

We took the guided tour. The house itself was beautiful and interesting. However, our guide was not good at all. Perhaps he was new, but I don't know that. As we went from room to room he would lead us into the room and then start talking as soon as he got in there so that those who came into the room last missed the beginning of what he said. He seemed to have memorized the script, but if he forgot the next word or line he either just mumbled or stopped in mid sentence to get to the next part that he remembered. He struggled to answer the few questions that he was given, and left out information that would have been worth knowing. During the tour I thought to myself, "This is the worst tour I have ever been on." As we left the house to head back to the Visitor's Center, my wife looked at me and said, "I think that is the worst tour I have ever been on." So we are in agreement about that. The movie about Mark Twain was good, but we have Ken Burns to thank for that. I believe that if our guide had been better prepared the tour would have been worth the money. He is apparently not the only guide there, so I guess it all depends on who happens to be guiding your particular tour.

This house is of course amazing and beautiful! But, it would not have been the same without our tour guide Noah. He was fantastic! Learned so much. Bonus, Harriette Beecher Stowe house is right next door.

Wife and I spent a night in the Hartford vicinity and the highlight was defninitely Mark Twain House. I spent a bit extra and bought the "Character" tour and it was well worth it! The website said to book in advance which we did. When we arrived they were expecting us and introduced us to Mark Twain's daughter, Susy Clemens (played by Grace). She took us on a tour of her house, never breaking character. The experience really brings the history to life. Grace has done a lot of research into what life would have looked like through the eyes of a young girl growing up in that house.

What an experience! Even the gift shop impressed us with how on genre it was.

I can't recommend this place enough.

We took a detour on our journey to see the Mark Twain House. When we arrived, we were let down to hear that the timeslots were full and the next available time was outside of our window to visit. While we did not tour the inside, we were able to walk the grounds and shop. One day, we will plan to go back to see the inside and be sure to book in advance.

Most of us have read Mark Twain's famous books. I wanted to find out more about him and the house he actually wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and that of Huckleberry Finn.
We were blessed to have Justin as our guide. He was very knowledgeable about the house as well as history in general. He recommended us to come back and take one of the specialty tours, either the costumed character led tours offered on weekends or ghost tours. Our tour as well as other tour groups were kept small so that social distancing could be observed. While some part of the house was narrow or cozy, we did not have any issue keeping distance while learning many details of the house and Sam Clemens' life. The house and museum are clean.
The film about Mark Twain and exhibitions at the museum were also informative.
We will be back for the specialty tour in the near future!

Whether you have a few minutes or an hour. This piece of history is a great stop whenever you are in Hartford! Beautiful to stroll around through the gardens and admire the incredible detail on the houses:)

I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome the tour of this historic home was! The house is unique and interesting, and the guide we had (Rachel) was incredibly knowledgeable.

Okay, I'm a big Mark Twain fan, and I own the PBS Ken Burns DVD on Mark Twain's (Samuel Clemmons) life...which is excellent to watch before seeing the Mark Twain house because it gives you so much info and makes your tour that much better. Whew! That said, even without watching the DVD ahead of time, the tour is well worth the money. So cool to stand in the home owned by Clemmons and to hear the stories about his family life. Loved it!

I was bringing friends to the airport and we had a couple hours to kill so visited the Mark Twain house and all four of us had a great time. The living history tour was much better than I feared and I highly recommend it. We all learned a lot and had fun doing it. The gift shop is excellent, and the house itself is stunning. Like visiting American royalty.

Our tour, ably conducted by Beth, was well-paced, interesting, chock-full of fascinating details about the Clemenses, their lives, tribulations and travels. Beth has an encyclopedic knowledge of the family and the house, and answered in detail every question from our group. The house is meticulously maintained and gorgeously decorated but is, at the same time, a comfortable family home.
Since we live in Elmira, NY, we suggested to Beth that she visit there to understand the other place where Samuel Clemens lived and wrote. I forgot to suggest to her she take a Trolley Tour sponsored by the Elmira History Museum during the summer, which focuses heavily on Twain, as well as Elmira’s role in the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, the notorious POW camp and on John Jones, the emancipated slave who became the army’s sexton and gave dignified burials to Union and Confederate soldiers alike. John Jones is buried in the same beautiful cemetery where Mark Twain and his family rest. The John Jones House is open for tours in Elmira.
All docents at the Mark Twain House in Hartford would benefit from seeing the Elmira side of Twain’s life!
This was the best house/history tour we’ve ever taken, thanks to Beth’s knowledge, humor and energy.

We had a late afternoon flight out of Hartford after spending the long weekend on the coast. We decided to spend the morning in Hartford at the Mark Twain house and museum. We took the general tour of the interior of the home and it was great! The tour guide was excellent in his knowledge of the home and Mark Twain. We thought we knew a lot about America’s famous author, but after the tour we realized we did not know much at all. It made me want to read his books that I had not realized he wrote. Definitely worth a visit to learn more about this progressive author. There is also a very nice gift shop where I purchased a deck of playing cards for bridge. Each card has a quote from Mark Twain which we all enjoyed while playing cards.

Make sure you get tickets ahead of time! I went to the Mark Twain House and Museum over the 4th of July weekend 2021. While I had purchased a ticket prior to visiting the house, a number of people who just showed up to purchase tickets were turned away as the tours were booked for that day.

The house itself is very interesting and the tour guide had great stories about the Clemens family to share with us. A great visit!

What a great way to spend a few hours! Highly recommend the Living Tour and making an online reservation in advance. Tour group kept small and we had a fabulous tour guide who played the character of Mark Twain's local pastor and best friend. He really made the life of Mark Twain and his family come to life through his story telling and pointing out of significant artifacts in the home. Well worth the few extra dollars above the general tour.

Great gift shop! The tour was informative, and you really got a good inside look at the whole house, including the third floor billiard room where Mark Teain wrote many of his most famous works.

There is a fee to see inside the house. It was about $30 for adults and less for kids. You'll need to book online a few days in advance to secure your spot. The tour is limited to 14 people.
The tour took about an hour and you saw all 3 floors and the servant area of the house. No photos allowed inside the house.

The Mark Twain House & Museum is a definite must see and visit attraction of Hartford, Connecticut!!!

The historic home of Mark Twain, one of America’s most respected and renowned storyteller is only accessible through guided tours.

In October of 2020, my wife and I had the pleasure of visiting the Mark Twain House & Museum and we absolutely enjoyed our tour experience!!!

We learned a great deal about the history of Mark Twain‘s House, Twain & his family, and the staff that helped manage and care for the home.

We also viewed a few furnishings owned by the Twain family and visited the room that Twain used to write his famous Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn stories.

My wife and I definitely owe a great deal of thanks and appreciation to George, our tour guide.

George made sure that our tour of the Mark Twain House & Museum was an absolute fun and worthwhile experience!!!

This house was Sam Clemons home for 17 years. The house is lovely. Museum exhibits are well done, but not too big. We paid a little extra for a tour of the house led by a reenactor. Our guide was Mark, who was playing the part of Patrick McAleer, Clemons’ coachman. The tour was delightful, with a lot of stories about Clemons’ daughters and everyday life.

Enjoyed both the house and the exhibits including the film about Twain. A unique American. The guide treated us like 5 year olds, but certainly was knowledgeable.

Last night for my birthday we went on the sold out Graveyard Shift Tour. The Mark Twain House took on a mysterious look after dark. The tour group was small due to the covid restrictions, which gave you more elbow room. The tour guide was friendly and informative. It was a fun thing to do for the Halloween season. I wish the Graveyard Shift tours were given year round as the Spirit world isn't just once a year...

We stopped on our way through Hartford. We enjoyed the tour & museum. The restoration & maintenance is beautiful. The staff & guides are helpful & knowledgeable.

Nice tour , I would have liked to have been able to take some photos of the inside. I think it's over the top. I Mean it's hardly going to damage the woodwork.

Perusing the map for Hartford, we noticed the Mark Twain House and decided to visit this museum. We booked a reservation for a tour of the home and spent some time in the museum before and after the house tour. Our guide told us about the history of the house and of Samuel Clemens life and family. The house is very interesting and the museum provided some additional information about his life and travels. It is well worth a stop if you enjoy the writing of Mark Twain.

For those interested in historic architecture and literature, the Mark Twain House has it all! You enter with a small group tour, led by a docent who points out the features of the architecture and the history that goes with it; tour is just under 1 hour. Photography is not allowed inside to preserve the furnishings, but there is plenty to see outside too. Don't miss the 23 min Ken Burns film at the visitors center, which puts it all in perspective. Large gift shop and pricey pick-up lunch. Tip: get your tickets on the website to ensure your place in a group. Tours with a costumed character/re-enactor are also available.

We took the tour that has the guide in “character “ from the era. Our guide was the minister friend of Mark Twain. The tour lasts 75 minutes or more, very well done. We are glad that we upgraded the this tour, Amazing tour/ highly recommend.

As an English major, and one who has taught many of Twain’s works, this was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. The house is only available with a guided tour. My suggestion is to book the tour online, get there at least half an hour before the tour and watch the Ken Burns movie before the tour. Her tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly, moved at a good pace and provided good insight into the writer’s life. The house itself is quite spectacular.

We had a very nice experience visiting the Mark Twain House and Museum on 7 June. The museum has very high quality, interesting exhibits covering the life of Samuel Clemens. Julie was our knowledgeable guide. The house is an amazing piece of high-end Americana full of items the Clemens family had possessed. We had a quick lunch in the café. We highly recommend this tour and informative, fascinating visit if you come anywhere near Hartford, CT. It won’t disappoint.

I had a great afternoon. I have always loved Mark Twain and I learned so much. You need to sign up on line and secure a tour time. Get there iat least 45 minutes early, so you can see movie and look thru the museum. Tour of the house is so informative.

I have lived in the Hartford area for 45 years, but just last week took a tour of the Mark Twain House. Our tour was led by Suzy Clemens, Samuel Clemens' daughter (not really, but the young lady portrayed Suzy). Suzy was excellent and very knowledgeable about her father, his friends and all of his activities. If in or near Hartford, take the tour.

They have a standard tour, or a tour with a guide in character of Twain's daughter.
We had the standard tour - it was 75 min. We had a male docent who really loved his job. Not all his jokes were good, but he tried. I think the quality of the tour really depends on the mood of the docent. (The docent on the tour behind our seemed to be prissy and her tour didn't seem happy.)

There is a 23 min movie to watch before the tour. And, a small museum (15-30 min).

On my business travels, I try to find one or two things to do in that city, that can be done nowhere else in the world. In Hartford, the guided 1 hr tour of the Mark Twain is at the top of the list. Equivalent to the oil barons of the day, the home is above amazing. If you’re single, this is a great place to take a date.

Great tour of the house and ALL the staff, in the house, shop or reception are exceptionally helpful and knowledgable. The anecdotes about Twain during the tour are fitting and amusing and the house is very well presented

Very nice house and a very knowledgeable and friendly tour guide. It is well worth a visit. Too bad pictures are not permitted of the inside of the house.

It was a great tour to walk back into history with. The things inside the house and the tour guide was very informative.

Am amazing house. Great guide to give you some of the background and the stories. It’s pretty neat that every room has at least one original piece. Even with success and money, Samuel Clemens had to sell his mansion in his lifetime. You get a feel for the Victorian era.

We chose not to do the house tour- have been to other Victorian houses of notable figures- all the same to a certain extent.
There is a 30 minute movie on the man- by Ken Burns.
A 1 room exhibit of some artifacts belonging to Twain sums up
the rest of the exhibits.
I would say the visit would be good for Twain fanatics- for others- a toss up as to visit.