Touring the Mark Twain House

The Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, offers an intimate look into the life of one of America’s greatest writers. This Gothic Revival house was owned by Samuel Clemens—better known as Mark Twain. The author and his family lived in the home from 1874 to 1891. Twain would say that these were the most productive years of his career, marked by the creation of many of his timeless classics, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

We visited on an early fall weekend on a road trip through New England. Both my wife and I are big fans of Twain, and visited several other places connected to the author, including his birthplace in Missouri, his California cabin, and his grave in Elmira, New York. 

Touring the Mark Twain House

After getting our tickets, we walked around a few exhibits that had items owned by Twain on display. We walked outside toward the house when our tour started. The home really was a masterpiece. It’s massive, spanning 11,500 square feet, and features 25 rooms distributed across three floors. 

Twain biographer Justin Kaplan wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain has called the home “part steamboat, part medieval fortress and part cuckoo clock.” The sounds just about right to us. Regretfully, but I understand why, there are no photos or videos permitted inside the home. 

Going inside the Mark Twain House is like stepping into the pages of history. The ornate home is filled with period furnishings, original artifacts, and fascinating exhibits that tell the story of Twain’s literary achievements, family life, and social activism.

Entrance Hall

The first room of the tour is the entrance hall.  Here, the guide gave a brief overview of the home’s history.  Next, we walked into the drawing room, which was used for entertaining. There is a piano in this room where the family often held concerts. Twain would frequently play and sing some of his favorite songs, like “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”.

Dining Room

We moved to the dining room next. From the head of the table, Twain would entertain guests with tales of his travels, news of the day, and family. These chats often lasted long after dinner. Our guide told us how Twain would get so involved in these chats that he and his wife, Olivia, whom he called Livy, had clever ways to let him know it was time to switch up the conversation.

Twain’s Library

The library was next. Above is an older picture of Twain’s library at the Library of Congress.  It looks basically the same today.  

The large oak mantel immediately catches your eye in the library. It was here, around the fireplace, that Twain would spin stories to his eager children. He would incorporate pieces sitting on the mantel, starting with the painting of the cat on the right and ending with the portrait of the woman on the left, which are still there, as shown above. 

Olivia Clemens selected a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson to be fashioned in brass above the fireplace: “The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.” 

Next to the library is the Conservatory, which has a fountain and is bursting with plant life. His daughters called this room “The Jungle. After that, we walked through the “Mahogany Room,” which was used as a guest suite.

The Clemons’ Bedroom

Then it was a grand staircase in the entrance hall to the Clemons’ bedroom. When you walk in, you can’t help but notice the large carved walnut bed. Twain wrote, “the most comfortable bedstead that ever was, … bring peace to the sleepers, and pleasant dreams.” He would pass away in this bed on April 21, 1910. 

The guide also pointed out a picture of Twain’s mother, Jane Lampton Clemens, on a vanity. She was very influential in her son’s life; it’s said that Twain got his sense of humor and storytelling gift from her. Her cheerful and fun-loving personality is reflected in the characterization of Aunt Polly in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.”

Billiard Room

After a few more bedrooms, we came to what is a highlight for many visitors, including us, the “Billiard Room.” This was Twain’s private area, part office, part study, and part party room. 

Twain’s biographer, Albert Bigelow Paine, noted: “Every Friday evening, or oftener, a small party of billiard lovers gathered, and played until the late hour, told stories, smoked till the room was blue, comforting themselves with hot Scotch and general good-fellowship. Mark Twain always had a genuine passion for billiards. He never tired of the game. He could play all night. He could stay until the last man gave out from sheer weariness, then he would go on knocking the balls about alone.”

Twain himself would say this, “The game of billiards has destroyed my naturally sweet disposition”. And this, “The billiard table is better than the doctor.”  As well as my favorite quote about billiards, “This is a most amusing game. When you play badly it amuses me, and when I play badly and lose my temper it certainly must amuse you.”

This is also where Twain did much of his writing. In a 1877 letter, he wrote,  “Where do I write? In the billiard room, the very most satisfactory study that ever was. Open fire, register, and plenty of light.” 

The billiard room was his preferred place to work because it was quiet. Twain often referred to himself as a naturally lazy man; however, he was dedicated and disciplined when it came to his writing.  He would frequently lock himself away at the desk in the corner of the billiards room shortly after breakfast and work straight through until dinner. He would often write as many as 4,000 words a day, usually working on several manuscripts at a time. From that corner desk, To Sawyer and Huck Finn came to life. 

After this, we headed back down and exited the home. Our hour-long tour was well worth it. We walked around the outside of the house, snapping a few photos before heading back into the visitor center.  I bought a refrigerator magnet with a Twain quote that made me laugh… “There ought to be a room in every house to swear in. It’s dangerous to have to repress an emotion like that. Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer. When you’re mad, count four; when you’re very mad, swear!”

Whether you’re a literature enthusiast, history buff, or simply looking for a unique experience in Connecticut, the Mark Twain House offers an unforgettable journey into the mind of a literary legend that we cannot recommend enough.