The Mark Twain House & Museum to Celebrate Holiday Season with Gilded Age Decor and Special Events

The Mark Twain House & Museum's Clemens family's historic Hartford home will be decorated for the holidays beginning Friday, November 22 through December 31. The Gilded Age mansion that Mark Twain called home for seventeen years will be festooned with period decor from its opulent first floor up to the Santa suit in the author's billiard room. General house tours and Living History tours (led by a costumed actor portraying Clemens family, servants and friends) will feature holiday specific-content.

Christmastime was a particular busy and beloved time of the year for the Clemens family. Garlands of greenery, gift-stuffed stockings, paper ornaments and wrapped presents made the home's decadent Tiffany interiors even more enchanting. The dining room and kitchen would be teeming with the scents of the season, while packages of charity items were on the ready to distribute to the less fortunate. Despite his complaints about the hectic holiday pace, Twain himself enjoyed certain family traditions including putting on a Santa suit to surprise his three daughters.

The Mark Twain House & Museum will be open seven days a week from 9:30am to 4:30pm with the final tour of the day stepping off at 3:30pm. Advance tour reservations for these dates are highly recommended and can be made by visiting MarkTwainHouse.org/visit/. The museum will be closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

Special Events for the Holidays

Sunday, December 1, 2024 - 10am to 4pm

MUSEUM STORE SUNDAY

After Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, Museum Store Sunday is a nationwide time for holiday shoppers to pick up unique treasures while supporting their favorite museums. The Mark Twain Museum Store will be open on Sunday, December 1 from 10am to 4pm. The MTH&M's Museum Store Sunday theme for 2024 is "I'm With the Banned," in conjunction with the virtual book discussion happening that day with That Librarian author Amanda Jones (see below).

Museum Story Sunday highlights include:

Complimentary mimosas, prosecco, sparkling cider and baked goods at entrance to store.
Wheel of Giveaway! Sign up for our email newsletter to spin the wheel to win prizes or discounts.
Free Mark Twain poster with purchase.
In addition to banned book merchandise, the museum will be selling a “Blind Date with a Banned Book” Surprise softcover copy of a banned book, wrapped in brown paper.
Starting on Museum Store Sunday, MTH&M Members enjoy a 30% discount on all store purchases. Member discount lasts until December 8th! To become a museum member, visit marktwainhouse.org/membership/.

Sunday, December 1 2024 at 4pm

THAT LIBRARIAN: The Fight Against Book Banning in America with Author Amanda Jones in conversation with Hartford Public Library CEO Bridget Quinn

Virtual Conversation Livestreamed in The Mark Twain Museum Auditorium

Part memoir, part manifesto, the inspiring story of a Louisiana librarian advocating for inclusivity on the front lines of our vicious culture wars. Mapping the book banning crisis occurring all across the nation, That Librarian draws the battle lines in the war against equity and inclusion, calling book lovers everywhere to rise in defense of our readers. Tickets: $10/$5. 

December 6 & 7 beginning at 7pm

GET A CLUE Interactive Murder-Mystery Tours with Sea Tea Improv

These tours, inspired by the beloved board game, use the various rooms (secret passageway, conservatory, billiards room, and more) of the Twain House -- and some of the author's favorite literary characters -- as part of the game. Who killed that varmint Pap Finn? Was it Tom Sawyer in the Library with the Wrench? Come find out; it's different every time! Tickets: $31/$23 for children 6-16. Reservations are required. 

December 13 & 14 beginning at 6pm

GRAVEYARD SHIFT: Holiday Spirits Ghost Tours

Join one of our ghosts from Christmas past to explore the stories of the Clemens family's Christmas with butler George Griffin. He will take you through the beautifully decorated first floor of the home. Then you'll move upstairs to explore the more ghostly side of Christmas, including recent supernatural encounters in the home as well as the family's interests in spiritualism and the unexplained. The spirit of the family lingers in the home they loved to this very day. Tickets are $35 and reservations are required. 

Saturday, December 19 at 12pm

VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Book Talk with Lucinda Dickens Hawksley (Virtual Event)

Lucinda Dickens Hawksley, a descendant of Charles Dickens, reveals the fascinating tale of Christmas traditions during Queen Victoria's reign. In 1843, while Dickens was inventing the Christmas ghost story, a London civil servant commissioned the first Christmas card and Windsor Castle displayed artificial Christmas trees and served turkeys for Christmas dinner. During the next five years, the first recipe for Christmas pudding appeared, Christmas crackers debuted, and a London newspaper showcased Christmas trees to the world. Hawksley explores these customs and more so you can experience the season authentically to period. Meticulously researched, this festive collection will make your yuletide merry. Tickets: $10/$5. 

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