On September 14, the Mark Twain House will be celebrating its 150th birthday, and we look forward to welcoming visitors from near and far to help us mark this momentous occasion.
From 10am – 5pm, we will be hosting a fun-filled day of activities to commemorate this historic home where Samuel and Olivia Clemens raised their family.
Whether the Mark Twain House is in your backyard, or you will be traveling from across the globe, we can’t wait to share this day of celebration with you! Join us for storytelling, crafts, musical performances, animals, special appearances, and so much more!
Come see the house! Station Tours of The Mark Twain House are available with a ticket. Tickets will be available in person on September 14.
Station Tour Ticket Prices on September 14 ONLY
Adults and Seniors: $15
Kids age 6 to 12: $10
Free admission for children under 6, Museums For All participants with a SNAP-EBT Benefits card, and Hartford residents with proof of residency.
Performances By:
- Mark Twain House Living History Performers – Live actors portraying friends, family, and staff of the Clemens Family.
- Acclaimed storyteller Dr. Rauff Mama telling stories from around the world.
- The Typing Poet – Amazing Ellen Arnstein creating a personalized poem for you on the spot.
- Story Faces – Both storyteller and artist, Chris D’Agastino engages audience members as he illustrates his story on their faces.
- Seat Of Our Pants playing both original and traditional songs of the period, featuring songs related to the Mississippi River, the characters in Twain’s books, and Twain himself.
- The Ryan Mitten Traveling Museum, a collection of musical instruments and artifacts designed for hands-on learning.
- BubbleMania is loaded with visual comedy, quick wit, big band swing music, and the unbelievable quality and beauty of bubbles.
- With Down Home Frolic’s fiddles and banjos in their hands, you’ll hear Irish reels and jigs, New England square dances, Cajun, Zydeco, and French Canadian Jeux Danse.
- Jeff Mainville Duo playing an eclectic mix of genres including pop, country, classic and southern rock, the classic hits of yesterday and the current hits of today.
- Anne Cubberly’s Giant Puppets – Straight out of the pages of Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Callavera County,” these giant frog puppets join our own Mark Twain to entertain you.
- Our Furry Friends allows you to get “up close and personal” with a wide variety of live exotic and domesticated animals. Maybe you’ll even spot Mr. Twain’s beloved cat, Bambino!
Walkabouts and Special Treats:
- Mark’s Walking Library – Hear passages from some of Twain’s best – from the book themselves!
- Tarot Readings by Lauren – A fascination with the supernatural was popular during Twain’s time – and he held many seances at his home. Look into the future yourself with a reading by Lauren Ciukska. (Fees $1 -20)
- “It Happened in Hartford” Exhibit sponsored by The Hartford.
- Face Painting
Participatory Activities:
- Cardboard City – Someone designed and built the Mark Twain House 150 years ago; now you can design one of the buildings in our own “Cardboard City.” Make your box a school, a home, a pet store, or whatever – and it will be placed on our street grid. Watch our city grow throughout the day.
- Hat Decorating Workshop – Decorate a paper bag and create a beautiful, personalized “celebration hat.”
- Pie-Eating Contest – We’ll see if your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Enter our old-fashioned pie eating contest to win.
- Anniversary Cards – We’re celebrating the 150th anniversary of the construction of The Mark Twain House. Make a special anniversary card, and we’ll put it on display in a digital frame in the “Images of the House” exhibit.
- Color a Mural – All joining together to color our little corners of the picture – together we’ll create six beautiful “community murals.”
Food & Beverage:
- The MTH&M’s Nook Cafe will be open selling an array of sandwiches, salads, beverages, and snacks.
- Gramma Lil’s Food Truck selling all-American favorites including hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, wraps, and a variety of lemonades and other soft drinks.
