Company Profile
The Mark Twain House & Museum
Company Overview
From this house, Mark Twain changed the way the world sees America and the way Americans see themselves. We continue the conversation he began.
Mark Twain is an enduring symbol of America. He rose from poverty and suffered hardship and great loss, but he never lost his desire to understand and help his fellow human beings, call out wrongs, speak truth to power, give voice to those who had none, and present America to the rest of the world, warts and all.
• We preserve and present to visitors from around the world the house from which sprang most of Twain’s greatest works.
• We interpret the material legacy of Mark Twain and the Clemens family in exhibitions and through our curatorial collections.
• Through our public programs, we offer a forum for exploring and discussing issues related to politics and current events that constitute the contemporary mirror of Twain’s own passions.
• We use Twain’s philosophy, humor, and satire to engage our many audiences and to encourage critical thinking.
• We offer education programs for thousands of schoolchildren each year, furthering their knowledge of history and fostering a love of literature.
• We inspire other writers, hosting many authors each year for public programs. We are a writer’s home -- and a home for writers.
Mark Twain is a writer who forever deserves to be read and a person we should celebrate for as long as words matter.
Company History
The greatest asset of The Mark Twain House & Museum (MTMH) is the historic home of Samuel Clemens (“Mark Twain”). Twain and his family lived in the home from 1874 until 1891. During this period, Twain wrote some of his greatest works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In 1929, the organization was chartered to preserve the house as a memorial to Mark Twain. The institution began restoring the house to its original condition in the late 1950s and was opened to the public as a museum in 1974. In recognition of its national significance, The Mark Twain House has been designated a National Historic Landmark. It has also been named a National Literary Landmark by the American Library Association.
Over the years, the Museum has amassed a priceless collection of more than 25,000 artifacts of historic significance. These include: period furnishings, domestic artifacts, and decorative and fine arts items, many of which belonged to the Clemens family; manuscripts and personal papers; family letters; books from Twain’s library; photographs; and films.
In 2003, in order to better serve the community and its many visitors, MTMH opened its Museum Center. This 33,000 square foot building, designed by acclaimed architect Robert A.M. Stern, includes a lecture hall, classrooms, public spaces, a research library, collection storage areas, and exhibition galleries for both permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
The Museum is a significant contributor to the economies of Hartford and Connecticut. The visitors we attract to Hartford each year provide revenue for area businesses, which benefits the local economy and helps to preserve and create jobs. The vibrancy and visibility of the Museum and the number of people we attract, also help make our neighborhood a safer place, contribute to a more positive public perception for the City of Hartford, and make Greater Hartford a more attractive place to live, work, and visit.
Forbes: America’s Best House Museum - 2021
National Geographic’s 10 Best Historic Houses in the World (#7) - 2013
Time: “Downton Abbey’s American Cousin!”
National Historic Landmark - 1963
National Literary Landmark (American Library Association) - 2019
Benefits
The Mark Twain House & Museum offers a benefits package including health insurance, retirement plan, and paid time off.