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The Mark Twain House and Museum Newsletter - July 21, 2024

Arts and Entertainment

July 31, 2024

From: The Mark Twain House and Museum

Thursday, August 1 at 7pm ET - The Puerto Rican War: A Graphic History with John Vasquez Mejias and Pablo Delano (In-Person)

This book by John Vasquez Mejias showcases an important and often overlooked moment in American history. Told as a fable, in which the leaders of the Puerto Rican independence movement are visited by the ghosts of Michael Collins and Gandhi, The Puerto Rican War tells the story of the 1950 insurrection on the island that resulted in thirty-eight deaths and a failed assassination attempt against President Harry S. Truman-a historical touchstone for the movement.

In-Person Event!Choose your own price for non-members. Free for MTH&M and community members. LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.

Copies of The Puerto Rican War are available for purchase through the Mark Twain Store; proceeds benefit The Mark Twain House & Museum.

The Classic Game Played LIVE in the Twain House!

Saturday, July 27 at 7pm ET - GET A CLUE Murder-Mystery Tour of The Mark Twain House & Museum with Sea Tea Improv. (In-Person) New tour times added due to demand!

Who killed that varmint Pap Finn? Was it Tom Sawyer in the Library with the Wrench? The Prince (or was it the Pauper) in the Bedroom? We need YOU to solve this mystery!

Inspired by the classic murder-mystery board game, the GET A CLUE Tours use the various rooms of the Twain House (secret passageway, conservatory, billiards room, and more) - and some of the author’s favorite literary characters portrayed by hilarious costumed actors from Sea Tea Improv - as part of the game. This funny evening is perfect for kids ages 10 to 110.

Reservations a must! LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE.

Can't make the date? GET A CLUE Tours return on August 31.

Members of MTH&M should login to access their member discount. Get a Clue Tours are sponsored by Webster Bank.

It's Jean Clemens' birth month and we can't think of a more fitting way to honor her birthday than to host a Pet Food/Supplies Donation Drive. Jean was an animal lover and advocate her entire life, as well as a huge supporter of the Humane Society. Throughout the month of July, The Mark Twain House & Museum will be accepting donations of pet food and supplies that will be given to the Connecticut Humane Society. A copy of their wish list can be FOUND HEREPlease check the list before donating items to ensure they will be put to good use.

Stop by our lobby during normal business hours to drop off your donations. As a thank-you, you will receive a 10% discount coupon to be used in our museum store. We are happy to continue Jean’s legacy of caring for nature and animals!

Every Gift Gets Us Closer to Bringing Twain Artifacts Home

You can play a role in the conservation of two vital pieces of our collection. We've raised 70% of the cost to conserve and restore the following items:

- Six original woven cord and leather pockets of a Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company billiard table. The table was a gift to Mark Twain from Standard Oil magnate Henry Rogers and his wife. There are a number of photographs of Twain playing on the table.

- A tooled leather travel trunk with a canvas and leather cover that is stamped S.L. Clemens (for Samuel Langhorne Clemens) and that still bears many travel labels, including ones from Paris and New York.

We only need to raise $4,382 to ensure work is completed and get these historic Twain artifacts back home where they belong. We hope you will consider a generous gift. Thank you!

Make a Gift

A Special Tour for Kids

What was it like to learn, play, and grow up in the The Gilded Age?

In this special hour-long interactive tour, young visitors explore the everyday lives of the Clemens daughters—the books, games, and songs they loved, the subjects they studied, and the people they interacted with. Led by an experienced guide, this inquiry-based tour invites children to think about the ways that childhood and family life in the Gilded Age were similar and different to their own.

This tour is best suited to children ages 4-10. In order to best serve our youngest visitors and fully explore the experience of childhood in the Clemens home, this tour does not include the third floor of the house.

All children must be accompanied by an adult. GROWING UP IN THE GILDED AGE tours are offered daily at 10:45am throughout the summer. To make a reserveration, CLICK HERE.

Guests participating in the Museums for All program with SNAP EBT cards are eligible to participate in this tour (subject to space availability).

The Perfect Beach Bag for a Twainiac

Carry your summer memories wherever you go with the Mark Twain Flamingo Tote! This whimsical tote features Mark Twain reclining on a flamingo pool floatie – perfect for hauling your books to the beach or your picnic blanket to the park! 

SALE! $18 each, plus shipping. ORDER ONLINE or stop in the store!

Road Trip!

Plan your visit to the Clemens Family's National Historic Landmark home in Hartford! Listed by Forbes as the Best Historic House in the United States and selected as one of the Ten Best Historic Homes in the World in National Geographic's The Ten Best of Everything.

Book Your Visit

Upcoming Events

V = Virtual Event; IP = In-Person Event

July 27 - Get a CLUE Murder-Mystery Tours featuring Sea Tea Improv (IP)

August 1 - The Puerto Rican War: A Graphic History with John Vasquez Mejias (IP)

August 25 - Writing in Mark Twain's Library (IP) - SOLD OUT

August 31 - Get a CLUE Murder-Mystery Tours featuring Sea Tea Improv (IP)

Starts September 27 - Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours of The Mark Twain House (IP)

November 1 - The Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Celebration (IP)

More to be announced soon!

To see all event information and registration, CLICK HERE.

To preorder books for our upcoming events, CLICK HERE. Signed books will be mailed after the event. Please note that we cannot ship outside of the U.S. at this time.

Your donation to The Mark Twain House & Museum helps us meet our mission to preserve the home and legacy of Mark Twain. Thank you for your generosity!

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