2010 Is the Year To Visit The Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford

HARTFORD, Conn., May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- It is rumored that Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, once said, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do...Explore. Dream. Discover." With millions of families about to embark on summer vacations, The Mark Twain House & Museum encourages Twain fans, readers, history buffs and I-95 road warriors of every age to discover Hartford.

Through the support of the museum's Centennial Sponsor The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., The Mark Twain House & Museum will host tours of the historic house, family events, literary lectures, and new exhibits celebrating the life, legacy and books of the father of American literature all year long. Located less than 90 minutes from Boston, two hours from New York and less than an hour from Interstate 95, The Mark Twain House & Museum is the perfect summer diversion.

"One thing most people don't know about Twain is that he was known for his unique travel writing long before Huck, Jim and Tom were born here at his Hartford house," said Executive Director, Jeffery Nichols. "We can't think of a more important time to make The Mark Twain House & Museum a fun and educational part of your vacation plans."

Between 1874 and 1891, Clemens raised a family and published The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, while living in Hartford. The House and its Museum Center are open every day for guided tours. Each year, more than 60,000 guests visit the home's 19 rooms, including the famous billiard room where Twain worked, and admire its many unique features, such as intricate decorative arts by Louis Comfort Tiffany's firm Associated Artists. The museum's collections boast approximately 50,000 artifacts, including original manuscripts and first editions, historic photographs and family furnishings.

In addition to Mark Twain's unforgettable mansion, visitors to Greater Hartford can also investigate the charming Harriet Beecher Stowe House, the brand-new Connecticut Science Center, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art (America's oldest public art museum), the Tony Award-winning Hartford Stage, and dozens of other cultural sites.

About The Mark Twain House & Museum:

Located at 351 Farmington Ave., the House & Museum are open Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5:30 p.m.  For more information, call 860-247-0998 or visit www.marktwainhouse.org. Programs of The Mark Twain House & Museum are made possible in part by support from the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism and the Greater Hartford Arts Council.

As part of its Bicentennial Celebration, The Hartford is providing year-long financial support for the Twain 2010 Centennial events across Hartford, Connecticut--the site of its corporate headquarters and Twain's home for more than 15 years.

SOURCE The Mark Twain House & Museum