Mark Twain House

The Victorian Gothic home where Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) lived from 1874 to 1891, writing many of his greatest works including "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." The 25-room mansion features elaborate interior design by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

The Mark Twain House stands as one of America's most literary haunted locations. Built in 1874, this 25-room Victorian Gothic mansion in Hartford's Nook Farm neighborhood was designed by Edward Tuckerman Potter in the American High Gothic style. Biographer Justin Kaplan famously described it as "part steamboat, part medieval fortress, and part cuckoo clock." In 1881, following the success of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Twain hired Louis Comfort Tiffany and his Associated Artists guild to redecorate the interior with intricate stencil work, decorative paneling, and a magnificent stained-glass window in the grand staircase.

During their 17 years here, Mark Twain wrote his greatest works: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and The Prince and the Pauper. The family was happy, but tragedy lurked. Their only son, Langdon, had died in 1872 at 19 months old. Their youngest daughter Jean suffered from severe epilepsy from age 15. The most devastating blow came on August 18, 1896, when eldest daughter Olivia Susan "Susy" Clemens died of spinal meningitis at age 24—in this very house. She had been staying here while visiting Hartford, and deteriorated rapidly. Her parents and sister were crossing the Atlantic, racing to reach her, but arrived too late. Susy died in her parents' mahogany bed, the one with detachable angels on each post that she and her sisters had loved playing with as children. Katy Leary, the family's longtime servant, was with her at the end.

The Clemens family never returned to live in the house. Olivia refused to step foot in it again, and it was sold in 1903. But some believe the Clemens never truly left.

As far back as the 1960s and 70s, staff members felt presences and witnessed strange happenings. The most persistent is the smell of cigar smoke in the billiards room, where Twain did much of his writing. This is particularly striking since smoking has been banned for decades—yet Twain famously smoked up to 40 cigars a day. In one incident, smoke alarms were triggered and firefighters who responded confirmed they "definitely smelled cigar smoke." Staff have also heard what sounds like pool balls dropping from the billiard table and rolling across the floor, but when they investigate, nothing has moved.

The most frequently seen apparition is a Lady in White—a semi-transparent woman in a period dress and hairstyle who walks through hallways before vanishing. Many believe this is Susy Clemens, still roaming the home where she died. In her old bedroom, visitors report soft, childlike giggles and gentle tugs on their clothing. In the library, women have felt playful tugs on their jewelry, with bracelets sometimes slipping off unexpectedly.

George Griffin, the Clemens' beloved butler who worked for the family for 17 years and may have inspired the character of Jim in Huckleberry Finn, is also believed to remain. Born enslaved in Maryland, Griffin escaped during the Civil War and later came to the Clemens household—in Twain's words, "to wash some windows and stayed half a generation." Sightings of an African American man standing silently behind tour guides on the third floor, near where Griffin's bedroom was located, have led many to believe he has chosen to stay near the family he served. He is blamed for phantom knocks and loud banging sounds heard throughout the house.

The master bedroom and nursery echo with mysterious noises and unexplained bangs. In 1967, a security guard in the basement witnessed a silver tray launch across the room and forcefully hit a pipe—an incident still discussed today. The basement continues to be a hotspot for shadows and strange sounds, as if Griffin or a former maid were still tending to their duties.

The Mark Twain House has drawn numerous paranormal investigators, including legendary demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. SyFy's Ghost Hunters (TAPS) visited three times—in 2009 for a full investigation, for Ghost Hunters Academy, and for a Christmas special. During their 2009 investigation, investigators heard loud bangs on the second floor staircase, felt vibrations while sitting still on the steps, and saw an orb of light moving from the master bedroom to Susy's bedroom with no explainable source. They captured EVPs including what sounded like a child's voice. Most evidence was lost in a computer malfunction, but TAPS concluded the house was filled with paranormal activity.

Intriguingly, Twain himself was fascinated by the supernatural. He joined the Society for Psychical Research in England in 1884, reading their journals "cover to cover." He had experienced what he called "mental telegraphy"—a prophetic dream about his brother's death in a steamboat explosion. After Susy's death, his grief-stricken wife Olivia retreated into Spiritualism, and the couple attended seances hoping to contact their daughter.

Today, the Mark Twain House offers Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours exploring both the spiritualist movement of the Victorian era and the paranormal experiences reported by staff and visitors. Named one of the most haunted places in America by Conde Nast, it welcomes those seeking to encounter not just literary history, but perhaps the spirits who refuse to leave it behind.