Vision Statement

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.