Best Destinations For Classic American Lit Lovers

The Museum of Edgar Allen Poe

Though there are several historic landmarks surrounding Poe’s life and death, the Museum of Edgar Allen Poe claims to have the best collection of the writer’s manuscripts and belongings. Located near his Richmond, Va. home, the museum features personal items, furniture, photos, first editions, manuscripts and more. With admission at only $6, this is a must-see for fans of the original creator of the horror story.

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Emily Dickinson Museum

Massachusetts’s Emily Dickinson Museum is made up of two properties, both belonging to Dickinson’s family, one where she was born and lived most of her life, and the other where her brother resided. The museum houses up to 8,000 objects from personal artifacts to manuscripts. There’s constantly a full calendar of events held on the property, including discussion groups, poetry nights, concerts and more.

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Walden Pond State Reservation

Located a short drive from Boston, Thoreau’s Walden Pond is surrounded by more than 2,500 acres of nearly entirely undeveloped land. Visitors can hike the property and see where Thoreau’s cabin once stood, as well as a constructed replica. In order to preserve the park as much as possible, pets, grills, camping, bikes, gas-powered engines and other common recreational items are prohibited.

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The Mark Twain House & Museum

The beloved Hartford home of Mark Twain is now joined by a large museum center that houses exhibitions, a theater, auditorium and more. The collection includes clothing and other personal items, letters, photographs and rare editions of Twain’s work. The research library also houses an impressive amount of records and visits to the library are by appointment only.

Herman Melville’s Arrowhead

Visit the home and farmstead of Herman Melville and his family, where you can take a guided tour of the barn and house, before wandering the grounds and connected natural trails on your own. The property has its own writer-in-residence, who works out of Melville’s original study where Moby Dick was conceived. The farm is currently working as a sustainable, small recreation of its original use, growing a variety of vegetables and raising heritage breed chickens to feed the community CSA members.