Twain, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, and Hemingway: Hundreds of the world’s most renowned writers emerged from the United States, drawing inspiration from its diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Below, you will discover top attractions in the U.S. where visitors can deepen their understanding of America’s literary legends. Notably, some authors called more than one city home during their lifetimes, as highlighted in each section. Furthermore, for those interested in American literary figures, extensive guides are available online.

Mark Twain’s Homes

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known as Mark Twain, is one of the most quoted and celebrated authors in American literature. His boyhood home in Hannibal, Missouri, significantly influenced his beloved novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This historic site has been a museum since 1912, where visitors can experience Twain’s early works come to life through readings, photographs, and compelling exhibits that showcase the real-life characters that inspired his tales.

Additionally, Twain resided in Hartford, Connecticut, from 1874 to 1891. The Mark Twain House and Museum houses 16,000 artifacts, including personal belongings of the Twain family, first editions of Twain’s literary masterpieces, and archival letters.

Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum

Ernest Hemingway lived with his family in the charming city of Key West, Florida, from 1931 to 1940. Visitors can explore the interior of the Hemingway House, which features personal artifacts, including trophy mounts from his hunting adventures across Africa and the American West. The property also boasts an impressive pool, constructed at a significant cost of $20,000, as well as gardens inhabited by the house’s renowned six-toed cats, descendants of Hemingway’s original pets.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Museum

F. Scott Fitzgerald, renowned for classics such as The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night, lived in various U.S. cities throughout his life. Among these was Montgomery, Alabama, where he resided for a year with his wife, Zelda, and their daughter. The F. Scott Fitzgerald Museum, located in the home where the Fitzgeralds lived from 1931 to 1932, showcases personal artifacts, including love letters exchanged between F. Scott and Zelda, as well as correspondence with literary contemporaries like Hemingway and various paintings by Zelda.

Jack Kerouac Sites

Jack Kerouac, the iconic voice of Beat Literature, frequented locations such as City Lights Bookstore and various bars in San Francisco’s North Beach. The Beat Museum, established in 2003 and located in the same neighborhood, preserves the legacy of Kerouac and his fellow Beat Generation writers through letters, photographs, first editions of their works, and other memorabilia. Outside of California, Lowell, Massachusetts, the birthplace of Kerouac, honors his memory with the annual Jack Kerouac Literary Festival.

Margaret Mitchell House

Margaret Mitchell, the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gone With the Wind, wrote her renowned Civil War epic in Atlanta, where she lived. Today, her former residence is a museum that exhibits personal correspondence, first editions of both American and international versions of her novel, as well as memorabilia from the film adaptation featuring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.

John Steinbeck – National Steinbeck Center

One of the largest literary-centric museums in the United States is the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California, the former hometown of John Steinbeck. The center features various exhibition spaces, including the permanent John Steinbeck Exhibition Hall, showcasing key artifacts such as Steinbeck’s camper from his travels detailed in Travels with Charley, as well as memorabilia from Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath.