Emily Dickinson Museum

The Emily Dickinson Museum comprises two connected historic houses in Amherst, Massachusetts: the Homestead and the Evergreens, both built in the Federal architectural style. The buildings sit within landscaped grounds and hold original furnishings, family belongings, and a preserved 19th-century conservatory.

Samuel Fowler Dickinson built the Homestead in 1813 and the family occupied it into the 20th century. The poet spent most of her life here and composed the bulk of her verse before the house opened as a museum in 2003.

The house takes its name from the poet who lived here between 1830 and 1886 and composed nearly all her work in a small upstairs room. Visitors can walk through the spaces where she spent her days, including the room where she wrote and revised her poems.

Access is by guided tour only, offered from March through December and lasting about an hour. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended as a portion of the tour takes place outdoors on uneven ground.

The conservatory still holds plant species that grew there during the poet's lifetime and appear in several of her botanical poems. Many of these were rare in 19th-century New England and came through trade routes from distant lands.

Location: Massachusetts

Inception: 2003

Architectural style: Federal architecture

Operator: Trustees of Amherst College

Phone: +14135428161

Website: https://emilydickinsonmuseum.org

GPS coordinates: 42.37611,-72.51444

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:28