Join us for Free Fun Friday at the Emily Dickinson Museum on Friday, August 23! Sponsored by the Highland Street Foundation, this series allows free entry to museums goers at many museums across Massachusetts. Visit the Emily Dickinson Museum on August 23 for free admission to the Homestead, where Emily Dickinson wrote nearly all of her poetry, and her brother’s home, the Evergreens. Read on for tips on how to make your Free Fun Friday at the Emily Dickinson Museum the most fun possible!

Hours
On Free Fun Friday, the Emily Dickinson Museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

What to Expect during Your Visit
The Emily Dickinson Museum consists of  3 acres, 2 historic houses—the Homestead, where the poet was born and lived most of her life, and The Evergreens, the home of the poet’s brother—and the story of 1 exceptional poet!  

On Free Fun Friday you can enjoy self-guided tours of the Homestead and The Evergreens with guides on hand to answer questions. A scavenger hunt through the houses invites you to look closely at the historic furnishings used by the Dickinson family. On the Museum grounds, visit the craft tent for fun for all ages. Explore the “Grounds of Memory” with the EDM’s self-guided audio tour. Pollinator Bingo in the garden will also be available! The Museum also has a gift shop with Dickinson-related books and other items appropriate for all shoppers. 

The day will also include this special program:  Author Krystyna Poray Goddu will be on site offering readings and signing copies of her newly released Dickinson biography for middle-grade readers, Becoming Emily. Catch a reading at 11:30AM or 1:30PM.

Krystyna Poray Goddu is author of “Becoming Emily: The Life of Emily Dickinson,” the picture-book biography of “Alicia Markova: An Unlikely Ballerina,” and the middle-grade biography “A Girl Called Vincent: The Life of Poet Edna St. Vincent Millay,” winner of the SCBWI 2017 Golden Kite Honor Book for Nonfiction, and co-author, with her cousin Krystyna Mihulka, of Mihulka’s childhood memoir: Krysia—A Polish Girl’s Stolen Childhood During World War II: A Memoir.  She has written many books for the educational market, and her work has appeared in American Girl magazine, The New York Times Book Review, and the Riverbank Review of Books for Young Readers. She is a regular writer and reviewer of children’s books for Publishers Weekly. She holds a degree in comparative literature from Brown University, has taught reading and writing in independent schools in Manhattan and loves visiting schools to present programs about the subjects of her books.

 

Directions
Directions to the Museum from Interstate 91 and the Boston area are available here. 

Parking
Parking is available in several locations. Amherst College’s Alumni Parking lot (see map) will offer free parking for the day as well as the side streets near the Museum. Metered parking is in effect on Main Street, in front of the Museum. Accessible parking spaces are available. Please note that the Museum driveway is for dropping off passengers and for accessible parking only. All other vehicles must park in the locations described above.

Food

Although the Museum does not have formal picnic facilities, visitors are welcome to eat food and drink on the grounds.  Food and drink are not permitted inside either the Homestead or The Evergreens.  The Museum does not have a food service facility, but bottled water, juice, and snacks will be for sale.  The Museum is within easy walking distance of many dining establishments in the center of Amherst.

Family-Friendly
We are delighted to welcome visitors of all ages!  Please note: children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult when entering the museum houses.   Baby strollers and back carriers are welcome on the grounds but must be left outside when entering museum buildings.  

Accessibility
The Tour Center and first floors of the Homestead and The Evergreens are accessible to individuals with mobility challenges. Because of the historic nature of the two Dickinson houses, neither house includes an elevator to the second floor. Visitors who are unable to use stairs are provided with illustrated notebooks that describe the exhibits upstairs in each house, and guides are happy to answer questions about upstairs rooms. Service dogs are welcome throughout the property, including both historic houses. For specific questions about accessibility at the Museum please contact EBradley@EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org

Other Guidelines

Inside the Museum buildings, please note the following:

• Photography and video recordings are not permitted inside museum buildings.
• Food and beverages are not permitted inside museum buildings. Visitors will be asked to leave any food and beverages they have outside the museum building before entering.
• For the safety of museum collections, visitors are not permitted to touch museum objects.