a tour guide is giving a tour of the Homestead parlor. Everyone in the photo is wearing a K95 mask.

Visitor Code of Conduct

Visitor Code of Conduct: At the Emily Dickinson Museum, the health and safety of our staff and visitors is our number one priority. The Museum has developed routines and requirements to help ensure we do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19. At minimum, the Museum follows all state and local guidelines related to COVID-19 including face coverings, occupancy, and sanitation guidelines. 

By purchasing tickets and visiting the Emily Dickinson Museum, you are agreeing to comply with the following requirements for visitor conduct:

Do Not Visit if Unwell: Please postpone your visit if you or anyone in your party is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, or has tested positive for COVID-19 in the 48-hours prior.

Face Coverings and Masks: Currently, masks are encouraged but not required inside the Museum. KN95 masks are available on site.

Social Distancing: Visitors take note, there may not be room to distance yourself from other visitors while on the guided tour at the Museum.

Sanitize Hands Frequently: Keeping hands clean helps prevent the spread of germs, like COVID-19. Please use the hand sanitizing stations in the Tour Center before you begin your tour.

Respect Your Fellow Visitors and Museum Staff: We are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone. The Museum does not tolerate discrimination or any form of unlawful harassment.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

The front facade of the Homestead

Virtual Visits

Visit the Emily Dickinson Museum from the comfort of your home!

You can explore the Homestead and The Evergreens or take a walk around the landscape with these online tools:

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Image of Dickinson's room featuring her writing desk and white dress

Studio Sessions

Image of Dickinson's room featuring her writing desk and white dress

“Sweet hours have perished here;
This is a mighty room;
Within its precincts hopes have played, –
Now shadows in the tomb.”
-Fr1785

Spend a “sweet hour” in Emily Dickinson’s creative space where she penned her startling poetry and honed her revolutionary voice. Whether you are a writer, an artist, a composer, a poet, or a lover of poetry, you’ll find inspiration in Emily Dickinson’s bedroom. Let this quiet experience jumpstart your next creative journey.

Participants may spend up to two hours in the bedroom. A small table and chair will be provided.  Participants will experience the atmosphere of Dickinson’s corner bedroom, and enjoy the view from the Poet’s windows. 

Program Guidelines:

  • Photo ID must be presented upon arrival for your studio session and a photocopy will be made, which will be destroyed after your session.
  • The door to the bedroom will remain open, and staff will be present outside the room at all times. Participants must remain in the designated area of the historic room. Participants may not touch the historic furnishings in the bedroom.
  • Bags, food, and beverages must be left outside the room.
  • No pens, inks, or paints permitted. Pencil and paper or laptop only. Other materials must be approved by special request in advance.
  • Photography for non-commercial, personal use is permitted.
  • Sessions will not be rescheduled or refunded after booking except in the case of an emergency. Refunding and rescheduling are at the discretion of the Emily Dickinson Museum.

Registration is currently available for sessions August through December, 2023. Sessions are offered on Thursdays at 8:30am and Fridays at 5:15pm. Limited availability.

RESERVE YOUR SESSION

 

Pricing: 
1 person for one hour: $300
1 person for 2 hours: $500
2 people for 1 hour: $400
2 people for 2 hours: $600

Please direct questions to EDMPrograms@emilydickinsonmuseum.org.

Purchase of a studio session grants one free Museum admission per studio participant, to be booked during your visit to Amherst. To reserve your timed entry in advance, email connect@emilydickinsonmuseum.org.

Group Tours

Group Tours

Due to space restrictions, parties of 9 or larger who would like to visit together are asked to book a group tour. The Emily Dickinson Museum welcomes groups of 9-25 people to explore the rich world of Emily Dickinson through pre-planned guided experiences. Groups over 10 will be asked to divide into separate tours with staggered start times during their visit. A Museum staff member will work with you to create a memorable experience tailored to your group’s interests, exploring Emily Dickinson’s poetry, place, and lasting legacy.

Group tour reservations are now available for spring 2023 and beyond. For K-12 and College groups, please visit our Education section. Homeschool groups, scout troops, and community non-profit groups that provide education and skill-building for registered student participants may also qualify as an Educational tour.

For virtual program requests, please scroll to the bottom of this page.


Reservations

  • Advance reservation is required for all groups. Reservation requests should be made at least three weeks in advance.
  • Please complete our Group Tour Request Form here.
  • A staff member will confirm your group tour reservation by providing an agreement form and invoice.

Please review our Accessibility page before making your reservation request. Let us know of any access needs when you fill out your group tour request form so we can work with you to create the best experience for your group.

Group leaders are responsible for reading the Group Tour Policies and communicating Museum expectations to all group members.

Questions? Call 413.542.5073 or e-mail edmreservations@emilydickinsonmuseum.org.


“This Was a Poet”

45-minute guided tour of the Homestead (Emily Dickinson’s house)

  • Introduction to Dickinson’s life and revolutionary poetry, with an emphasis on sharing her own poems and letters
  • Includes the parlors, library, Dickinson’s bedroom, and Dickinson’s mother’s room

Pricing: 

Adult $17
Youth (17 and Under) $7
Caregiver/Personal Attendant Free

Non-refundable deposit due 1 week after date of invoice: 50%

Final numbers are due 2 weeks prior to the scheduled tour date. Please note that groups will be asked to pay a fixed minimum equal to the cost of 9 visitors, even if group size decreases after booking.


Virtual Group Tours

Is your organization or community group unable to travel to the Museum? Let us bring Emily Dickinson’s world to you! 

“This Was a Poet”: A Virtual Tour of the Emily Dickinson Museum

Enjoy a virtual “armchair” tour of the home of renowned 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson. The Museum comprises two historic houses. You’ll visit the Homestead where Dickinson was born in 1830, produced nearly 2,000 poems, and died in 1886. Next door, you’ll get a special peek into The Evergreens, an untouched Victorian interior that was home to the poet’s brother, beloved sister-in-law Susan, and their children. Through this live talk shared over Zoom and accompanied by images of the Amherst houses, landscape, and historic interiors, your tour guide will transport you into the very rooms where Dickinson found her inspiration.  Along the way, you’ll learn about the poet and her family’s daily life through her own words.

Virtual Tours can be offered at 45- or 60-minutes with an optional 15-minute Q&A. Museum guides access virtual group tours using their own videoconferencing technology and will screenshare and advance their own powerpoint presentation. You will be asked to host and provide the videoconferencing platform for this program.

Pricing: 

$250 Speaker Fee per session

Reservations:

  • Please use the Virtual Group Tour Request Form to request a session for your group.
  • Requests must be made at least three weeks in advance.
  • A Museum Staff member will be in touch to schedule your program and work with you to create a memorable experience for your group.

Read the Virtual Group Tour Policies here before submitting your request.

Questions? Email edmreservations@emilydickinsonmuseum.org.

Accessibility

Accessibility

The Emily Dickinson Museum welcomes all visitors.

Physical Accessibility

Our Tour Center, bathroom, and first floors of the Homestead and The Evergreens and a portion of the museum grounds are wheelchair accessible. Due to their historic architecture, the second floors of each house are not accessible to wheelchair users and other visitors who need to avoid stairs.

For planning purposes, please note the following:

  • Because of the historic nature of the two Dickinson houses, neither house includes an elevator to the second floor.
  • The first floor of the Homestead includes the Tour Center, parlors, and library. Emily Dickinson’s bedroom is accessed by a fifteen-step staircase with double railings.
  • The Evergreens is located approximately one block from the Homestead and is reachable by paved sidewalk or a mulched path. Visitors with disabilities may park in The Evergreens driveway upon request. The first floor is wheelchair accessible. The second floor is accessed by a thirteen-step staircase with a railing on one side.
  • Because of the wealth of original materials at The Evergreens, visitors with respiratory difficulties may be sensitive to the air quality in the house. 
  • Visitors who are unable to use the stairs are provided with a web-based virtual tour of the second floor rooms. Staff are present to answer questions about the spaces.
  • Modern chairs are provided in each room for visitor comfort.

Sign Language Interpretation

  • Sign-language interpretation is available free of charge for tours and museum programs by request with three week’s notice sent to EDMPrograms@EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org.

Service Animals

  • Service dogs are welcome throughout the property, including both historic houses.

Care Partners

  • Care partners of visitors with disabilities will be admitted for free, to reserve tickets please call the Tour Center at (413) 542-2947.

Accessible Parking

    • Two spaces are designated for visitors with disabilities in the Museum’s driveway. If a space is not available upon your arrival, please call (413) 542-2947 for assistance.

For further questions about accessibility, or to suggest how we might continue to improve the visitor experience, please contact the museum at bsteinhauser@emilydickinsonmuseum.org.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Directions & Parking

Please note that the Museum driveway is for dropping off passengers and for accessible parking only. All vehicles must park either at meters (many are available directly in front of the Homestead and Evergreens), in an Amherst town parking lot, located on the south side of Main Street two blocks west of the Museum, or in the town parking garage on the north side of Main Street two blocks west of the Museum.

The Town of Amherst’s interactive parking map offers details about nearby parking options. Visitors are encouraged to allow extra time for parking.

The Museum is two blocks east of Amherst Center on 280 Main Street:
Emily Dickinson Museum
280 Main Street
Amherst, Massachusetts 01002
413-542-8161

Map showing the Homestead at 280 Main Street, Amherst MA

Go to Google Maps »


Driving Directions

From Interstate 91:

Take exit 25 (if coming from the south) or exit 26 (if coming from the north) to Route 9 east. Take Route 9 east approximately five miles through Hadley to the Amherst town limit. Proceed up a long hill. At top of hill, turn left at traffic light onto South Pleasant Street. Turn right at next light onto Main Street. The Museum is 3/10 of a mile ahead on the left.

From the Boston area:

Take Massachusetts Turnpike to Exit 63 (Palmer/Ware). Take Route 32 South to Route 20 West/N Main St. in Palmer. North Main St. becomes MA-181. Follow MA-181 North for 6 miles into Belchertown. Turn left onto Route 9 West and follow into Amherst. After entering Amherst, look for a railroad overpass. Go under the overpass and make an immediate right onto Dickinson Street. Travel two blocks to the end of the street. At the traffic light, turn left onto Main Street. The Museum is ahead on the right.

OR

Take Route 2 West to Exit 71 for Route 202 South. Take Route 202 South about 15 or 20 miles, until you enter Pelham. At an intersection with flashing yellow lights, turn right onto Amherst Road (Amherst Road will eventually turn into Main Street). Go through two traffic lights. The Museum is just ahead on the right after the second traffic light.

Public Transportation

The Emily Dickinson Museum is accessible via public transportation, and a PVTA bus stop is located near the West corner of the Evergreen’s property. Learn more about available options.

Parking

Please note that the Museum driveway is for dropping off passengers and for accessible parking only. All vehicles must park either at meters (many are available directly in front of the Homestead and Evergreens), in an Amherst town parking lot, located on the south side of Main Street two blocks west of the Museum, or in the town parking garage on the north side of Main Street two blocks west of the Museum.

The Town of Amherst’s interactive parking map offers details about nearby parking options.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Hours & Admission

Hours & Admission

Tickets are now available through December!
“This was a Poet” Tour – Available daily – Knowledgeable guides lead you through the Homestead, sharing Dickinson’s journey as a poet.

The last open day of the season is December 22. The Museum will be closed January and February for preservation activities.

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS

Admission

View of Homestead from Main Street

The Emily Dickinson Museum is open to visitors March through December. Begin your visit at the Museum’s Tour Center, located in the Homestead. From there, visit our Museum shop, grounds, and gardens, all of which are open to the public. To visit inside the Homestead, purchase tickets for guided 45-minute tours offered on a set schedule each day the Museum is open. Timed-entry tickets for general admission inside the Homestead are available on summer weekend afternoons, when visitors can explore at their own pace.

Purchasing tickets online ahead of your visit is recommended.

Please note: The Evergreens, home of her brother Austin Dickinson and sister-in-law Susan, is temporarily closed for preservation improvements during the 2023 season.

Ticketing: 

Ticket prices are the same for each program.

“This Was a Poet”, 45-minute Guided Tour Tickets: Knowledgeable guides lead you through the Homestead, sharing Dickinson’s journey as a poet.

Adult  $16
Seniors $13
Students (18+)    $10
Youth (17 and Under) Free
Five College Students Free

Further discounts available by calling the Tour Center:

Teachers $10
Blue Star families  Free
Amherst College Faculty & Staff Free
Museum Professionals (AAM, NEMA) Free

Hours

Fall and Winter hours: September – December
Wednesday – Sunday
10am – 5pm ET

PLAN YOUR VISIT