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

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:

Landscape Tour

A Virtual Tour of
the Homestead and The Evergreens

PLAN YOUR VISIT

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.

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

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

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

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.

Further discounts available by calling the Tour Center:

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

PLAN YOUR VISIT