If your student group is interested in a literature-themed field trip this year then you most certainly need to take a look at this helpful blog full of great places across the United States with ties to some of literature's greatest names.
- Hartford, Connecticut - Harriet Beecher Stowe - Uncle Tom's Cabin
- Visit the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford and learn all about Stowe's life, the famous 1852 novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, and about the abolitionist movement and forces behind it in general. Tour Stowe's home and you will find that you will 'be inspired by the woman whose words changed the world'.
- Hannibal, Missouri - Mark Twain - Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn
- In Hannibal, your group can explore Samuel Clemon's boyhood home and original stomping grounds, learning the inspiration for Tom and Huck's many adventures all along the way. Visit The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, the Mark Twain Cave and Campgrounds, and even the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse!
Mark Twain Pixabay Public Domain
- In Hannibal, your group can explore Samuel Clemon's boyhood home and original stomping grounds, learning the inspiration for Tom and Huck's many adventures all along the way. Visit The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, the Mark Twain Cave and Campgrounds, and even the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse!
- New York City, New York - Truman Capote - Breakfast at Tiffany's
- The Big Apple is full of literary references, locations, and author's homes throughout, so it's hard to choose just one spot. However, we particularly like Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's novel, which, of course, was based on/in Tiffany & Co in NYC. Visit the store and make connections to the novel, then head to other literary pitstops such as the Biltmore Cafe, Wall Street, Dorian Gray Grill, Onegin, and Wall Street.
- Salinas, California - John Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men, The Winter of Our Discontent, The Grapes of Wrath
- In Salinas, California, your group can visit the John Steinbeck House, a historic house restaurant and house museum. The house was the boyhood home to the author John Steinbeck, who spent most of his life on the California Coast.
- Sullivan's Island, South Carolina -Edgar Allen Poe - The Golden Bug, Balloon Hoax, Oblong Box
- Did you know that Edgar Allen Poe served 13 months at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island during his early adult life? That's right, enlisted under the name of Edgar A. Pery, Poe spent just over a year in this area, and his legacy can be seen all along the streets. Visit Fort Moultrie and the Poe Tavern, the latter of which is filled with Poe-themed burgers such as the Gold Bug Burger and Anabel Lee Crabcake. Of course, you can also visit Poe's Home in Baltimore and Cottage in NY.
- Atlanta, Georgia - Margaret Mitchell - Gone With the Wind
- Perhaps one of the most popular stops on the famous Southern Literary Trail is the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta. Visit and tour Apartment No. 1, which Margaret sarcastically dubbed “The Dump", then stop at the Swan House, where much of The Hunger Games films were shot. You can also plan to check out other stops on the Southern Literary Trail, such as the Harper Lee stop in Alabama and the William Faulkner stop in Mississippi.
- St. Paul, Minnesota - F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
- There are several different spots you can visit in St. Paul that F. Scott Fitzgerald was involved with, from his various homes throughout the city to his schools and clubs. Today, specifically, your group can visit The Fitzgerald Theater, Fitzgerald Statue in Rice Park, and Fitzgerald Alcove at Central Library, in addition to his home(s).
- Salem, Massachusettes - Nathaniel Hawthorne - House of Seven Gables
- Visit Salem, Massachusettes, to see The House of Seven Gables, made famous by Hawthorne's novel of the same name. This structure is the oldest wooden 17th-century mansion still standing, first built in 1668. You can also visit Nathaniel Hawthorne's Birthplace and other various historic structures associated with him.
House of Seven Gables Pixabay Public Domain
- Visit Salem, Massachusettes, to see The House of Seven Gables, made famous by Hawthorne's novel of the same name. This structure is the oldest wooden 17th-century mansion still standing, first built in 1668. You can also visit Nathaniel Hawthorne's Birthplace and other various historic structures associated with him.
- Concord, Massachusettes - Louisa May Alcott - Little Women
- Last but certainly not least we have Concord, Massachusettes, site of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard, where Alcott lived with her family from 1858-1877. This is where she wrote her most famous book, Little Women. You can also see the burial site of Alcott, Hawthorne, and Emerson within the aptly named Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. You can visit Walden Pond, as well as a replica of Thoreau's cabin, or see the Old Manse while here as well.
