The Mark Twain Store will be open all evening and the historic Twain House will be open for tours with paid admission. Concerts begin at 6 pm.

The 2005 concerts continue on Thursday, July 7, River City Slim and The Zydeco Hogs, with traditional Cajun and Creole music colliding with rocking rhythm and blues to create Zydeco; and then Thursday, August 4, Hot Cat Jazz Band, who specialize in swing, Big Band jazz, Dixieland and classic rock dance music, with standards from George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Duke Ellington.

Other free programs being offered this summer include:

*Saturday, June 11, Connecticut Open House Day: In conjunction with the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism and museums throughout the state, The Mark Twain House & Museum will have its Museum Center open free to all visitors.

Visitors can view “Marks on Paper: Mark Twain’s Personal Library,” an exploration of notes Twain wrote in the books that he read, and “I Have Sampled This Life,” an exhibit about his remarkable life and legacy.

Twain’s historic home will be open with paid admission.

*Saturday, June 25, Introducing the Kitchen Wing: For the first time in a century, Twain’s kitchen has been restored and is open to the public. Visitors on June 25 can enjoy the Sommers-Rosenthal Family Band, which will be performing at 1 pm, while also being among the first to take guided tours of the kitchen.

*Saturday, July 23, noon to 4:30 pm, “Storytellers: A Celebration of Music, Poetry and Literature.” Free programs on the grounds of the Twain house, including poetry readings by Scott Deshefy of WWUH Radio and an eclectic blend of folk, country, blues and pop music from Horizon Blue. Exhibits on health and wellness will be on display.

The Mark Twain House & Museum has restored the author’s Hartford home, where Twain and his family lived from 1874 to 1891, when he wrote his most important works, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

The museum, conveniently located off Exit 46 on I-84, is open daily from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. For more information call 860-247-0998 or visit www.MarkTwainHouse.org.