AMHERST, Mass. -- The Emily Dickinson Museum: The Homestead and The Evergreens opens its 2009 season on Sunday, March 1. Its 2009 season hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., with extended hours June through August, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The Emily Dickinson Museum comprises two homes, the Homestead where the poet was born and lived for most of her life, and The Evergreens, where her brother Austin lived with his family, on Main Street in Amherst.

The museum's daily program features two different tours: "This was a Poet," a 40-minute introduction to Emily Dickinson and her poetry, and "Emily Dickinson's World," a 90-minute exploration of the world of the Dickinson family at both the Homestead and The Evergreens, with a special focus on Emily Dickinson's life and work. Admission fees range from $4 to $10.  Discounts may apply and there is no charge for children under 6.

2009 brings new developments at the Emily Dickinson Museum. The historic hemlock hedge and picket fence on the southern border of the property are being restored to their appearance during Emily Dickinson's lifetime. The project is slated for completion by the end of June.

In addition, the museum has been named an American Literary Landmark by the National Endowment for the Arts. In conjunction with this honor, the NEA has selected the museum to open a new component of its national reading program. The Big Read: The Poetry of Emily Dickinson is part of a pilot initiative created by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Poetry Foundation to celebrate great American poets and the nation's historic poetry locales. Throughout the year, Reader's Guides and Teacher's Guides to Emily Dickinson's poems will be available free to all guided tour participants and program attendees.

The Museum's spring calendar is full of special events and workshops to encourage a new appreciation of Dickinson's poetry and her influence. The Big Read opening event will be held on Saturday, April 4, at 4:00 p.m., in Converse Hall on the Amherst College campus, and will feature a talk by Poetry Foundation president John Barr and poetry reading by former Connecticut State Poet Laureate Marilyn Nelson.

"Opening The Big Read at the beginning of National Poetry Month is a perfect pairing," said Jane Wald, the museum's executive director. "The Town of Amherst's 250^th anniversary this year, and its tribute to Amherst and the Muses in April, gives us yet another reason to celebrate the tremendous contributions of poets who show us how to articulate what we find joyful, puzzling, tragic, amusing or just deeply meaningful in our lives."

For a complete list of the Emily Dickinson Museum's 2009 programming and special events, visit www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org.