The Real Mark Twain in Hannibal, MO

A historical RV destination in the heart of the Show Me State.

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Words by Kathleen Walls

If you have fond childhood memories of reading Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer, Hannibal, MO, is the place to visit. The town, once the boyhood home of Mark Twain, is filled with attractions that tell his story. Since Hannibal may be a little off the beaten path, I’ll give you many reasons to make the detour here. 

One reason is there are more than just attractions and things to do besides learning about Mark Twain. Another reason is there is a fantastic RV park. Mark Twain Cave Campground can accommodate big-rig RVs and is on the grounds of the cave Mark Twain made famous through his novels.

The RV park has 100 pull-through or back-in sites with water, sewage, 20-, 30- and 50-amp power, WiFi, laundry facilities, a walking trail, and playground. It’s also pet friendly and is only 3 km (2 mi) from Historic Downtown Hannibal. The RV park is open (with full utilities) from April 1 through October 31 and offers dry camping through the winter.

Learn About the Famous Novelist

Taking the tour at the Mark Twain Cave Complex is like walking in his footsteps. As a boy, young Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain was his pen name) played in the cave and is featured in some of his novels. 

I took the hour-long guided tour and his signature is on one of the rock walls. Though it has been there for years, it was just discovered in 2019. The tour is an easy walk and the cave is well-lit.

Another historic figure left his mark in the cave. Jesse James used it as a hideout at one time. His signature is dated September 22, 1879. His exact spot is marked so you can look down into it but it’s too risky to descend. A third attraction in the complex is Cameron Cave. It’s only .6 km (1 mi) but is more primitive. There’s no lighting but flashlights are provided. Sturdy walking shoes are a must for both locations.

At the theatre in the cave complex, I saw ‘The Life and Times of Mark Twain,’ a one-man presentation by Jim Waddell. He performs monologues and his stories are taken directly from the author’s speeches and writings. 

Also in the complex is the Cave Hollow West Winery, located between Mark Twain and Cameron caves. Some wines are named in honour of Mark Twain’s novels including Mark Twain Reserve, a semi-dry red; Innocent Broad, a sweet, crisp white; The Gilded Page, a Port; and Satire, a dry white.

More Mark Twain and Hannibal Attractions

The best place to start in Historic Downtown Hannibal is The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum. The interpretive centre tells the history of Samuel Clemens before and after he became famous as Mark Twain. 

This large complex has five historic buildings and two museums. The entrance is just past Tom Sawyer’s famous whitewashed fence in the interpretive centre where you learn that young Samuel moved to Missouri when he was four-years-old. There are many artifacts, including some of his mother’s apparel, original documents and photos, as well as a timeline of the Clemens family’s life. 

The home has period rooms and a statue of an adult Mark Twain is positioned in each one with a placard related to the room’s function and his life there. Further into the museum are details about when his father died and his writing career began to emerge. It was during this time that he worked as a printer’s apprentice at The Hannibal Courier.

Other museums in the complex include: 

  • The Becky Thatcher House is where the Hawkins Family lived. Laura Hawkins was the inspiration for the Becky Thatcher character in Tom Sawyer. 
  • The John M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Office where Mark Twain’s father worked until his death. 
  • Grant’s Drug Store where Dr. Orville Grant lived on the second floor. You can visit the first floor that’s modelled after a period drug store.
  • The Huckleberry Finn House, which is a recreation of the home of Tom Blankenship who inspired Huckleberry Finn.

Downtown Hannibal was recreated as it would have been in Mark Twain’s time with shops and buildings. There’s the Mark Twain Brewing Company  as well as Aunt Polly’s Treasures, which is a great place to hunt for an antique. Among many other interesting shops are the Encore Emporium and Lydia’s Cabinet of Curiosities. 

I also visited Jim’s Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center. This is a small museum that tells a big story. It’s dedicated to the real-life Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. As a boy, Mark Twain spent the summers at his uncle’s farm playing with enslaved children. There he was impressed with the stories told by an enslaved man called ‘Uncle Dan’I.’ He was later the basis for Jim and other stories. 

There are a few details about Daniel Quarles (aka Jim) in The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum. Yet, Jim’s Journey: The Huck Finn Freedom Center is where you can learn about the real man who made such an impression on Mark Twain. Faye Dant, the museum’s founder, not only explains Daniel Quarles' story but much about the history of the African American community in Hannibal. 

For many years, Mark Twain was a steamboat captain and where he derived his pen name. My trip on the Mark Twain Riverboat made the experience very real. A narrator tells the history of the many places along the cruise. One-hour sightseeing and dinner cruises are available.

Discover the Colourful Characters and Murals of Hannibal 

The Hannibal History Museum is filled with stories from the days of the Native Americans to present. It showcases history, architecture, and prominent residents. My favorites were the Tom Sawyer dioramas. 

This is also the starting point for The Haunted Hannibal Ghost Tour, which is a trip into Hannibal’s lesser-known history. Our guide told a dark story about the cave’s past. The most interesting part is visiting the Baptist Cemetery. It was established in 1837 and is the resting place of many Civil War soldiers. We exited the bus, and our guide gave us each a pair of divining rods and let us search for any resident spirits.

Hannibal is also the birthplace of Molly Brown, remembered for surviving the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. The story of Molly Brown was told in the movie and play, The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She was active as a fighter for social causes including women’s rights. Her home is now a museum and tells the story of the real woman behind the public figure.

Another attraction is Rockcliffe Mansion, a Georgian Revival Style mansion built in 1900 for lumber baron John J. Cruikshank, Jr. It showcases a lot of the original antique furnishings and fixtures and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Portions of the residence serve as a bed and breakfast. There are tours if you’re interested in historical architecture. Entry fee is $18 USD for adults and $10 USD for children. Preschoolers are free.

Hannibal has many murals. There are more than 25 and the Hannibal History Museum has two. One depicts the old Union Depot, which serviced trains that ran through Hannibal and the other is of the Hannibal Street Railway, an electric-powered streetcar that operated in the area from 1878-1925. 

A lot of famous locals are depicted in murals including Molly Brown, Ukulele Ike, who was the voice of Jiminy Cricket, and Admiral Coontz, who fought in the Spanish American War, The Philippine American War, and WW I.

Plan a Trip to Hannibal

A number of festivals are held every year including the Twain on Main Festival in May, National Tom Sawyer Days at the end of June through to the Fourth of July,  and The Big River Steampunk Festival on Labor Day Weekend. For snowbirds passing through the area, there’s Folklife Festival in the fall and the annual Victorian Festival of Christmas in December.

Regardless of when you visit this popular city in the Show Me State, you’ll be amazed by its rich history and attractions as I was. Hannibal is a little town with a big story.

For more information and to plan your trip visit https://www.visithannibal.com/