We went for a birthday celebration and I am so happy for this experience. Great bed and breakfast,…read moreunlike any other bed and breakfast. If you enjoy historical places, this is one to visit. This gives you an opportunity to see what life was like back in the day, from the plumbing in the bathrooms to the old light fixtures and so much more. Juan and Warren are great hosts. Upon checking in at four, you receive a tour of the home. Afterwards the hosts share a Wine and Cheese reception with their guests and afterwards you are able to explore the home on your own. In the morning coffee and tea is provided prior to breakfast. Breakfast was delicious and served in the dining room on china. Please knWe truly enjoyed this bed and breakfast and look forward to visiting again!

The mansion is breathtaking it is unbelievable with the 100 year old details and exquisite details…read morein every room. When you go for this tour Juan loves to share the knowledge and information about the family and the details. I don't want to give too much away because you really need to visit! But Tiffany stained glass throughout the house, leather wallpaper, and so much more. This mansion was made before its time and is a masterpiece! The only issues we stumbled on were locating the parking and then finding a place to park.

When are you going to see a lighthouse in the middle of the country? This little lighthouse was…read morebuilt in 1934 to honor Mark Twain on the 100th anniversary of his birth. The picturesque lighthouse is non-functional and overlooks the Mississippi River. There is a plaque that describes the history of the lighthouse, which was dedicated in 1935 by Franklin Roosevelt. In 1960, the lighthouse was destroyed in a windstorm and rebuilt in 1963. The current building was dedicated by John Kennedy in 1963 and later renovated in 1994. You can see the lighthouse house from downtown Hannibal and climb the steep stairs to view up close. We drove up the windy road to the base where there is free parking for about a dozen cars. After ascending a short flight of steps, we were rewarded with views of the Mississippi River, downtown Hannibal and peeks of the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge. The lighthouse is not open for tours, it's just an outside visit. There is no charge to see the building. There are no amenities at the site except for a bench. The lighthouse is worth a short visit.

I'm an idiot. I saw the lighthouse high up on the hill and it never occurred to me that I could…read moreDRIVE to it. Instead, I climbed the steps from the riverside. It's a lot of steps. Thankfully, there are landings and benches along the way where I was able to catch my breath and remind myself that I need to exercise more. At the top at last, the lighthouse has a caption that points out that construction started in 1934 and was completed in less than two months. It opened in 1935 on the 100th birthday of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, the most beloved son of Hannibal. The lighthouse is ornamental and not used for navigation, but it does have a light. The light was lit remotely by President Franklin D. Roosevelt from Washington DC. The steps were added in 1947 and the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1963 after a windstorm destroyed the original in 1960. It is 54 feet tall and 200 feet above the Mississippi River. There are 244 steps and I can confirm that last fact from personal experience. There is an impressive view from the top though the view from Riverview Park a mile or two from here is a bit nicer. But there's no lighthouse there. [Review 19713 overall - 191 in Missouri - 685 of 2023.]

Nice cave experience. Easy walk with good lighting. Lots of history and mix of Twain stories…read more Just under an hour and 52°. We had jeans and sweatshirts and were comfortable. I took a flashlight which was helpful but not needed. This is a huge cave and only walked 1/3 mile.

Peter was an awesome tour guide! Very funny, knowledgeable and kind. So glad he was able to give us…read morea tour. The prices in the gift shop are reasonable for very interesting things. 10/10 will be back again! Curious about their Cameron cave open in the summer The signature of Jessy James and the author Mark Twain were awesome discoveries.

Samuel Clemens grew up in Hannibal Missouri, though he wasn't using his pen name of Mark Twain at…read morethe time. He learned the trade of riverboat pilot, earning his pilot's license in 1859 at the age of 23. Clemens had signed on as a pilot's apprentice in 1857 while on his way to Mississippi. He had been commissioned to write a series of comic travel letters for the Keokuk Daily Post, but after writing five, decided he'd rather be a pilot than a writer. He piloted his own boats for two years, until the Civil War halted steamboat traffic. Have a read at one autobiographical chapter: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1875/03/old-times-on-the-mississippi-part-iii/537831/ The caption with this statue of Train reads, "In 1857 young Samuel Clemens began to learn the trade of a steamboat pilot on the Lower Mississippi River. When his piloting career ended with the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Clemens went to Nevada Territory where he first used pen name Mark Twin in 1863 while writing for the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City. Clemens took the name 'Mark Twain' from the River sounding that indicated 12 feet of water which was safe for navigation. This statue was given to the City of Hannibal by the Schwartz Family of East Hannibal, Illinois, July 4, 2003." The statue is located in Riverfront Park where there is plenty of free parking. [Review 19723 overall - round number 200 in Missouri - 695 of 2023.]

This was a great tour! We started off in the visitors center. Then we toured Samuel Clemens boyhood…read morehome. "Becky Thacker's" house was across the street, as well as Grant's drugstore where the Clemens family lived when they were down on their luck. The city has preserved everything well and is taken care of it for posterity and future generations. My wife and I very much enjoyed this tour. We also took the trolley tour through town, which we enjoyed.

The tour of homes and museum of Mark Twain in Hannibal is a must see. The tour requires walking and…read moresome steps a probably would be difficult with a stroller, wheel chair or young children (although there are some elevators along the route). We did the tour on a Sunday morning. There were very few other visitors. The tour cost $14/person, which I thought was reasonable. Discounted tickets are available for seniors and kids. There is a small interpretive museum at the start that sets the stage for Sam Clement's / Mark Twain's boyhood and life. Parts of the exhibit are interactive. You then visit the Clement home (Tom Sawyer) which is styled with period furnishings and descriptive plaques. Next are visits to homes that inspired characters in his books - Huck Finn's cabin and Becky Thatcher's home. Becky's home has displays and info about the characters in Twain's books, with stories of Laura, the girl who died inspired Becky. There are clerk's along the way to answer questions, some more engaging than others. The tour acknowledges and describes Twain's views on slavery as you enter his father's office and the pharmacy exhibits. The final stop is down the street at a second museum with large interactive artifacts and a floor devoted to art. Along the tour are four gift shops that carry the shirt, books and other Twain memorabilia. The tour took about 2 hours to complete and you can break for lunch in town. There were restrooms in the museums. I learned a lot about Twain and his family and how he became a successful author. The town has been well preserved and run by local businesses. We found free street parking, but I'm guessing that parking is difficult on a busy tourist day. There is more parking behind the museum. This is a great learning experience, especially if Twain was part of your childhood reading.

This truss bridge crosses the Mississippi River connecting Illinois with Missouri on US 72. The…read morebridge is the second bridge to honor author, Mark Twain. The first bridge fell into disrepair and was replaced by this newer structure in 2000. Supposedly, there is a memorial stone near the entrance to the bridge, but I did not see it. I did see great views of the bridge from downtown Hannibal, Twain's hometown. There is no charge to cross the bridge.

Carrying I-72 / US-36 over the Mississippi River, there was an earlier bridge here a hundred years…read moreago that was opened in 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and since demolished. This is the second of the name and opened to traffic in September 2000. It is named for Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) whose boyhood home was here in Hannibal. It is a simple truss bridge with a total length of 4491 feet. It was initially a toll bridge but there is no toll in 2023. [Review 19716 overall - 194 in Missouri - 688 of 2023.]

We went on this boat tour so we could say we were on the Mississippi!!! The staff was friendly…read more Easy to book via internet. Easy to find once in Hannibel. Was only one hour so not alot of visual. But did give a different look to Lovers leap and information about the river. The boat staff were friendly and they did provide food and drinks for purchase. Hot dogs, chic salad, nachos, popcorn , candy..and did look like it had a full bar. The boat was very comfortable. Three levels. Deck one is all inside, deck 2 is in and out and three all out. One thing I was said about is they have cover over the paddlewheel so you couldn't see it. Kinda defeats the purpose of being on a paddleboat....is to see the paddlewheel. Lol Be prepared that the water is not clear like the ocean or gulf....but the Muddy Mississippi. At this time it was above the banks so lots of debre. **parking is a bit tricky, the handicapped assigned parking is NOT the closest parking to the gangway. Be prepared to walk if using a walker! Not handicapped friendly for parking.

This was such a peaceful way to spend an hour. Captain Steve did a great job of narrating our tour…read more It wasn't a busy cruise so it was great to have our own space. There wasn't a lot to see but I thought it was worth it. The woman at the bar was very personable. Tons of free parking.

Molly Brown's Birthplace and Museum was WAY MORE THAN WE EXPECTED! When we arrived on Sunday…read moreMorning, August 7th, we were greeted by Kiersten. We paid our $4 entry fee and expected to just walk through the house. Nope...Kiersten, proceeded to walk us through every room and explain the life and times of Margaret (Molly) Tobin Brown. We learned A TON that we wouldn't have had Kiersten not been there. Stopping at this attraction is definitely worth your time.