We spent a weekend exploring Hannibal, Missouri. Hannibal is located north of St. Louis along the Mississippi River. Hannibal is the home of famous author Mark Twain.
We first visited Mark Twain’s Cave. Tours run approximately every half hour and begin at the visitor center. The tour begins with a short video, then about a half mile walk through the cave, the tour takes a total of 60 minutes. We enjoyed this tour of the cave as there was a lot of history, like being able to see Mark Twain’s signature in the cave and also stories about how his exploration of the cave related to his most famous book – The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
The next day it was raining a lot so we decided to go back to Hannibal and do the Cameron Cave Tour which is in the same location as Mark Twain Cave. This tour is much less popular and we were actually the only two people on the tour! This visit is unique since this cave has no electricity. They give you a mini souvenir flashlight to use during the tour. Both caves are interesting in their own right, but I think I preferred Cameron Cave because it was more in its natural state. Both caves are what they call “maze” caves, because the passages form almost perfect blocks and it would be easy to turn around.
After leaving Mark Twain’s Cave on the first day, we stopped at the Lover’s Leap Lookout, which overlooks the Mississippi River and overlooks Hannibal to the north.
We then went to Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home, located in the heart of Hannibal. By purchasing a ticket at the Visitor’s Center, it gives you access to a self-guided tour of several historic homes. I vaguely remember a visit when I was younger!
We then visited Friendship Brewery and Sidekicks BBQ & Sweets located directly across the street. This place has a cool, laid back vibe and we highly recommend the pulled pork nachos!
We actually stayed in Jacksonville, Illinois, about an hour east of Hannibal. We had trouble finding pet-friendly rentals in Hannibal, so we chose to stay in a charming historic log cabin. We found this place on AirBNB and recommend it. The hosts even left us a homemade coffee cake for us to enjoy!
You have to travel to learn. -Mark Twain