Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum Reviews

Twain's Boyhood Home is a treasure trove! It captures the wonderful, complex spirit of the man as a true American folk celebrity and writer. The displays and graphics throughout the museum are intriguing and make you curious for more. Twain's pithy humor and highly inspiring story telling not only bring back your own childhood memories but engage your happiest imaginations.

I have not read Twain for years. I had planned to read one of his books before my visit, but got caught up with life. This was a great place to become reacquainted. They run the PBS film on Sam Clemens life (part 1) which I recommend you see (before you arrive). Loved the display of his humorous sayings on the ground floor. Becky Thatcher’s House was intent on a children’s audience. The home of the boy who the Huck Finn character is based on was interesting. The tour put me back in time and slowed me down to focus on the purpose of the visit - to appreciate a great writer and humorist. If you are a Twain scholar, a visit to an American library dedicated to Twain or a challenge seminar might hold more appeal, but for me, this did the trick!

One ticket gets you into the museum and this house and Becky Thatcher's and Huck Finn's and Twain's father's office. It is fun to walk through, takes about an hour.

I liked taking a half hour to visit the home and then reenact the painting of the fence. Fun times and a way to get kids to have an interest in reading.

Kudos to the committee that put this tour together. Different buildings of historic significance are gathered on the same campus. Exhibits are in depth and fascinating. Extremely well done museum!

My friend and I spent most of our time in the Museum. The first floor seems sparse at first glance, but don't be fooled. You are in for a very rich experience as you immerse yourself into each of Twain's books. The film clip is especially thought-provoking. Then go upstairs and absorb all the artifacts there. We lingered so long; we were the last to leave at closing time!

We enjoyed our visit at Twain's boyhood home. It was nice that the street was blocked off for easy of getting between properties. I am not sure it is all handicapped accessible as you have to walk up a flight of stairs to see in the Mark Twain house. The video as you begin your tour is a 90 minute video. Smaller clips throughout the site would be more beneficial.

You don’t have to know books of Mark Twain but it would be better for any visitor to enjoy and understand this place better to read at least one of them.

Interesting in seeing the life and times of that era. A much more class based society than today. Get the multi site pass, :-)

This is a great museum complex. We enjoyed visiting the homes of Mark Twain and other people from his young days. The museum’s collection of original Norman Rockwell paintings, however, was my favorite part. The museum has done a great job displaying them and explaining how Rockwell became involved with Mark Twain’s books. We began our visit with the trolley ride through Hannibal and found it to be interesting and informative. The downtown area is delightful, with good restaurants and shops. We were there for one day, and I wish it could have been two. A great place to visit for all ages!

Cost is reasonable, and there is a lot of walking if you visit all the buildings but it was all worth it. Quite educational & informative, with several gift shops for souvenirs. There are several shops to visit that are on the tour route but not part of the tour.

One of the nicest historical sites we've ever been to, with Sam Clemens' boyhood home, the house of the inspiration for Huck Finn, Clemens' father's judge's quarters, the famous fence, and a pharmacy where the family lived for awhile. Also worth a visit is the museum, about a block and a half from the home with a very nice collection of original Norman Rockwell sketches and paintings.

We went here first in order to get a map and tickets for the various museums in town. After our 50 minutes there we both had a greater appreciation of Mark Twain

The Mark Twain experience was very enjoyable. If you're a fan, GO! His observations & comments on everyday life are just what we need in today's world. He's a true American gem!

All those properties may seem like a lot of time when you buy the ticket, but stop the worry. You can break them up and have lunch and shop in town. Such an enjoyable day. Immerse yourself in all that you loved about Mark Twain. There is something for everyone.

This is somewhat interesting just to see the architecture of these simple old homes. But even more interesting to learn about the real life characters and settings that were the inspiration for the Tom Sawyer / Huck Finn stories. Also learned about Samuel Clemens' own childhood. I'm considering here not only the boyhood home but also the other homes that are also right here and part of the same ticket.

I recommend the package ticket that will get you into all the buildings and the museum. This was very interesting and fun for lover's of Mark Twain.

A simple museum complex with cool exhibits that the kids liked for the most part. Add a little grown up narration (having studied the time period, I added commentary on the fact their current lifestyle would be bigger then a river Barron in the day). The kids liked the steam whistle and the people running the museums had lots of activities and things for the kids to engage in. Get the combined ticket for all buildings.

Visited the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, pleasantly surprised to find that Military Veterans are admitted free. Kids may not be that entertained, but I found it quite interesting. The tour encompasses several buildings, to include Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home, Huckleberry Berry Finn House, Becky Thatcher House, and several others. Well worth the time to check out while in Hannibal.

It was really fun to learn about Samuel Clemens and the parallels between his real life and his books. It was a great museum.

This includes several different location is three or four blocks. Excellent museums and historic buildings.

The museums were interesting for older kids, but the younger children (under 8) lost interest quickly.

We arrived about forty minutes before closing, and were disappointed to learn we needed to arrive by 3:30 to be allowed to do a self guided tour. We weren’t offered any options to see part of it. The woman working was not in the least bit helpful or friendly.

This museum complex is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in both Mark Twain history & Hannibal history. It was a little surreal to see his boyhood home and the famous “white washed fence”! I know the fence was a reproduction but it was done very convincingly. Mark Twain is being lost in the progression of generations. I was glad to share this piece of American History (person & place) with my kids!

Although I’ve read a lot about mark twain and his publications, it was interesting to be in the town of Hannibal and the house that he and his family lived in. The citizens have done a lovely preservation of the buildings which are presented well. We were able to see a thirty minute presentation of his character in the museum which was very good. The museum contained enough material to spend a few hours reading it all. I would recommend a visit to Hannibal for everyone.

Very enjoyable, if you like Mark Twain books about Tom and Huck. The one fee covered all the buildings and parking was free. Staff was friendly and helpful. We went on a rainy, November day and had the place virtually to ourselves

The museum is laid out with directions that take you from building to building and has lots of neat items from the past. I am glad I took the self-guided tour,

Nice exhibts to visit at your own pace. Lots of displays. Very informative. The museum had alot of reading at each exhibit and many of the interactive displays were not functioning properly. We had a good time but I could see how it would be difficult with smaller children.

My husband and I enjoyed the self-guided tour of this historic complex. The quotes from Mark Twain's autobiography and his other books gave a clear picture of his life and some of the issues of his day. Most of the tour involved reading large, artistically done posters documenting his life. The Ken Burns video about him was playing, and we sat down for a little while to watch it. We wanted to move onto the other buildings, so we didn't spend too much time on it--though what we did watch was very good. If I'd known about the documentary, I would have watched it before the trip. It was available to purchase, but I think I'll see if my library has it. We listened to Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn on the trip out, and the museum and video helped us to understand the issues Mark Twain was dealing with, especially in Huck Finn.
The museum, just down the street, is very well done. The displays in the museum are impressive and the Norman Rockwell pictures are wonderful. It's right in the midst of lots of cute shops (and a great ice cream place!). Admission to the museum is included in the price of the house tour. We also had a delicious lunch at the Mark Twain Brewery, just across from the historic complex, on the river.

We parked our RV in public parking on Main St., walked a block to interpretative center, spent 30 minutes watching the film there, short walk to Huck Finn cabin, Becky Thatcher house and back of drug store where Judge held court. It was all self-paced, and stairs to climb would preclude anyone not able to do that. But we enjoyed it, and did it all in 75 minutes. Want to return to Hannibal to do the trolley ride and shops on Main St.

Start at the museum where you buy your ticket for all the homes. Go through the museum and watch the documentary if you have time. Then go on to the other homes. There are many interactive displays for children. Take time to "white wash" the fence!

Hannibal is a charming town with many opportunities to learn more about Mark Twain. The boyhood home and museum was worth a stop. The museum
in particular is well done. The home was undergoing some work so we weren’t able to see all if it.

Close to everything; nicely restored ; Norman Rockwell original paintings . located to all to all the shops and attractions.

This was a great self guiding tour as it includes numerous buildings. It is self paced and my husband and I spent 3 hours total as went into the museum. Mark Twain’s boyhood home, Laura Hawkins childhood home, Grants Drugstore and Tom Blankenship (Huckleberry Finn).
The museum is set up so interesting and the staff so personable.
Great way to spend your day.

go at your own pace is nice! very informative learned a lot of new things about Mark Twain interactive displays were helpful and fun

We spent a very nice time visiting at Mark Twain's Boyhood Home & Museum. It was toward the end of the season & the crowds were sparce, but enough people to make it interesting. Very nice displays & lots of information. Nice day....Took a break for lunch at Becky Thatcher's Diner. Yum!

I’m amazed at how many times through life I have wanted to come here. Was it the stories, the movies, or a combination of both. At 67 I drove here from Virginia. Turns out Mark Twain’s father was born in the county my family comes from. Yes, we need to get away from technology and enjoy life in small town USA. It’s not the seeing if the house that is important, but it’s connection to our soul.

It was interesting to see his boyhood home. Buy the package so you can tour several of the other homes and gallery. Good for the price. Nice quick tour to beat the heat in July.

Ticket to the museum includes 8 diferent museum properties; Interpretive Center, Hucklebery Finn House, Mark Twain Boyhood Home, Boyhood Home Shop, Becky Thatcher House, J.M.Clemens Justice of the Peace Office, Grant's Drug Store, amd Museum Gallery. Mark Twain fans will find many interesting things to discover.

Wonderful museum and tour - very informative - a step back in time!
That's really all I have to say, but if you require 100 words, I'll keep typing. Hope to return in the Fall - Thanks!

The museum was a highlight of our Hannibal visit! We visited the interpretive center, where we gathered information and purchased our tour tickets. We made the museum the final stop of the tour. It is a wonderful jewel! We enjoyed all the information on Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain’s life and works. His daughter has donated several of his personal items, and Norman Rockwell’s exhibit of original paintings that were used to illustrate one of the Adventures of Tom Sawyer editions. These are beautiful.

Not all of the tour buildings are easily assessable for the handicapped simply because of the age of the buildings. My husband is just coming off knee replacement surgery, so while he’s ambulatory and can climb stairs and walk up and down the inclines, I can see that some would struggle. The museum is totally assessable with a nice elevator and ramps, and if this is your only stop, you will gather plenty of information as well as see many artifacts.

We were not sure how much time to allot for this attraction. We parked in front of the museum, where you purchase your tickets and start the “tour.” There is a gift shop attached as well as restrooms. The lower level of the museum felt more like it was designed for children to interest them in reading Mark Twain books. The upper level was better with a number of Norman Rockwell illustrations from Twain’s books, Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, as well as personal items, family history and photos, etc. The museum took us about 20 minutes at most. Then you walk 2-3 short blocks down the street (you could drive and park there) to the interpretive center, which is kind of more of the same as the lower level of the museum. They should have combined the two. After the interpretive center, at which we spent about 5 minutes, you are self-guided by signs to “Huck Finn’s” house (empty), Mark Twain’s home (furnished with period appropriate furniture but not furniture belonging to the Clemons family), Becky Thatcher’s house, Judge Clemons house, Grant’s store. The entire tour of this section only took us about 20-30 minutes. It felt like Hannibal was trying to get a whole lot of mileage out of a few ties and remaining buildings to Twain. The best part of the entire tour was the Rockwell paintings. We made time to visit Hannibal, but in retrospect we could have easily skipped this attraction.

Enjoyed all of the historical information - displays were well organized and thorough and progressed at your own pace.

Seeing the living conditions of the various people was profound. Mark Twain's boyhood friend was Tom Blankenship, the model for Huckleberry Finn. Seeing his ramshackle home was especially thought-provoking. I was also impressed by the drug store, where the Clemens family sought protection during hard financial times. I took time to listen to all the oral narratives.

Museum and boyhoood home and area building very interesting and people were very helpful. Town was nice and could walk around and visit with antiques, quilts, popcorn and very interesting old timey stores. Gift store available in the home!

This is just a wonderful museum and don’t miss it. You can easily spend a couple of hours here and you will enjoy every minute of it. The staff is excellent and couldn’t be more friendly and helpful.

The museum and his boyhood home are a complex that tells his story. The interpretive center gives you a background before you enter the home. After we toured his home, we stepped into town as it looked when Sam Clemens was a boy with Becky Thatcher Museum, Huckleberry Finn House, Grant’s Drug Store, Twain’s father’s Justice of the Peace Office, and more.

This Museum complex is well worth the time for anyone interested in regional history as well as the life of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain). Be sure to visit the Museum Gallery down the street from the houses, and see the 15 original Norman Rockwell paintings and corresponding sketches. There are several nice gift shops (with many books) in the various buildings. There is now special admission for active military AND retired military. A must see when visiting Hannibal.

This attraction is a self-guided tour that includes several closely situated buildings. You can spend as much or as little time as you need. Although it was interesting, I prefer live tour guides so that I can ask questions as we go. There were no live guides, but there were a lot of videos and printed information so that guests could skim or dive in to learn about the life of Mark Twain.

Caught off guard while walking Hannibal, we did not expect to see the whitewashed fence and yes, the bucket of paint and brushes were there too. What fun. Thanks for the memory....

Very interesting and fun. Our tour guide looked like mark twain!! He was a wealth of info. The history is interesting and worth seeing.

Lots of artifacts inside the museum. You get to visit the homes of Mark Twain, Becky Thatcher, other characters of Mark Twain's books. The staff is well trained and very nice.

As a nice diversion to the craziness of life - we made the effort to drive from Indiana to Hannibal MO to see the boyhood home and inspiration for Samuel Clements “Mark Twain”’s Huckleberry Finn Adventures.
We are so glad we did! 👏
We had a wonderful time. So much to see and do. It took us about 2 hours to see the various sights, houses, displays and interactive exhibits.

It’s definitely an amazing reflection on the challenges our country had during the 1850’s - 1860’s. The issues of slavery, treatment of those in poverty and the expectations and experiences of those from refined lifestyles.

We learned so much about Mark Twain - that by the time we left - we felt like we had spent and afternoon sitting on his porch and laughing and philosophizing with him.

There are some great deals available on GROUPON for discounts on tickets. Otherwise - expect to pay about $15/person.

All tours and displays are COVID safe. Masks are recommended as well as social distancing.

As in the words of Mark Twain: “Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other.”

Have a great time 🤗

There are no original artifacts of Mark Twain or his family in this exhibit. There are period appropriate pieces of furniture but they did not belong to him. It's very bland and if you don't know extensively about Mark Twain or read his books, you certainly won't learn anything on this self guided tour. Most of the buildings are NOT fully handicap accessible. The buildings are all well kept but it was shocking that no effort has been made to enthusiastically and logically tell the man's story. The gift shop is a joke. Interpretive Center staff not friendly.

We enjoyed the series of Mark Twain related properties in Hannibal. Starting with the interpretive center, then going through the Huck Finn house, Mark Twain Boyhood home, Becky Thatcher house, Grant's Drug Store, and Mark Twain Museum Gallery. The Gallery was a great way to end the tours, with over 30 Norman Rockwell prints of illustrations he did for the Twain books in the 1930s. After this, we were fortunate enough to enjoy the 30 minute one-man Twain show with local interpreter Jim Waddell. He was terrific!

I took my 3 grandchildren ages 8 to 11 on a vacation to Hannibal. We listened to Tom Sawyer on a CD on our drive there. They loved seeing the places depicted in the book. It was a fun, educational trip.

Very well curated for a variety of ages for understanding both the author and the story. I would recommend it to everyone!

I was amazed by the condition of the property and the artifacts. It's well preserved and presented. One could easily imagine Mark Twain living in that home and sneaking visits with Miss Thatcher.

Very reasonably priced ticket admits you to several houses and the museum. Very interesting exhibits about the life and times of Samuel Clemens. It was interesting seeing the various houses and seeing and reading about life in Hannibal in the mid to late 1800's. I didn't particularly care for the museum, other than the Norman Rockwell exhibit upstairs.

This is a MUST see on your trip!! You are totally immersed in the Mark Twain era. Most every exhibit is quite interactive and the staff are so very friendly. There are several cool houses to walk thru. Downtown is only a block away and has really neat stores,a coffee shop and trolley. It only took us a few hours at a very comfort pace.

Fantastic museum. We enjoyed the weaving in of Twain’s own words along with the history of his and his family’s life.

We visited the Mark Twain Visitor Center and purchased tickets to tour all the available buildings. This included the visitor's center, Mark Twain boyhood home, Huckleberry Finn House, JM Clemens Justice of the Peace office, the Becky Thatcher House and the Museum Gallery. The exhibits are informative and directions between buildings are very clear. There are a few places that are not handicap accessible. There is quite a bit of information to absorb and you move through at your own pace. Employees were all friendly and willing to answer any questions.

An affordable tickets allows access to tour Mark Twain's boyhood home; Huck Finn's boyhood home & interpretive Center; Becky Thatcher's home, J M Clemens Justice of the Peace Office, Grants drugstore & the Mark Twain Museum Gallery! Lots of fun to remember the stories of Tom & Huck & relive their time in history. All locations are in excellent condition & the gardens are lovely too.

Self guided tour great value as tour includes Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Thatcher childhood homes, Justice of peace office and Mark Twain museum
Grant's drug store in currently closed for renovations. Very interesting video in the interpretive center about Samuel Langhorne Clemens

It is a self-paced walking tour through several different buildings including a museum about a block down the street. It is a good walk in the past.

Very informative - good signage to explain what you are looking at. The tour begins at the museum, and leads next door to the boyhood home, across the street to Becky Thatcher's home, next door to the drug store, and back to Huck Finn's home - all within two blocks. Easy walking. We spent two hours and now my wife wants to go back and re-read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huck Finn. Time well spent.

Very well presented information and artifacts. The written displays were well done and left me feeling like I had met Twain's characters and the people of Hannibal. Lots to read, but enjoyable and well organized. It was great to have so many Mark Twain quotes posted throughout the house.

Fun to see the pictures and places Twain wrote about all within walking distance of our hotel. The museum at the end of the tour is interesting and well worth seeing.

For the price...great, great amount of history. You can walk almost all of the buildings within the same block. The museum is 3 blocks away. Families with children should go here indeed.

By the time you leave, you'll know everything you ever wanted to know about Mark Twain... & then some!

$24.89 for 2 adults to get in. There's a gift shop before you enter the museum.

The museum was nice. We had visited the birthplace museum in Florida, which was free. It was just as nice. The buildings are well done & you can see Becky Thatcher's house, The justice of the peace office & the drug store all for the admission price.
Becky's was more child friendly.

One thing that bothered me was this place isn't accessible. My husband is mobility impaired & there's A LOT of stairs. He sat in the courtyard between the Boyhood Home & Becky Thatcher's because all the stairs were too much. There was a sign that said they were going to try to make it more accessible, but I don't know how.

Down Main Street a couple of blocks is the Museum Gallery, which has more Mark Twain related things. There's Norman Rockwell paintings relating to Mark Twain books.

This self-guided tour was fun and entertaining as well as an educational
experience. Therevis a lot of reading but you can go at your own pace and leave for lunch or coffee and then return to finish the tour. Highly recommend you make time for the hour-long movie about Twain's life.

This collection of museums and historic buildings is very educational and a lot of fun. They liberally use Clemons' quotes in the displays so it's like he's speaking to you. The buildings and displays are well done and the objects well curated. Set aside at least half of a day to see this site

This museum is very interesting and has a little bit of interactive displays, but the home itself is not very interactive. The displays are nicely done. There is glass separating you from the display, so on a humid day, the glass gets very foggy.

Becky Thatchers house across the street has fun and interactive displays.

A person will learn a lot about Mark Twain as he or she goes through the multiple museums. There are several, all along Main Street. This is a delight for someone who loves literature!

The staff were warm and friendly. The museum self guided tour through the homes was very well organized. The museum exceeded expectations. It was incredibly informative, visually pleasing and multimedia in it's presentations. I was amazed at the amount of personal items and documents.

My husband and I found it to be very interesting. We enjoyed reading the info and looking at the history surrounding the home; how the people would have lived.

Being born and raised in Keokuk, IA, I had been to the Mark Twain Boyhood area a couple of times throughout my life. Last Saturday going through it as an older adult and actually reading and paying attention, I found out so much about Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain that I thought I knew but didn't. The Interpretive Center, Becky Thatcher's Home and the Mark Twain Museum were my favorites of the buildings. If you are a fan of the Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn books, or Mark Twain in general, I recommend checking this attraction out. I lot of good information about the author and the characters of his books.

This is definitely a must-see in Hannibal. The museum itself is extremely well done with lots of interactive exhibits. There was a well-priced gift shop attached as well. The other buildings are a short walk away down the street. There are many docents to answer questions and each location does a great job both visually and with their signage. These sites are well worth the time it takes to tour them.

I love reading the history and interesting stories that the museum provided. However, there wasn't the personal touch that I think might have been present during non-COVID times. Still a great visit.

It was reasonably priced. Lots of information about Samuel Clemens. I enjoyed the way they told his story by making you think about your own life story. We had a good time walking the path from place to place.

We went because our granddaughter is a Mark Twain fan, and she loves all things about Mark Twain, and his stories.We had a wonderful time and are going back this fall because that is where she wants to go again.

The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum is awesome. It contains a very interesting coverage of Mark Twain's 5 Best Stories including Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and Innocents Abroad. There are good videos for kids to watch. The museum recreates some of the stories. There's a raft like the one Huckleberry Finn floated down the Mississippi River in.

Frommer's includes Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in its 100 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Grow Up. I definitely recommend as a part of a trip to St. Louis, Missouri. The Museum is about 2 hours north of St. Louis.

I really enjoyed Becky Thatcher's House. It gave an interesting comparison of the lives of Becky (well to do), Tom Sawyer (lower middle class), Huckleberry Finn (lower class) and Jim (slave). You learned about the types of punishments kids received in school for misbehavior. A lot of today's discipline problems would clear up if they brought back some of these punishments. You learned the types of toys, homes, work the different classes had back in the 1870s.

There was a big storm off of the Mississippi River when we visited which was a little fitting. At the end of my tour, I visited the statues of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The statues are worth a picture.

In the rain, I decided to take the stairs up to see the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse. I had no idea how many levels and steps there were. Once you get started, you are stuck. There's about 240 steps up and 3 or 4 levels. It's good exercise if you need some. Otherwise, I would recommend driving to the top. The lighthouse wasn't that impressive.

I wish the weather was a little better, but the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum is a wonderful attraction.

We arrives on November 1st, so many of the attractions were closed for the season. We went to the main Mark Twain Museum and were very happy with the variety of exhibits. There were areas that represented parts of Mark Twain's books including the fence that was whitewashed, the cave, etc. Mark Twain's small desk was one of the artifacts. Although the riverboat was not running, there was a representation of the bridge of one of the boats, complete with the huge wheel.

My wife is a retired English teacher and taught Twain throughout her career. She was suitably impressed with the museum and Twain’s childhood home. She was less impressed with the “imaginary” reconstructed sites like Becky’s house and Jim’s cabin. She was also appalled that I had never read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and called into question my education and cultural literacy. I bought a copy in the museum’s excellent gift shop and now have homework.

A good place to start your visit of Hannibal and to get your feet wet. You get the overall picture of why this is a tourist area

Nice set up although there are stairs involved. This is our second trip here. The first time not all the houses were open. Nice displays and the wild huckleberry jelly beans are really good!!

We learned so much about the life of the boy who grew up to become one of our favorite authors. Who knew he was such a character? From his boyhood riverfront home you can learn so much about this interesting man. He loved the life of adventure and was certainly an inovative entertainer, as well as a wordsmith! We were fascinated by this place!

We arrived with only 30 minutes to closing, They still allowed us to tour the area. We were able to go through and actually not feel rushed. Its a piece of child hood reading books all should enjoy, Quaint area with good food, a rivet boat dinner cruise, and little parks, the people are very friendly.

The Mark Twain Museum was very interesting and educational. There was a fairly long movie clip of The Adventures of Huck Finn, a movie that changed Huck's view of Black Jim from a lesser human to a valued friend. My favorite part of the museum was the original paintings by Norman Rockwell that illustrated Twain's books. They were donated to the museum after Rockwell's death. Other than being old, restored buildings, the homes of Twain, Huck and Becky were redundant as far as information displayed in the museum. They're about a 3 block walk from the museum building and are included with the museum admission.

My favorite childhood books alive. So touching to see Tom and Huckleberry again. And Becky, and Injun Joe, and the caves...)))

I am writing one review, but it actually covers eight properties. You start at the Museum Gallery. Everything is self-guided but there are signs at every step to explain what you are seeing. Who knew how many books were written by Samuel Clemens and how many drawings Norman Rockwell made for these books?
Several blocks away is the Interpretive Center. It is important to start here and follow the signs because everything should be seen in a specific order. I won't list the names of each building as some are very small, but overall, this is a fascinating tour.

This is not a bad way to spend some time. We started in the Interpretive Center, and ended down the street at the Museum Gallery where the Norman Rockwell paintings are. The experience was mostly good, but we thought the reflections on the glass covering some of the displays in the Interpretive Center made it tough to read. A lot of the displays in the in between buildings are geared more towards children, but it is not terrible for adults. There are a number of places to get souvenirs throughout the tour if that is what you are interested in.

Museum very interesting and well done but a lot to read, so take your time. Several restored buildings incl Mark Twain’s home, Becky Thatcher home, Huck Finn home, apothecary and nice gift shops. Worth the $10 price! Great value!

when the river boats are in town this exhibit complex is packed. It two hours 600 potential additional visitors are possible. None will enjoy the visit, those from the boats or visitors in town. If traveling here check the boat schedules before coming!

Exhibits, the house, a film, etc. There are several buildings involved in this complex

If you enjoy Twain, this is a great place for you. The home is great to visit, and the museum was especially enjoyable.

A very informative, fun tour of several buildings. The signs were excellent at guiding us thru the self-guided tour. A must stop when in Hannibal!

Interesting information but we’d already taken in a lot of info before we got to this stop so to be fair I was tired and hungry. However, you do get to go into a few of the old buildings and get a glimpse into home life. Give yourself about 1-1.5 hours for this self-guided tour. I do wish they had your guides but there are a lot of placards and videos with information and history on them. It’s worth the stop overall.

This museum actually has 5 different houses and museums included, very close in proximity. It includes the original childhood homes of Mark Twain, Becky Thatcher, and Huckleberry Finn. The museums are very well done and contain much history. There are quotes by Mark Twain that made us laugh out loud. He was so humorous and one of a kind. It was truly a treat to be brought back in time - to give us a glimpse of his childhood. Very worth seeing!

The Mark Twain Museum is actually several museums that is spread out. Very enjoyable and is interactive. Interesting to see how small of a home he had and how very small Huck Finn's home was. The larger museum was very interesting. It was also a nice place on a hot summer day. So glad that I made the stop.

The Mark Twain theme is very interesting. The Norman Rockwell sketches and painting of characters from the Tom Sawyer book were great.

We arrive there at exactly 4.30 As it is stated everywhere that the museum is open until 5.but the lady did not let us in. She told us we had to be there at least for 90 minutes.

This was difficult to understand to us as we were just paying the regular price.

This was a very poor experience - all other things in the city and especially the people had been super nice.

I really enjoyed the self-guided tour which allowed me to squeeze this in between some other activities. I loved meandering through the different buildings and how they wove the story of Mark Twain and the people and places he knew that inspired his stories. I was pleasantly surprised that the museum addressed slavery and racism as head-on as it did, as well as socioeconomic disparities. The flow of moving between buildings is beautiful and easy and there was a surprisingly nice mix of older styled room vignettes and narrated videos. I managed to get through them all in 1.5 hours but could easily have stayed another hour.

It was fun to take the tour of Mark Twain's boyhood home, and step back into history. Can't really say much about the city of Hannibal, as we were there the day after Labor Day and it seems like every thing closes up. The town was dead! The trolley wasn't even running. So we had to do our own little walking tour.

I was blown away by the quality of this museum and accompanying historical sites. The brought to life some of Mark Twain's great works. I was inspired to blow the dust off some old books and re-read them when I got home

We were there on a Sunday the Museums opened at 9am.There was no tour guide
or anyone to ask any questions outside the main museum.
Was a fun place to self walk through
But would have loved to have had a tour guide

Loved learning more about Mark Twain and his family history! To rise up from poverty and entertain the world as well as many dignitaries was amazing. Very enlightening and memorable!

What a cool experience! Someone spent many, many hours working on all the exhibits and different ways to experience those!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Wonderful and informative museum on the life and times of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemons). Well worth your time—for adults, children, and grandchildren. The town of Hannibal, MO. also is delightful, with many interesting shops.

The $10 ticket buys a self-guided tour of the museum, as well as 5 other buildings. We felt the museum and homes were very well done and well worth the admission fee. Everyone was very welcoming and we felt comfortable and safe. there are steps in some of the houses, with no other options. There were some displays in the museum that did not work at all, or properly.

My husband and I came here on Saturday, June 23. Really enjoyed the Interpretive Center. The other buildings were good but frustrating from a photographer point of view - too much glass! The overall, however, is very educational.

It's adorable just like the rest of the town. It's a lot of fun if you're familiar with Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The Norman Rockwell paintings are also really cool.

We came to Hannibal to experience all things Mark Twain...and this was the perfect place to start. This quaint town has done a lovely job of honoring their hometown hero, and what better place than his boyhood home. Great info that makes you appreciate the Clemons family and the influence of the Mississippi on all of Twain’s writings.

The Mark Twain Museum is right on the main street in downtown Hannibal, Missouri. The admission ticket includes the Mark Twain boyhood home which is a few blocks away. The museum had a lot of mark Twain Memorabilia and displays. The boyhood home was a typical small town home in the 1800's. We also went inside Huck Finn's small house and walked by Becky Thatcher's nicer house.

I chose to stop here on our tour of Nebraska and Missouri because I loved Mark Twain"s books and wanted to see where her grew up and how he made his adventures come to life.

This place was informative and you could tour various locations within blocks of each other for one low price. We visited Mark Twain Boyhood Home, Becky Thatcher's home,
the Lighthouse, Huck Finn's house but didn't make it to the museum down the street due to a time factor. Great tour especially for the historical value and price.

I was going to just walk through Twain’s boyhood home but the exhibits were so well done and the town so well preserved, I chose to stay longer. And you’ve got to see the original Norman Rockwell paintings!

What a great way to spend the afternoon... visiting the Mark Twain boyhood home and museum. It is very well done and included four different buildings. It provides a great overview of the author's life and writings. It appeared to us to be the main draw to Hannibal.

Wonderful experience to immerse oneself in the world of boyhood that Samuel Clemens lived and loved...giving him the start to a brilliant future novelist/satirist. Exhibits were well curated. We detoured from St Louis to Springfield by coming here and it was one of our best"side trips" ever....well worth the drive!

The entire complex provides an interesting step back into the past which shaped the characters in Mark Twain's books.
If you're interested in history or literature, you will appreciate this attraction. You can go through at your pace taking more time at certain exhibits if you choose. All in all it doesn't take long to go through it, but is well worth the time.

We appropriately came by river boat to Hannibal. Twain's home, museum, and visitor center are part of a preserved area of related structures. It still has some of the feel of his times, as all are in walking distance of the docks along the river. Twain's writing is such that passages often work independently from the texts in which they are housed, and the emphasis is clearly on his writing in these places. The exhibitions of first editions and the carefully curated bookstore offerings help in the overall presentation.

Hannibal is about 100 miles northwest of St. Louis and a visit there is time well spent. We started out with the Mark Twain Boyhood home and museum. It gave a real sense of the environment in which Mark Twain grew up. It also was fun seeing places and pieces of things in his novels about the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. The museum is well maintained by caring people wanting to preserve a special place in our American history. Visit if you can.

We were driving the Great River Road from St Louis to Minneapolis and decided to break the journey here at the childhood home of the author who had first brought the Mississippi into my life as a child. We'd expected to have a brief stop here visiting Mark Twain's house, but found our ticket also allowed us entry to a replica of 'Huckleberry Finn's home, 'Becky Thatcher's home, a restored village store (closed on our visit), the courthouse where Twain's Father worked and a museum, which was great value for money and meant we ended up spending a whole morning here in the end. The museum has a wide range of interesting exhibits and focuses on some of Twain's less well known works as well as the obvious classics. Perhaps the highlight is the collection of 15 Norman Rockwell illustrations on the upper level. Information across the sites is plentiful and varied enough to keep everyone interested, with lots of child-friendly material, especially in the Becky Thatcher house. Oh, and they also have a paint pot and bucket outside Twain's childhood home, so you can take a photo of you kids 'painting' the picket fence!

We visited Hannibal for the 1st te this past weekend not realizing it was the 67th Annual Tom Sawyer Days so there were several people in town but everyone was friendly we met. We were lucky & found a parking spot at the museum & paid $20 for the self guided tour. It was well worth it because it included seeing several exhibits & buildings in town including Mark Twain's home, Becky Thatcher's home, Grant's Drugstore & . , his dad's justice of yhe piece office plus others. Everyone in each building were courteous & helpful. For the $20 tocket price, you could go in & out of the museum exhibits so we stopped & at lunch at the Mark Twain diner & then walked & checked out several cool shops in town, walked down to the riverfront, then came back & finished the rest of the exhibits ending with museum where a gentleman impersonating Mark Twain gave a 30 minute talk, which was excellent. I am thinking he was just there because of it Tom Sawyer Days, but not sure We were in Hannibal from about 10 AM till 5 PM. Enjoyed a fried chicken dinner at Nark Twain's diner for supper.

A great place to visit and spend a couple of hours. I really enjoyed touring the different houses and hearing the history of each place. Don't miss the Norman Rockwell paintings upstairs in the museum.

I enjoyed my visit here very much. Other visitors were not masked, so I didn’t spend as much time as I would have liked, but the exhibits were very interesting and entertaining.

Fun day trip about 2 hours from St. Louis. Twain's Musuem is a 3 floor museum with lots of artifacts, multimedia, etc. On the third floor there was an enormous gallery with Norman Rockwell artwork of Twain's books. Your ticket includes admission to several other sites in Hannibal, too - such as Twain's boyhood home, Becky Thatcher's House. Staff at Twain musuem were great - helpful and knowledgable. We spent over an hour exploring. After, we went to nearby Finn's restaurant for lunch. Great catfish! One BIG word of caution: You do NOT need to buy tickets in advance. I Googled "Mark Twain House" and landed on the one in Conneticut - for which you do need to buy advance tickets. Didn't realize my mistake until we were about a mile from Hannible. $72 down the drain!

Lovely and interesting presentation of Mark Twain's life. The flow of all the houses and exhibts are set up so well. It is also set up to capture the attention of younger visitors as well. Must see.

The website might say that they are open virtually every day of the year, but they were closed on a Saturday for "inclement weather" because there was still some snow and ice around after a small storm on Thursday.

My husband and took a day trip to Hannibal Mo It was fun to visit all the unique shops in the old downtown. We took in the museum and went to the boyhood home of Mark Twain,very intresting On the way out of town we went to lovers leap ,great views of the Mississippi and land .

Visiting Hannibal so of course we had to visit here. It was really interesting to learn more about Mark Twain and see how he lived. For one price you go to this house, Becky Thatcher's House, and the Justice of the Peace. Pretty neat to see!

This is actually a series of buildings with exhaustive information about Mark Twain. You could literally spend all day here, if you read every word and watched every video. There is nothing about Mark Twain you cannot learn at this museum.

We started in the museum, then followed their suggested path—interpretive center, Huck Finn house, Sam Clemons house, Becky Thatcher House, Clemons’ Justice of the Peace building. We learned more than we thought possible.

Be forewarned that you must walk a few blocks and not every building is handicapped accessible. However, there is plenty to see that is accessible. He was a fascinating man and there is much to learn!

The museums and houses are very well done. Tickets to do all the museums and houses are $12 for adults, well worth the price. A lovely way to spend part of the day in Hannibal.

A visit to Hannibal, the boyhood home of Mark Twain, wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Twain’s boyhood home and museum. You’ll get a better idea why Twain wrote the way he did, in large part, as you step back into his history. You can spend as little or as much time as you wish as you see what motivated Mark Twain to write the way he did. You will be motivated to read (or reread) The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer.”

If you are near Hannibal, you have to stop at Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home and Museum! Seeing the place that came alive in Twain’s writings made me want to read those famous books all over again! So much to see!

Born and raised in Missouri yet never visited this site. Very interesting and informative. Got a little crowded when a bus tour arrived, but plenty of exhibits and and houses to tour. Short videos. Personnel items from family members on display in interesting fashions. Kids got the experience of "White washing" a fence.

Wasn’t impressed with display. A visit to Mark Twain’s home in Conn. was much better. We did enjoy the cave walk in Hannibal & the riverboat ride but if you’re going to Hannibal for Mark Twain don’t bother.

It was fun and interesting to walk around the town viewing things that were part of Mark Twain's history. Of course the houses are small, but the story behind them was very interesting. Your admission includes 6 sites.

I thought the tour was good but underwhelmed by it all. Wish there had been more detail at the location.

Worth a visit along with the Museum and a stroll down Main Street. Learned a lot about Mark Twain and his characters.

Be sure to buy your ticket that takes you to all of the homes and museum. Great for children-many interactive displays AND adults. We loved going back to the story lines of Twain's books as we traveled through time.

This is a self guided tour. Lots of information but very well done. We started at the mark Twain museum. So impressive. My favorite was the Norman Rockwell prints upstairs. So so good. You then go up Main Street to the white picket fence and see Huck Finn house, Mark Twain boyhood home, Becky Thatcher house, Clemens justice of the peace office and Grants drug store. Easy to navigate read the signs. Mark Twain is another American treasure and nice to see a thoughtful tribute.

We took our grandsons, ages 9 and 14. They really enjoyed it and were very interested in exhibits about life at home and school since they had read some of the Tom Sawyer stories. Interactive exhibits were simple, but only briefly engaging. Doesn't take long to go through the entire compound. If you have kids with you, be warned: it's very heavy on gift shops! We took the Riverboat ride after this, and it was a good ending to the day.

Hannibal, MO is Samuel Clemens' boyhood home. A place where he called upon to write about Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Thatcher and Jim, the runaway slave. All characters inspired by real life characters who lived in Hannibal. The historic society has preserved Clemens boyhood home and other places in an interactive museum self guided walking tour. Well worth the visit when in the area.

The tour starts at Mark Twain's Boyhood Home (complete with fence, brush and "paint" to put yourself in the Tom Sawyer mood!) It's a self-guided tour with information as you go out back to Huckleberry Finn's house, through Twain's home, across the street to Becky Thatcher's house, through the Drug Store and down the street a couple of blocks to the Museum and Art Gallery. Don't forget to do that...the Norman Rockwell paintings/illustrations from his connection to Tom Sawyer are wonderful as well as the Mark Twain artifacts and information from his adulthood.

Really enjoyed the Boyhood Home and Becky Thatchers house. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys history and is familiar with Mark Twain. I would not recommend for young kids.

We've been to the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum several times, and we always enjoy these sites. There is a
lot to see and do here with walk-through and interactive exhibits. If your have any interest in Mark Twain, this is well worth the trip.

This is really a complex of museums - his boyhood home, the attached museum, Becky Thatcher's house, the "Huck Finn" house, and more. Some are the original. Others, like the "Huck Finn" house, are reproductions. Hannibal isn't stretching the truth about being an inspiration for Twain's work, and the museum showcases that. Even if you aren't a big Twain fan, I think it is worth the visit.

It would be better if they offered guided tours by docents. Docents can bring the history to life so much more effectively than just a self-guided tour.

So interesting we spend 3 hours there. Loved the Mark Twain quotes from different periods in his life, the historical photos,and the video.

Fascinating look at the environment that influenced the formative years of one of our nation's foremost and popular authors. The town itself has a number of restaurants and attractions that would foster a rewarding long weekend in Hannibal, MO.

Stopped here on a Westward trip. We enjoyed it. Brought back lots of memories of reading Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer as a youngster. So glad we stopped. Mark Twain's boyhood home was pretty interesting to us!

Loved it! Enjoyed every moment. This place is packed with historic buildings and information. My husband and I love Mark Twain. Fun for people of all walks of life.

This tour was one I had been looking forward to, but it was a little disappointing. Although the price was great to get into all the attractions, it left me wanting more. The tour is self guided with very little history given along the way.

Going to the childhood home of one of your favorite authors, from over 160 + years ago is totally excellent. It was great to see the area some of his best works came from, brings his stories to life, for me.

The museum was mostly exhibits that had excerpts from his writing. They had a film but it was 90 minutes which makes it useless. The admission includes several other buildings and the directional instructions are quite good.

This brought me back to my childhood and a trip I took with my parents. It was just as great this time!

I liked the museum and the tour, it is just that the instructions, etc for getting around are a little disjointed. A larger map other than the one on the back of the ticket would be appreciated.

My first time to Hannibal and I really enjoyed the museum about one of the most celebrated residents. Informative and enjoyable. Kid friendly

Love Mark Twain and had visited his travels in California were we are from. You need to do the complete tour and see the fence, Becky's house etc.

As Seniors, our admission was $10 each. We gained access to the Museum, his boyhood home and several other buildings. There is a lot of information to supplement whatever was learned in earlier school years. The town is small and walkable. Lots of nice shops.

Certainly a stop for the Tom Sawyer-Huck Finn fans. Not an exciting visit, but one can just say they were there.

Not sure what I was expecting but it was just ok. Saw as part of the complex (Museum, Huck Finn house, boyhood home, etc).

Did all in about an hour. If you are in Hannibal do it because it’s a literary giant, otherwise would not make a special trip there for this

This attraction has many options: Clement’s home, “the fence”, the homes of friends who inspired Twain’s characters and details about the history of this picturesque and historical small town. Restaurants and a great coffee shop nearby, and a local brewery. Riverboats dock nearby.

Educational to our child he was excited to learn about his “Missouri History “ to take back to school

Fun look into the life of Mark Twain and his literature. Quaint buildings to walk through and read/learn about his life, literary works, & characters. We had a good time wondering around all the different buildings.

When planning our mid-west trip we wanted to make Hannibal one of our stops with the intent of seeing Mark Twain's boyhood home.The neighborhood where he lived was well preserved and the presentaion at each of the homes were well done. I came away knowing much more than I had known. To see each of the houses on the tour plan on spending about two hours. If you stop and read everything it may take a little longer. This is a must stop

We enjoyed the home and museum. It's not a big place to tour so plan on other sights in Hannibal while you are there.

You start at the boyhood home to purchase your ticket. This will get you into all the buildings such as, the boyhood home, the Mark Twain museum, Becky Thatcher's house etc.
This is a self guided tour so you can go at your own pace.

It is very informative.

We enjoyed the tour of all the homes associated with Mark Twain and especially the museum downtown. The entire historic downtown of Hannibal is very nice, easy walking to everything, along the river, easy parking and fairly level. Coffee shops, restaurants, retail, and more.

Off season, so there were no lines. What a place! Good dioramas, lots of things to read - after all Twain was a writer! I didn't know about things like Twain's voyage to the Middle East, Algiers, etc. I wasn't aware of his connection to Norman Rockwell, either.

The Museum is the best of all the downtown attractions. The homes are just okay. However, I am glad I took it all in.

Granted some of the exhibits could use a bit of a 21st Century update to make them more attractive to today's audience, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this historic site. Very informative and insightful, and the staff and volunteers are gracious and helpful.

My husband and I enjoyed a few hours walking thru the Mark Twain's museum, home, and characters' homes. Each location is well detailed and gives great information. Its all within small walking distance which is great!

Touring the boyhood home of Mark Twain, Huck Finn, Becky Thatcher, is a blast. Do not miss it! Viewing things with your own eyes gives such meaning, and my increases your understanding and appreciation of the talent,humor and witticism of Sam Clemens.

My husband and I decided to visit Hannibal since we were camping nearby. I had not been to Hannibal in 25 years and not much is changed (which is s good thing). We were able to purchase discounted tickets through Groupon. There are a series of buildings as well as a museum included in your ticket price. It took us right at two hours to see everything. We could have stayed longer but hadn't eaten lunch and it was hot so we wrapped it up early. We went on a Tuesday and there were very few people. If you can't stay for the whole movie in the first building, you can watch it when you get home. It is a documentary on Twain's life and quite interesting!

This is a "must-see" for Mark Twain Fans. The comprehensive tour starts at an information center, which provides background information about Mark Twain and the characters in his novels. From there one goes on a self-guided tour to the Huck Finn House, then the house where Twain lived as a youngster, then on to Becky Thatcher's hour and Judge Clemens' court. The final stop is a museum that features Norman Rockwell depictions derived from Twain's novels, plus stage programs, etc. On the mezzanine is an excellent view of the Mississippi. Allow at least a couple hours for the tour, or even all day.

This is an interesting and thoughtful exhibit about Mark Twain. I learned more about the genesis of his books, and about his life. I was glad that they did not gloss over racism and slavery. It brought home to me how far he had to grow beyond the world that he knew in order to write Huckleberry Finn. The 19th century world, the American characters Twain knew, and Twain's style of writing, are all foreign to us now, and Hannibal made Twain's characters live for me.

We were on a family trip. It included 5 adults and 5 children (ages 5-16). Everyone was engaged in looking at everything. The cost was reasonable. I know the kids are interested when they don't "rush" through everything. They are now interested in the writings of Mark Twain. So happy for that!

The entire Mark Twain complex in Hannibal is very nice. The homes show the difference in classes during this time period and there are several nice spots to take photos. The town is quaint and the riverfront area is lovely.

We found the entire tour of the Mark Twain home and museum, along with Becky Thatcher house and drug store to be very interesting and entertaining. It is well laid out, and the the signs clearly mark the way to next house.

The museum and the reception center were informative about Twain’s writings and life story. Some of the exhibits were needing repair but overall, we learned everything we wanted to know about this author of well-known literature. The pilot house view of Mississippi River and the whistle were a nice touch. And the printing press exhibit brought home the arduous task of setting type and publishing a newspaper.
As part of the ticket we saw the “Becky Thatcher” House. The exhibits in this house brought home the reality of the social classes of the Antebellum era. Upon entering you choose a card: “Are you a Becky, Tom, Huck, or slave Jim?”, and in each room you learn something about your life in that given station of life via lifting small named doors to reveal the information. The Huck Finn cabin offered more info about the family this character was based on. The Twain boyhood home was more in the style of the usual historic home with furniture, artifacts, and signage. The Grant drugstore that was part of the ticket was under construction it would appear.

Definitely worth visiting! Very informative and interesting. We visited the visitor's center first, then the lighthouse, we saw the river, then went on to enjoy the museum and homes. Everything was within walking distance. The family enjoyed it.

Wonderful stop on the Great River Road trail! Museum and boyhood home very nicely done with lots of info and history. Combine the museum with visiting the shops,lighthouse,restaurants, watching the steam paddle boats come into dock and it’s a Day well spent!

My wife teaches Literature and my son and I just finished reading Tom Sawyer so it was a treat to visit Twain's boyhood home and see how Hannibal shaped his writings. The museum also includes several neighbors' homes that help tell the story and a museum a few blocks away that focuses on several of his other books and features a reenactor each afternoon. It was well worth the trip!

This was interesting for us and our two 12-year-old grandchildren. The displays in all the building are informative and so well done. We ended up at the museum a short way away from the other buildings and it was our favorite part. Even the grandkids thought the Norman Rockwell exhibit was the best part, as they were familiar with his illustrations.

The online reservation process didn't work. I was sent a receipt, had an order number, etc., but when I showed it to the guy behind the desk, it wasn't complete and he didn't accept it. I am not sure what was missing, but it was a problem. The volunteers at all the sites were very friendly and helpful. This was worth the time we spent and we recommend it for others with any interest in Mark Twain.

Went to all of the buildings. Worth the cost. Information displayed nicely. Interesting and helpful and friendly staff no matter where we went. They wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything.

The Mark Twain boyhood home and museum is a great way to spend an afternoon learning about the life of Twain and how his boyhood experiences influenced his writing. There are several buildings where Twain and his friends lived and worked. The relationship between actual people and events and his story characters gave us a new found interest in the legendary author. This museum is a great way to spend a couple of hours or more. We look forward to going back.

Your self guided tour starts at the visitor center at the bottom of Main Street. You follow the path as it meanders through several buildings containing artifacts, exhibits, and Twain memorabilia. At times you become confused as to whose world you are reliving - Samuel Clemens, Mark Twain, or Tom Sawyers. Your path takes you through Becky Thatcher's house as well, and lets you reenact white washing the Sawyer fence! Of course there's multiple opportunities to visit the gift shops, both at the homestead and the museum. After the homestead, you walk a few short blocks up Main Street to the museum, which offers many well done exhibits on Twain's life, including his river adventures. Upstairs you will find several Rockwell originals and Twain artifacts. Overall, the tour consists of five historic buildings, two museums and three museum shops.

So much learned about Samuel Clemens family and childhood. There was a video to watch as well. Several building to tour are included.

Cool place. The lady who sells tickets at the interpretive center could be more personable. The tickets have a checklist of sites to visit with a map on the back. The museum gallery is a couple of blocks away at Center and Main, but it is worth a visit. The raft exhibit is a nice touch.

A terrific way to spend the better part of a day. The quotes posted around are some of my favorites. Here, at last, is a place that no one thought I was weird for the things I come out with. Here, they know where I got them. The nature of man has not changed.
The references to people, place and time were amazing. The facts of life at the time of his youth would cause most folks today to cry, but life wasn't easy back then.
I will likely go back and see all this again.
I take my time in museums, most folks rush past me and miss half.

We had the combo pack of the museum, Mark Twain house, Becky Thatcher house, Drug store , Huck Finn house.

Of all we really enjoyed the museum the best. Lots of good info and insights into the author Mark Twain and his life experiences. The rest was a bit touristy and you really only got to go into a room or two in each house. The rest of the rooms you saw by looking through windows. Not all that of a great experience.

We are glad we went but a bit disappointed.

The Museum has done a great job restoring & maintaining the grounds and all the insights & tidbits of Mark Twain and his upbringing.

Very well maintained museum and surroundings. I've never read any of his books myself, but I know the writer by name. Have learned quite a bit again.

Thirty years ago you couldn't go in the houses, just look at them from the outside. This time we got to go inside of the Mark Twain house, Huckelberry Fin house, Tom Sawyer house, and Becky Thatcher house. You go on a self guided tour. There are a couple places where you can buy gifts such as books and t-shirts. There are informative signs along the way at each house.

Truthfully, I was never really much of a Mark Twain fan as a reader. I've tried reading his books more than once but could not get through them because the English he used is so very different that what we use today. His work is a hard read. However, I know Mark Twain was considered a staunch progressive in his day relative to his views on race, so I am by no means looking to demean the impact he had on society at the time. He did important work, of that there is no doubt. That said, if ever in the area, it is worth seeing his boyhood home and learning how he morphed people he knew when growing up into the various characters portrayed in his works. For sure it is worth the time.

Wonderful place if you like literature and/or history. Easy parking and access to all exhibits. Cute town!

It was great to pay and see multiple sites including museum, homes and buildings. They have preserved these buildings well.

This was one of the best of its kind anywhere I have been in America ! The complex is made up of seven buildings so leave plenty of time to really enjoy and explore each one. The entire experience is an education that delights and refreshes. Even if you do not know anything about Mark Twain you will come away an expert. The best part of this museum experience is that it is self-guided so you can take it at your own pace and interest level. And it is interactive! A highlight for me was an antique radio that when engaged played an interview with “Becky Thatcher” that is brilliant. It moves on through various buildings and ends in the gift shop which is cleverly stocked with associated things like “huckleberry tea” and Mark Twain bobble heads and much more. Downtown the tour continues with a fantastic layout and features Mark Twain family relics and several Norman Rockwell paitnings that I was not expecting. I promise you this will not disappoint. I had wanted to tour this for years and often it is a let down once you have it so built up in your mind; however, this exceeded every expectation. The staff are lovely and with all there is to do downtown in this little hamlet, this can be an entire day’s adventure.

Interactive museum with friendly staff, several buildings to see, nestled by downtown, parking available, worthwhile to visit

Seeing this and looking at Mark Twain's life brought back so many memories of my childhood and time spent reading about Tom, Huck and Becky. Very informative and fun!!

There is so much here to see and experience. We had a great time going through Mark Twain’s childhood places. The staff at each spot were very friendly and gave tips about what to see or pay attention to. If you have ever read Mark Twain’s nooks you need to go here. The houses and museum had great layouts, information, nostalgic artifacts and interactive exhibits. Go see the lighthouse as well. :)

Mark Twain's boyhood how was very well done. Very interesting about his and his family's life. Really enjoyed the self guided tour. Recommend. Rating... excellent.

I hadn't been here since I was a kid, and a lot has changed. But I still recognized some of the spaces in this attraction, which is a perfect and must-see place to visit if you're coming for the Mark Twain experience. Fascinating and thorough and admirably handled.

Kind of disappointing. You buy a ticket which allows you to walk through several houses which are said to be those of Mark Twain as a boy, etc. Not much to see, mostly reproductions and interiors contain furniture, etc donated by different people and not belonging to Mark Twain. The last stop is the Museum which has more authentic materials and the Norman Rockwell exhibit. Not sure if you have to buy a full price ticket if you just want to go through the museum. I would suggest you ask and if you can go directly to the Museum and skip the other.

Nice coffee shop across the street from the Museum, the Java Jive, which also has sandwiches. The coffee is good.

Museum was cute and informative if you are into Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer. It was a little cheesy/touristy if you are not into the story. Children seemed to enjoy it.

We were recently in St. Louis and took a day trip out to Hannibal. We were a little disappointed at how run down the actual town was compared to the pictures of it that we had seen, however, I am glad that we went to this little town by the Mississippi River that inspired some of Mark Twain's greatest writing.

The Boyhood Home complex and museum were nice and had a lot of good information about Mark Twain. I enjoyed the small museum and then walking through the boyhood home. We also went in to Becky Thatcher's house and through the Courthouse. It is very small and doesn't take much time so you don't have to plan a whole day for this part of town. It was definitely worth going to.

We were told we could do things for free. Well, the good things cost money. We bought the year family membership for $50. $12 per adult. $6 for kids. We saved $4 by buying the pass. Very cool memorabilia. Loved the Norman Rockwell originals. We have to go back within 364 days!

We really enjoyed our visit of the homes and museum. It is well kept and informative. We learned a lot that we didn’t know about Mark Twain.

The Mark Twain house was ok but lacked the goods, it only had a written display, no furniture or memorabilia there were some displays behind glass & that was it.
Because of the house it's not wheelchair friendly ( not there though ) the garden is nice.

We really enjoyed our time at this complex. The Interpretative Center has excellent displays and leads to where Samuel Clemens grew up, the Huck Fiinn house, Becky Thatcher House, and other areas. Don't miss the Museum Gallery two blocks away. It is well-worth experience good for all ages.

All of the sites are in pristine condition and lovingly tended. The volunteers are cordial and filled with Mark Twain knowledge. The gift shop is filled with works of Twain which are not readily available. The Foundation is doing an outstanding "job" of preserving as well as educating the public on this American Treasure.

So much to see and do, including a 90 min film all around Mark Twain. You don't have to see all of it, but I would recommend it from start to end. Understand so much more of Mark Twain and his life. A great tour

Walked through house, fathers office, drug store and Polly's home on the streets of 'yesterday'....While they followed Covid parodical, they didn't cut back on the history of the area or home/museum.

Another blistering hot day in Hannibal. We visited 7 years ago on a similar day but nothing was open. Today we were able to tour inside the historic district and it was fascinating. It is interesting how you stand outside of the home and yet, can see displays inside. We enjoyed the museum that gives the timeline of his life and then seeing the homes of key players in his written work.

I'm a Mark Twain fan, so this was definitely going to be on our trip this time. I've been here a couple times before and have loved the town. The last time it seemed to be a bit on the slide, but this time everything was clean and well maintained. If you're in the area, it's a definite "must see"

My friends and I decided to check this place out after seeing a tour of it on YouTube. For just $12 each, you get to see the museum, the childhood home of Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn’s house, Becky’s house, the justice of the peace, the general store and so much more! Very reasonable price.

We also stopped by the old memorial lighthouse and that offered a great view of downtown Hannibal and the Mississippi. One thing I will say is, this activity would be difficult for those with accessibility issues. Because the homes were built in the 1800’s, there are a lot of stairs and not every building has an elevator. Some do, like the museum, but the upper level of Twain’s house did not (that I saw.) Same with the lighthouse, you can drive very near it, but you’d still have to hike up several flights of steep stairs to reach the top which could be very difficult for some.

Overall, this is an excellent historical site that does not shy away from sharing all aspects of its history - good or bad. I highly recommend touring here, especially with older children or your friends and family!

The museum is set up really nice and the price is very reasonable as it includes several buildings. The staff at all the stops were welcoming and friendly.

I really enjoyed the self guided tour so you could go at your own pace. It wasn't cramped or crowded. Buildings were all kept at a comfortable temperature.

Suggest to just walk up the street and look at the outside. Not worth the money to pay to see the inside.

We stopped in Hannibal on a whim as we were passing by. I'm a huge Mark Twain fan so was excited to see his home - and that of Tom Sawyer, etc. We got there about half an hour before everything closed so it was too late to buy admission but the kind man at the counter let us take a quick walk through. I would have loved to have had more time but really enjoyed the short time we had. I was fascinated to learn that Huck, Tom, and Becky were real people in Sam's life - he just changed their names as he did his own. It was fun to read about them in "real life" and a treat to see it all.

We purchased our tickets at the Mark Twain Museum downtown and went through what was on display there. Very few relics or items associated with Twain, mainly his books and posters/vignettes scenes from those books.

We also walked up the street to the Mark Twain/Tom Sawyer area that is comprised of several buildings. I kinda felt like a rat in a maze as there is only one way in, climb stairs, go down a hallway, through a door, downstairs, cross the street, repeat process. Some interesting displays and photo ops.

Have been wanting to see Mark Twain attractions for many years and this did not disappoint. The tour included Tom Sayer & Becky Thatcher homes, Judge Clemons office, replica of Huck Finns home and museum along with a general store (store was under renovation & unavailable). Price was incredibly reasonable & included free parking. Lots of bang for the buck, think it took about 3 hours to see it all. Although I’ve studied Samuel Clemons I learned much so didn’t know. Reading the background of his characters with names & pics of actual people he based his characters was a treat. This is a must see for any fan of Mark Twain books.

We was in Hannibal for a day and decided to spend it at the downtown area. We had a good time. The Boy Hood Home is very informative. I learned a few things.

Really enjoyed the experience. It is self guided so you can take as much time as you want to see and read everything. It was well worth the time spent and would recommend it to everyone who comes to town. The cost was very inexpensive for all that you are able to see.

I really enjoyed this museum. The main building has a few artifacts from Mark Twain but I think it did really well in covering his younger years. The main medium the museum used are large murals that cover a specific topic and many have quotes from Mark Twain. My wife and I read every one and it took us around 35 minuets to do.

If you are going to visit the homes I would suggest you start at the main museum building as it then guides you to Huck Finn’s house, then to Mark Twain’s (Tom Sawyer) then over to Becky’s and to the place where Mark Twain’s father worked.

As indicated we really enjoyed the main museum building. Huck’s home is very small but gives you more insight on the real boy Huck was based on. Mark Twain’s home was larger than I expected and if you ever visited it is about the same size of the home Abraham Lincoln lived in before becoming president. Becky’s home is also large but the displays are geared towards kids. The Justice of the Peace building is very small and not much to see. The pharmacy building is being renovated so we were unable to see that.

When you purchase the tickets you do have the option to get one where you can visit several other museum in the town which worked out well.

We each paid for a $12 ticket to get into all the Mark Twain related exhibits in town. We started at the museum and ended up a couple blocks away at this spot as well as the other buildings his friends lived .

This is a must-see in Hannibal. It is very well organized with an interpretive center before you enter the actual home. There are stairs and no lift.There is a gift shop in between the interpretive center and the actual home and of course, another gift shop at the exit. The shop charges an extra % for using credit cards, in addition to the usual taxes.

Bathrooms are just inside the entrance of the interpretive center, across from where you buy your ticket.

If there in only one thing you can see in Hannibal, the Mark Twin House should be it.

It is hard to imagine him living here. It is a modest home but I suppose one of his stature has to start somewhere. It is a must for Mark Twain fans.

Visiting the homestead of Mark Twain is surreal when teaching and reading to your children about the prolific writer he was. It’s worth stopping and visiting.

The museum was easy to find and parking was right in the lot. Everyone enjoyed the tour, including the teenagers and the youngest (7). Our favorite part was the fence that the kids could paint. It really made Tom Sawyer come to life. The unbearable heat and the vicinity to the Mississippi River is something that my kids won’t forget when reading Tom Sawyer. Visit if you get a chance.

Self guided tour of this attraction. Some interesting exhibits. Unfortunately if you have any questions there are no docents around to talk with.

Excellent for price and well put together. Ticket for mark Twain’s boy hood home, museum, Becky Thatcher house, Grant drug, judges house and historical museum- all one price. Well done and a great experience.

Spend an afternoon walking in Mark Twain’s boyhood footsteps. My second visit here, (my first few years ago with my husband and kids) this time with my sister on a girls’ weekend. Ticket fee is nominal. Tour is self-guided through old downtown Hannibal. Be prepared for a lot of reading plaques for quotes and facts ... this is a writer, after all! Visitors’ center is a good introduction with some interactive displays (good for kids, too). The Clemens family home is a highlight, even if seen through plexiglass and not furnished with original pieces. (Oh my gosh - I was in Mark Twain’s house!) The museum building is a fave (former department store?) with two floors of exhibits. The first floor is very kid-friendly, with life-size scenes from his novels. The second floor has some nice artifacts, including the original Norman Rockwell paintings to illustrate Tom
Sawyer. The paintings, one of Twain’s white suits, and his desk ... this is
American lit geek heaven! Right on the mighty Mississippi ... walk the town, stop for a nice break riverside. Make sure to dress for the weather, as you are outside traveling up and down the street from building to building. There are restaurants and hotels right in town, along with souvenir shopping. And what souvenir is more fitting than a copy of one of Twain’s works from the gift shop attached to the Clemens home?

I really enjoyed the visit to Mark Twain's boyhood home. It is a complex that also includes Becky and Huck Finn's house . The displays are very informative and I really enjoyed them all.

We came during Mark Twain festival I would come early to get a good parking spot
We were scheduled for a trolly tour which was cancelled so we did the Mark Twain boyhood home and Museum. The Norman Rockwell paintings were the highlight of the trip

We opted to visit the museum and do a walk by of his birthplace due to limited time. The museum was just enough information and displays to impart a feeling of Mark Twain’s character and persona. I really liked the Norman Rockwell section that portrayed his involvement as an illustrator. The rest of the buildings are two blocks away, an easy walk. Downtown is attractive, though heavy with tourists and buses. Great little place to visit.

I went here in the 1980s as a child. It was a bit more refined from that visit in 2019, I was sad they no longer sell pop guns or Tom Sawyer hats. The rooms themselves are more reading then actual displays. Very little period furniture. My 14 year old didn’t mind but my 7 year old had little interests in learning about Mark Twain. My favorite home was the Becky Thatcher home.

Nice Museum, great for those who love Samuel and his background and those who many not know his history well. Lots to see and read even learn a bit since my background on him was casual. There are several buildings to walk through as part of the tour. and the Mark Twain museum is a couple block walk from the his home and other buildings related to him. Nice downtown too.

It was interesting to learn all the financial and health challenges his family experienced as he grew up. And to know how much of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn came from his growing up. Worth it especially if you have school age kids.

This was a pleasant surprise. We stopped thinking this little museum would be a quick visit and fortunately it turned into a great experience about Mark Twain, Hanibal and US history. We visited during July 2020 with the expectation of going in and out, but this gem holds an adventure. You first start in the boyhood home and then go into several other nearby buildings tracing the life and times of the Samuel Clemens and his family. Not being overly well versed in the author's writings I was surprised how well everything was curated, making this a fun learning experience that was easily digested. However, if you have read Clemens' books I am sure you could get a whole lot more out of the experience. Definitely worth the visit and if you have time check out the little stores on main street.

Bought tickets off Groupon for around $5 a person. Well worth it. Could have made it into a many hour adventure if we had the time. A lot of info in the many portions of the museums and homes.

Went to the museum on a Saturday at the beginning of August when parents are taking their kids out for final vacations before school starts. I expected large crowds, but was pleasantly surprised to see that there was only a moderate amount of museum goers, which made things less congested, which was a good thing as the rooms in the houses in the complex were small, and behind glass, so only a couple of people could be looking at the rooms and reading the narrative signs that were posted all around. The rooms were presented as they would have been when Samuel Clemens was living in them, which was which was interesting, as it showed how living in this home might have influenced his character while growing up and was also interesting as it might have been a model for the home of Tom Sawyer in the book. You first see a small cabin that serves as the fictional home of Huck Finn, and you learn more about two real characters from Twain's childhood that served as the models for Huck and Muff Potter. Then there is the home of Becky Thatcher, and learn of the woman who was the first love of Twain, and who served as the inspiration for Becky. There was also a drugstore that we needed to go through, but we felt we had hit the main parts, and were done for the day. It really doesn't take long to go through all parts of the museum, and I really felt that $12 a person for adults was a little much, but it was okay, the have overhead and I don't mind contributing to it. I would recommend this to all history buffs, especially to all Twain fans.

What a fantastic place to visit. My only regret is that our stay was only for a couple of hours as we had to move on.

We visited the Twain homeplace and walked over to the Missouri River walk. Sadly we took no tours but would recommend to take the time to do so. The lady in the museum was so friendly and helpful.

We had a picnic lunch on the public tables then moved on to South Dakota. Long day but I will definitely come back to Hannibal to take the tours and spend more time here!

This place provides insight into the history of Mark Twain as well as a number of other life forming characters that played heavily into his writing. It’s amazing to think of Clemens, pretty well homeless, is taken in by a relative of Grant - actually meets him as a young man, and then writes Grant’s famous memoirs immediately before his death. This is just one of the stories you will encounter in a string of properties that provide an exciting litany of historical coincidences to form this great writer’s life. Chock full of stories, this string of properties provides some insight into the times and practices of yesteryear, many of which were none too kind. Definitely recommend!

We all really enjoyed this part of our trip! My kids, my mother and myself all found different things to enjoy. Plenty to keep kids entertained.

Nice visit but not a destination by itself. Video is informative, but is a 90 minute PBS video. Displays in the main area were interesting. The other buildings were ok.

We only visited the indoor Museum and walked around the town. It was a nice museum and we enjoyed it because we are both a fan of Mark Twain. There was a whole room filled with Norman Rockwell paintings. That was worth the price of admission alone.

The town has done an excellent job with packaging all the main sites together into a self-guided tour. The theme is that, to understand Twain's writing, you have to understand how he grew up. It's packed with the history of Twain, his family, and the real people on which his fictional characters are based. The tour starts at the Interpretive Center and ends at a Museum. In between, there are 4 restored buildings (it looks like more are in the process of being restored. We took a little over an hour. There's plenty to get small kids engaged.

Our destination was Ohio, and we decided to stop in Hannibal get up and be at the Museum when it opened, make a quick tour, and continue to Ohio. An unforeseen circumstance reduced our time even more. Entering the Museum my girlfriend tripped at the end of the street and beginning of the walk to the entrance, and fell hitting her head. The reaction of the staff could not have been better. They rendered medical attention and called for a ambulance. She was checked out and released, allowing us to try to see what we could with the little time left. She was very tired and was ready to leave. Before leaving we asked for a pass to see what we had missed. They accommodated us gladly. They took her information, and when after returning home, she received a call, asking that she forward any bills incurred from the accident. We are looking forward to returning when we have more time to view it better. My only real problem was with a big orange lift that was left between Becky Thatchers home and the Clements home, it greatly disturbed the appearance of the way it would have looked. So I gave this attraction a very good, without the equipment it would have been an excellent. I know that it being a bit picky, but I love taking photos. It would not stop us from returning at all. We found a very nice place to eat while visiting.

What a good place to go and visit. It's a self tour so you can take your time and read the description of each thing and look at the picture. Get to see different buildings and Mark Twain's boy hood home.

I've been planning my trip to Hannibal for YEARS. As a HUGE Mark Twain / Samuel Clemens fan I've always wanted to visit. I enjoyed the museum, but if you don't have a TON of time (or desire) to read a LOT of information, this might not be the stop for you.. especially with little ones. There are a few interactive displays, but not enough to make up for the vast amount of reading. The houses are cool,and it is neat to see how folks in Hannibal lived, but if you are looking for Twain Artifacts, you'll see very few.

If you are a Mark Twain fan, you must visit this museum complex! From quips accompanying displays to the Museum Gallery a short walk down the street, it is a well thought out display about one of America's greatest humorists. As a Norman Rockwell fan, I certainly appreciated the collection of original paintings at the Museum Gallery that illustrated various Twain works. Photography is permitted, but no flash please in the Gallery.

We arrived Saturday morning, 7 July, in the middle of what we learned was the Cannibal Hannibal run. It also was the Hannibal bicentennial celebration, making crowds even larger. There was nowhere to park and some roads were closed. We were so disappointed, so decided to try the Mark Twain Cave (reviewed elsewhere).

When we returned, roads had been opened, but there were still large crowds for events to come later in he day. This time, however, we were able to get into the Home and Museum parking lot thanks to the manager who opened up a space for us. Once inside, he looked at my "USAF Retired" hat, asked if I had served 20 years and could prove it. After looking at my Retired USAF ID card, the three of us were allowed in without cost because we were family (myself, wife and grandson). Active duty military, of course, get the same great deal. As for others, the cost is not very high, much cheaper than many lesser attractions we have visited.

I had a good working knowledge of Mark Twain, but to be able to walk where he walked and see the things he saw, THAT was magical.

While my kids have not yet heard of Tom Sawyer, they loved walking through this historical community. The admission price covers all the sites. If you have young kids there is outdoor space for them to run around.

This was a delightful complex of historic buildings and it put many things I knew or sort-of knew into context. Plus there was a lot I didn't know about Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens and the museums did a good job of presenting who he and his family were. It was an enjoyable visit.

The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum is a must see in this town. The entire town of Hannibal revolves around the Mark Twain history. So before you go anywhere in this town, you should visit the Museum to find out information about Mark Twain. The museum was very crowded the day we went, so it was a little difficult to see and hear all of the information, but it was a good start to our day.

This was a great tour and I would highly suggest it. Self paced allowing you to spend as much or as little time as you like. good value for the price. Friendly staff.

I brought my family of 17 to this interactive experience. I encouraged my family to read some Mark Twain works before we arrived. It was a good educational experience for all ages and it broke up a long road trip.

The only negative was the lady at the front desk. She was not warm and friendly and made me feel dumb. I'm not sure why she wasn't more friendly and helpful.

The whole experience was great but I found the timeline of Mark Twain's life in the museum to be very interesting. An amazing writer who lived a very full life!

When we went, they must have been having trouble regulating the temperature. Several rooms were behind glass and the viewing windows were covered in condensation. Our group was trying to wipe down the glass to even see in. We mentioned it to the staff and they seemed unconcerned.

Other rooms in other buildings were ok.

I thought the self guided tour was well laid out as you moved from area to area. I just wish the displays were a little fuller and little more informative. As self guided tours there was no one to answer questions. It looks like it could get backed up and crowded on a heavy tourist day.

Seeing the houses of the people that inspired Mark Twain to write characters based upon them, was interesting and brought the characters to light. We began at the Interpretive Center where we learned about Samuel Clemens' early life and saw part of the Ken Burns documentary about him. The museum is a few blocks away and contains his signature white jacket as well as illustrations drawn by Norman Rockwell. The best part was a film clip of a conversation between Huck Finn and the runaway slave, Jim.

Nice time looking at past and seeing where Mark Twain started. It seems he was more like Huck Finn in skipping school. May buildings close to view and see.

A very fun and informative stop. The interpretive center seems scanty, but wait until you hit the Gallery for the more expansive museum and the Rockwell Paintings. The houses have some interpretations and some nice interactive/audio displays. Plenty to read and enjoy. The whole experience takes about 2 hours.

This is the reason anyone comes to this sleepy river town.
Buy the combo ticket and visit all the sites- some better than others- we liked the museum best.
Clemens left town- pretty much says it all

There is a ton of information about Samuel Clemons childhood and upbringing. I do wish they had more artifacts but I am sure those are spread out around the world. Lots of interaction for children. Highlight for my wife and I was getting to see the actual Norman Rockwell paintings that he did for the illustrations in Mark Twain's books.

This is actually a complex of buildings that includes Twain's childhood home, four other historical buildings, two museums and several shops. The collection includes a typical middle class home of the 1800s where Twain grew up with his family, the building where Twain's father worked as JP, the Becky Thatcher house, Grant's Drug Store or Pilaster House and Huck Finn's house. There is an extende collectionof period furnishings, photographs of the author and the family, original publications of his books and historical details of Hannibal and its main buildings and attractions

Honestly, I’ve never read anything by Mark Twain and have only watched Disney’s huck Finn movie. I really only wanted to come to Hannibal to say I’ve been to where Mark Twain grew up - and boy, am I happy I did! The museum building complex was very well done. You learn so much about the Clemens family and what inspired the books. You really don’t have to be a fan or to have read the books to enjoy these museums. It’s great for all ages. I’m in my 20s and thoroughly enjoyed it with my friend. I saw elderly couples taking it in and kids going to town with Tom Sawyer’s paintbrush and fence. It’s a fun time!

This is a self-guided tour through the boyhood home of Samuel Clemens and other buildings connected to Mark Twain. Friendly staff and climate controlled. Some displays are a little dated but otherwise very informative. Lots of gift shops along the way but not intrusive. Very nicely incorporated and friendly clerks.
By the way of suggestion, it would’ve been nice to have the option of a guided tour.

The business associate directed us to the museum for a free 20 minute talk about the history of Mark Twain. A impersonator did a impersonation of Mark Twains childhood memorable moments. Extremely beneficial to us to hear briefly some history. Worth going to

First off, get the ticket (should be available in any of the buildings and museum) that lets you see all the buildings and the museum…It’s not too pricey. We started at the museum, but I imagine you can start at the houses just as well. The museum documents mostly the literature and some of Mark Twain’s musings. It also houses some original Rockwell drawings. The houses document the childhood of Mark Twain and how life likely informed the literature ultimately produced. You don’t need to be a Mark Twain fan to enjoy the tour. Recommended

I wasn't expecting much from this museum but was in for a pleasant surprise. It weaves the history of Hannibal, Mark Twain's life and the characters frim the book into one interesting narrative. The artifacts and exhibits can keep you occupied for hours. If you are a Mark Twain fan, this tour is a must! Highly recommended!

As I get older, I appreciate Mark Twain’s writing even more. Such wit. I was laughing while reading his quotes around the museum. Small wonder how he got international acclaim! Awesome museum, friendly people, Groupon made it more affordable. (My son liked the Penny Smashing Machine!)

His boyhood home was very interesting and the museum was even better. It is a beautiful facility and very nicely done. I especially enjoyed the Norman Rockwell exhibit.

Took us two hours when we were told about an hour. People with younger children who hadn’t read Tom Sawyer went breezing through. Good history and many quotes by this famous writer who lived a rich life. I have a new appreciation!

This was the highlight of our trip to walk through the many different houses, museum, and learn of his adventures that made his writing.
1. Tickets for all the homes and both museums are $12.00 / person
2. Lots of reading. Younger children may be bored.
3. There are lifts in the house to reach the second floor. I did not see this for Mark Twain's home.
4. The Lighthouse can be reached by driving up to it. It has a small parking lot. You will have to walk the final steps (60+) to get to the lighthouse and it is not wheelchair accessible.
5. You will get a better view from Lover's Leap than the lighthouse and it is 100% wheelchair accessible.

One of the great things about this place is they used so many of Twain's words throughout their displays. It made me want to read his autobiography. It also shows what humble beginnings he had. Very enjoyable museum. Also a rare opportunity in these parts to see such a collection of Norman Rockwell paintings.

We did not have a high expectation before our visit, but we really enjoyed our visit. Very enjoyable place.

One of my favorite authors has always been Mark Twain. It was really interesting to be able to see his childhood home in person.

My children and I are currently ready all of Mark Twain's books. On our summer road trip we decided to come through Hannibal. It was the perfect opportunity to learn something about this timeless author.
The house is amazing with many of the family items perserved. I didn't care for the fact that everything is behind glass. In my opinion it detracts from the exhibit and limits photography opportunities.
The second building on the property is a recreation of the man Huck Finn was based on. I was a little disappointed that it is a recreation but it is very accurate.
The gift shop at the end of the tour is nice. Lots of Twain quote items plus other cute collections and books.

We bought our tickets at the Museum Gallery at 120 North Main Street. The admission fee includes all 8 buildings owned by the museum. (1) The Museum Gallery has interactive exhibits downstairs describing some of his most popular books, and upstairs it has a collection of artifacts from his life as well as a collection of Norman Rockwell paintings and illustrations of scenes from the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn books. (2) The Interpretive Center has a timeline and info about Mark Twain’s childhood and career. (3) Mark Twain's Boyhood Home has been restored to look like it was when he lived there as a boy. The whitewashed fence is outside. (4) The Boyhood Home Gift Shop has books, T-shirts, etc. (5) The Becky Thatcher House is across from the Boyhood Home and has exhibits contrasting what childhood would be like for someone like Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher, Huck Finn, or Jim as an enslaved person. (6) The J.M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Office was Mark Twain’s father’s law office. (7) Grant's Drugstore has exhibits upstairs describing what it was like when Mark Twain’s family moved in with the pharmacist’s family after his father lost his income, and downstairs it describes what pharmaceutical care was like during those days. (8) The Huckleberry Finn House is on the edge of the parking lot in front of the Interpretive Center and somehow we missed it so I don’t know what is inside there. Many of the exhibits all over the various buildings point out how Mark Twain incorporated people and situations he encountered growing up in Hannibal into his books.

This was a very interesting collection of buildings and displays about Mark Twain. We spent about an hour in the Interpretive Center, an hour in the Museum Gallery, and another hour seeing the rest of the buildings. It was cool that there was a half-hour presentation by Jim Waddell as Mark Twain included in the admission price, which was a great bargain, especially with the Groupon deal!

This was our first trip to Hannibal. While we learned a great deal about Samuel Clemens life, it was an underwhelming tour. It was not exciting for kids. You go through the different buildings at your own pace. Would not reccomend for small children.

There's a lot more to see here than meets the eye. It's not just one building, but a few buildings, so plan for some walking. Definitely worth the time to tour. You'll learn more about Mark Twain, unless you are already an expert.

This was fun and very informative. If you are a big Mark Twain fan, you will very much enjoy it. I thought the price for the tour was a bit high, but then I found it was for 4 different museums and tours of the houses, all self-guided. I thought the most interesting houses were Mark Twain's boyhood home and Huck's cabin. All of the museums had some interesting artifacts and were well laid out. There are a number of stairs and hills to navigate while walking the tour . By the time we finished, I had changed my mind about the ticket price.

Visit the home the museum and while you are at it, enjoy the Hannibal Main Street Experience. Be sure to drop into Ralls County Clock.

We visited the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum on Aug. 21st. We really enjoyed the visit! It was very informative. I personally think the use of plexiglass to separate visitors from exhibits in the home was a little disappointing since you could not get as close as you may want to in order to view things from a different angle. We did like the various statues and poses of Mark Twain in rooms throughout the house. Becky Thatcher's home was nice, but seems geared more towards children (nothing wrong with that!) We had fun posing for pics with Tom Sawyer's paint brush, pretending to white wash that famous fence!
I think I personally enjoyed the gallery museum most of all. It's located a block or two down the street in a separate building and is very impressive and well laid out. They did a great job taking you through different parts of both Twain's professional and personal life. The story is told through paintings, interactive displays and even a few personal belongings of Mr. Clemens.
Young and old alike will enjoy and benefit from this attraction!

It was fun to learn more about Mark Twain. Especially loved the originals Norman Rockwell paintings. I will be reading Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn again.

After being at his home in Hartford Connecticut a few times, it was nice to see his beginnings.

I think you could actually imagine how he came up with so many of his adventures, once you learn how mischievous he seemed to have been.

The Becky Thatcher house is good to walk through and gives you more of what the Day might have been like for children.

Huckleberry Finn cabin is essentially one room. Again how one can have such an imagination to make such stories.

The museum focuses on a couple of his stories and has some information on them.

Upstairs in the museum there are original Norman Rockwell paintings.

The dads law office is also there is small with some more information.

Staff is around in each building if you should have any questions.

For $9 it’s not a bad price for all you can see. It took us about 1 and half hours to go through

Not much to this one. Took only about 1 hour to see it all and there just was NOT that much to see. Best to visit his home in CT.

This is a must see my family and I always enjoy seeing Mark Twain boyhood museum always fun it's a great part of history

Learned a lot about Mark Twain's early life. Compound well maintained. Exhibits interactive. Especially liked role play exercise in Becky Thatcher House and excerpt from Ken Burns documentary. Helpful staff.

This was a very enjoyable and informative way to spend a couple of hours. We learned so much about Mark Twain and his life as well as the characters he wrote about in his books.

You buy a ticket to see six places and only two of them are worth anything. Twain's boyhood home and the Mark Twain museum. There is really not enough of interest in the other four locations to justify spending time in. We were disappointed.

Worthwhile. Well restored buildings of MarkTwain's boyhood home and the house of real life girl (Becky Thatcher) and the cabin of Blankenship (real Huckelberry Finn). Walk from building to building. Good museum pieces and descriptions. i particularly liked the actual quotes from Mark Twain (lots from his autobiography) used in the boyhood home museum.
Well worth doing. We also viisited the museum on the main street with the Norman Rockwell paintings.

We really enjoyed the Mark Twain museum complex. It was great that you could pay one reasonable price for all the stops. It was also great that you could take your time and drop out to have lunch. And there were options nearby for lunch. We loved that it was interactive and geared for all ages.

This is the reason I came to Hannibal and it did not disappoint. I really enoyed the entire section of town dedicated to Mark Twain to include the home and museum, Huck Finn house, Grant's Drug Store, and his father's law office. There is plenty of free parking in the area. The cost is reasonable for all you get to see. The Visitor's Center is jammed packed full of information and has a great video running too.

This is where Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) grew up. If you are a fan of the books about Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn then this is a must see place. This and the connected properties will help put these books in context. Or just take a walk along the Mississippi. If you did not know Tom Sawyer is Mark Twain, I believe.

This place was exactly what I expected, and honestly, had hoped for. Nice walk through of multiple buildings including Huck Finn's home, Mark Twain's Becky Thatcher, etc. All nicely maintained and restored. Glad we made time to come here. Nice gift shop too.

Charming, smaller local museum with interesting items, including a wall of paintings by Norman Rockwell of famous scenes from Twain's books. Also a good variety of Twain family photos and personal belongings. The museum covers his riverboat days, as well, and there's a fun area for kids to go through. We toured his boyhood home, but didn't have time to finish going through the other properties as we were traveling and wanted to get home before dark. There is a gift shop that we wish would have had some nice Twain or Hannibal sweatshirts or hoodies for sale, so that was our only disappointment.

The documentary was the best part. It’s 90 minutes long. The garden was pretty. The lady at the front desk was cold and unwelcoming. The bookstore lady was very nice and helpful.