Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum - Hannibal MO - Mark Twain Home Stories

Operating with the tagline "The Stories Started Here'' the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal has been open to the public since 1912. The house on Hill Street was where Mark Twain lived for 11 years as a child and teen and got the inspiration that fed scenes into his stories for the rest of his life. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1962.

A big draw for the home and museum are the accuracies between the settings and the scenes in the book. It's a real thrill to most visitors to pull up to the property and realized that the white picket fence that borders the property figured prominently in the Tom Sawyer book. The larger museum complex is actually much more than just Twain's home - there are six buildings in all.

These buildings include the home of his sweetheart, the Huck Finn house, Grant's drug store, a Justice of the Peace office and the Museum Gallery. Together they form a walking exhibition that makes the books more life-like for readers visiting. The Museum Gallery has a large collection of books by Twain in their first edition format as well as a large number of personal pieces of memorabilia.

The museum also sponsors many programs, especially for children. The largest is the 4th of July Tom Sawyer days, with competitions living out scenes from the book. The museum hours are longer in summer than in winter, but the museum is open every day except holidays year-round.

Families with children are welcome; some displays are interactive. Admission is nearly $10 for adults with discounts for seniors, children and groups. It takes 1 - 2 hours to see all of the buildings and walk the scene set up, depending on how thoroughly the displays are read. A gift shop allows for souvenirs, and a bookstore allows those who are so inspired by the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum to pick up a few things to get deeper into his work.