📷 Smallbones, Public domainMark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
Hannibal, MO
The white clapboard house where Samuel Clemens grew up, with a whitewashed fence recalling Tom Sawyer and several museum buildings. One ticket covers them all; parking is on the streets of the old town.
The Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum is a museum complex in Hannibal, Missouri, on the west bank of the Mississippi. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, later known as Mark Twain, lived in the house at 206-208 Hill Street from 1844 to 1853. The house was built in 1844, has been open to the public since 1912 and has been a National Historic Landmark since 29 December 1962.
According to Lonely Planet, the museum comprises eight buildings, including two houses where Twain lived. These include the home of Laura Hawkins, the model for Becky Thatcher in "Tom Sawyer"; its exterior reopened in 2010 and its interior in 2016. Wikipedia lists nine properties. The museum gallery displays Norman Rockwell paintings related to Twain's work, and in summer an actor gives readings. The white fence associated with Tom Sawyer borders the property.
The museum's address is 120 N Main St. Please check opening hours and admission beforehand.
- Nearest town
- Hannibal, MO
- Category
- History & culture
- GPS
- 39.7117, -91.3584
- Editor's pick
- ★
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in April and June. Hot in July. Cold, short days in December–February. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Featured in these trip guides
Nearby
Campsites nearby
- The Meadow CampgroundCampsite8 mi from Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
- Camp SacajaweaCampsite11 mi from Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
- Driftwood CampgroundCampsite17 mi from Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
- Cottonwood IslandCampsite18 mi from Mark Twain Boyhood Home & MuseumFree
- EquestrainCampsite20 mi from Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
- Frank Russell CampgroundCampsite20 mi from Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
All campsites in Missouri · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum?
Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum is in Hannibal, MO, at GPS 39.7117, -91.3584. It is about 58 mi from Nauvoo.
Can you camp near Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is The Meadow Campground, about 8 mi away; within 25 mi there are 21 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum?
Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Great River Road south: Dubuque to Hannibal.
What is there to see near Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum?
Places worth a stop nearby: Historic Nauvoo (58 mi), Hermann (69 mi), Snake Alley (77 mi) and Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site (82 mi).
When is the best time to visit Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum?
The most pleasant months are usually May and September–October. Still fine, with some compromises, in April and June. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)