Hannibal and Mark Twain

After staying a night with my son in Knoxville, Tennessee, on our way to South Dakota, Jim wanted to visit his sister near St. Louis, and we spent two days there. Jim was living in Missouri when I met him, and I've always told him I wanted to go to Hannibal to the Mark Twain Museum someday. Well, the day finally came.  It wasn't out of our way to swing by there on our way north, and I found it well worth it.

The museum exhibited items and told of events from Samuel Clemens's life, especially those experiences and characters that found their way into his books. It's been a while since I've read much of Twain, and I was charmed anew by his wit, wisdom, and humor. I was also struck by how his family often struggled financially. I found the museum fascinating and could have spent more time there.

Becky Thatcher House

Huck Finn House

There were several buildings onsite, each housing a different theme. The Huck Finn house and Becky Thatcher's house stood out. We also toured the apartments over Grant's Drugstore where the Clemmons family moved when they couldn't afford rent. Across the street was a fence Tom might have painted in Tom Sawyer. I found all this to be very inspiring for an author, and Hannibal might just find its way into some future book.

House with Fence

Grant's Drugstore

        

I took tons of photos. Here are just a few more:

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