Visitors will come across an engineering wonder while traveling along the Great River Road. The…read moreupper Mississippi River has 29 lock and dam structures built along it, forming a "stairway of water" that allows barges, towboats, and pleasure boats to travel from St. Louis to St. Paul (or vice versa). These striking structures aid these barges and boats in adjusting to the elevation change on the northern section of the river. I've seen locks on the Thames from when I lived in the UK but never knew that the Mighty Mississippi had locks. I was surprised and had to check this one out. Sadly, it's completely secured with strong fencing and while you can see some of it from the riverside, a tour would be needed for a proper look. And yes, some of the locks do offer tours - Dubuque Iowa, Fulton Illinois, Rock Island Arsenal Illinois and Illinois City Illinois - this isn't one of them. You won't find locks and dams on lower sections of Mississippi River. Why? The Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Ohio, and other rivers flow into the Mississippi, making the river naturally wider and deeper downstream. [Review 19732 overall - 209 in Missouri - 704 of 2023.]

This covered bridge is the only remaining Burr-arch truss bridge, a design which uses multiple king…read moreposts and an arch to support the bridge's truss. It was built in 1871 over the Elk Fork of the Salt River. It was nearly lost due to neglect and flooding but it was added to the state park system in 1967 and has been restored and repaired after a number of floods, most recently in 2019. It was closed to vehicular traffic in 1970 and added to the National Register of Historic Places that year. The bridge is 120 feet long, 12 feet high and 17.5 feet wide. It was originally on the road between Paris and Fayette though newer and more modern roads now provide that route. There is plenty of grass parking nearby and it is pretty far from civilization. As such, the inside is well covered in graffiti. Next to the bridge is a low-water crossing that I did not try driving across in the Sprinter van. A picnic table is here and that's about it. [Review 19734 overall - 211 in Missouri - 706 of 2023.]

Great stop even though we didn't go inside. We climbed up the stairs about 30 minutes before it…read moreclosed. We lucked out and saw the beautiful light show.

When are you going to see a lighthouse in the middle of the country? This little lighthouse was…read morebuilt in 1934 to honor Mark Twain on the 100th anniversary of his birth. The picturesque lighthouse is non-functional and overlooks the Mississippi River. There is a plaque that describes the history of the lighthouse, which was dedicated in 1935 by Franklin Roosevelt. In 1960, the lighthouse was destroyed in a windstorm and rebuilt in 1963. The current building was dedicated by John Kennedy in 1963 and later renovated in 1994. You can see the lighthouse house from downtown Hannibal and climb the steep stairs to view up close. We drove up the windy road to the base where there is free parking for about a dozen cars. After ascending a short flight of steps, we were rewarded with views of the Mississippi River, downtown Hannibal and peeks of the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge. The lighthouse is not open for tours, it's just an outside visit. There is no charge to see the building. There are no amenities at the site except for a bench. The lighthouse is worth a short visit.

This was a great experience for me, and my family! We stopped here on our way out of town and…read moreabsolutely loved our 60 minute walk-through the cave. Our tour guide was Avery and he was fantastic! From the middle that we stepped out to take a picture in front of the cave until we exited through the gift shop. It was a great experience. We walked through places in the cave that were noted in the adventures of Tom Sawyer, and through the cave history, including the thousands of signatures in the cave. We also participated in 15 through a pay dirt bag. This space is grade for all ages, and they have ample souvenirs. In the gift shop. We even visited the winery across the street. We look forward to potentially camping there in the future.

We bought tickets for the Cameron Cave tour in the gift shop. The cashier told us our meeting place…read morewould be outside in front of the gift shop with a tour guide named Peter who "looks like Mark Twain." We browsed around a little bit and my daughter picked out a few souvenirs. We found Peter outside and he took us on a golf cart to the cave entrance. He gave us each a new flashlight to use on the tour and to keep after we were done. We got a history of the cave and lots of dad jokes as we walked around about a mile in length. Overall Cameron Cave didn't have much as far as exciting rock formations, but it was fun to safely explore a maze cave using only a flashlight with someone knowledgeable. 5 stars for Peter. 4 stars because after all that walking we were hungry and really wanted to visit the winery so Peter graciously dropped us off there after the cave tour. We then discovered they didn't have any food at the winery, but we bought a bottle of wine to take home. There were so many empty tables and chairs. The winery at the complex has so much potential. Wish they also served food.

We went for a birthday celebration and I am so happy for this experience. Great bed and breakfast,…read moreunlike any other bed and breakfast. If you enjoy historical places, this is one to visit. This gives you an opportunity to see what life was like back in the day, from the plumbing in the bathrooms to the old light fixtures and so much more. Juan and Warren are great hosts. Upon checking in at four, you receive a tour of the home. Afterwards the hosts share a Wine and Cheese reception with their guests and afterwards you are able to explore the home on your own. In the morning coffee and tea is provided prior to breakfast. Breakfast was delicious and served in the dining room on china. Please knWe truly enjoyed this bed and breakfast and look forward to visiting again!

The mansion is breathtaking it is unbelievable with the 100 year old details and exquisite details…read morein every room. When you go for this tour Juan loves to share the knowledge and information about the family and the details. I don't want to give too much away because you really need to visit! But Tiffany stained glass throughout the house, leather wallpaper, and so much more. This mansion was made before its time and is a masterpiece! The only issues we stumbled on were locating the parking and then finding a place to park.

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) grew up here in Hannibal and there's no missing his influence on the…read moretown and the town's interest in him. They are absolutely capitalizing on his upbringing here with a museum, statues, and all sorts of structures named after the man who some would call the greatest American writer. Tucked at the bottom of Cardiff Hill at the intersection of North and Main Street, this statue of two of Twain's most famous characters. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn's adventures took place in the fictional town of Saint Petersburg but it was very definitely Hannibal. The statues are by artist Frederick C. Hibbard and worth a stop as you're visiting the city. [Review 19717 overall - 195 in Missouri - 689 of 2023.]

The seat of Marion County is not Hannibal. It's Palmyra. This makes Marion County unique from most…read moreMissouri counties in that they have two courthouses in the county. The county was organized on December 23, 1826. The courthouse here in Hannibal was built in 1901 and is a two-story Classical Revival design built from mostly limestone. It features an octagonal drum dome topped by an octagonal lantern towering above the two-story portico with four Corinthian order columns. It is a pretty building and worth checking out. [Review 19728 overall - 205 in Missouri - round number 700 of 2023.]

With a year round book sale, you can always find something to read! You do not need a library card…read moreto shop the book sale. They also have books that you can simply take, which is great if you are here on vacation. Bring cash, as they don't accept credit cards, but the used books are so cheap you won't need much!