mark twain riverboat hannibal mo

Hannibal River Cruises on the Mark Twain Riverboat

The Mark Twain Riverboat brings the mystique of the Mississippi River and the history of Hannibal to life through one-hour sightseeing cruises, two-hour dinner cruises, and the Captain's Sunday Lunch events.

Schedule can vary, call for times.

Cruises on the Mark Twain Riverboat have been a tradition for decades

The Mark Twain Riverboat has been a unique fixture on the banks of the Mississippi for more than 30 years, offering visitors an up-close view of the Mississippi River during either 1-hour narrated sightseeing cruises or 2-hour dinner cruises.

Hannibal river cruises give visitors the opportunity to explore the Mississippi just like Tom and Huck. This Mississippi River Cruise departs from Center Street Landing three times daily between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with two departures daily during September and October. Dinner cruises depart at 6:30 p.m; check for availability. Built in 1964, the Mark Twain Riverboat is 120 ft. long, 33 ft. wide and has a 400-passenger capacity, so there is plenty of room aboard the vessel, which is wheelchair accessible (w/ some limitations.)

1-Hour Sightseeing Mississippi River Cruise

If you have an afternoon to spare in Hannibal, the Mark Twain Riverboat is a must-stop. One-hour sightseeing cruises on the river include commentary on river history, legends and sights. You will see Jackson’s Island, Lover’s Leap and of course, the Mighty Mississippi rolling along. Beverages and sandwiches are available on-ship for purchase during these tours. A cruise aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat is great for family events. Whether you are a visitor or resident of Hannibal, you can make wonderful memories aboard our unique riverboat experience!

2-Hour Dinner Cruises on the Mark Twain Riverboat

For an extended Mississippi River cruise, be sure to reserve your spot on a 2-hour dinner cruise aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat.

Guests aboard Mark Twain Riverboat dinner cruises are treated to live music, a buffet meal featuring Riverboat Roast Beef, Baked Boneless Chicken Breast, Baked Potatoes, Seasoned Green Beans, the Captain’s Favorite Pasta Salad, a Deluxe Tossed Salad, Dinner Rolls and Dessert. Iced Tea and Coffee are included, and a cash bar is also available.

Once on board, you are escorted to your table, then you are free to roam the boat until the captain announces that dinner is ready. After dinner, you are free to dance or sit back and enjoy the music. Live entertainment is included on Dinner Cruises. It may be The Rivermen playing modern jazz (Saturday night from Memorial Day thru September), or you might get to enjoy the music of Tim Hart (Mondays & Tuesdays), or Adam Ledbetter and David Damm (Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). Listen or dance to their favorite tunes — and they have been known to take a request or two. And you never know when a crew member or two may step up on the stage and join in.

It’s a fun night of music for the young and the young at heart! The dancefloor is available after dinner if you are so inclined, or you can choose to dance under the stars on the outer decks (no dancing on the tables and chairs, please).

The Captain’s Sunday Lunch

Enjoy lunch and a cruise on a lovely Sunday! The dockside meal includes a buffet of Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Seasoned Green Beans, Deluxe Lettuce Salad with dressing, Dinner Roll, and the Captain’s Favorite Pasta Salad. Iced tea, coffee and water accompany the meal. Top all of this with a delicious Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie.

Following lunch, enjoy a delightful one-hour sightseeing cruise on the “Mighty Mississippi” complete with river history, facts about Mark Twain, riverboat stories and a few (or more!) tall-tales.

Lunch begins at 12:30 pm. Departure from the dock will be at 1:30 pm and returns at 2:30.

We hope you will join us for a delicious meal and casual river cruise; where you’re sure to become more like family by the time the landing whistle blows across the hills of Hannibal!

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See Hannibal, the famous river town, from the boat that bears the name of Hannibal’s most famous citizen.

The riverboat offers one-hour narrated sightseeing cruises, with commentary on river history, legends and points of interest on the Mighty Mississippi. Also, two-hour dinner cruises featuring live entertainment. (Reservations are required for dinner cruises.)

Restrictions based upon weather and river conditions apply. Call or see the sign at the landing for information.

Check our website for information, schedules and tickets.

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Mark Twain Riverboat Dinner Cruise

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Mark Twain Riverboat Dinner Cruise - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

Mark Twain Riverboat Dinner Cruise

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Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Mark Twain Riverboat Dinner Cruise - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Mark Twain Riverboat Dinner Cruise

• See all photos

Similar Experiences

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Mark Twain Riverboat Dinner Cruise - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Mark Twain Riverboat

100 Center St, Hannibal , Missouri 63401 USA

• Independent
• Credit Cards Accepted

Learn more about this business on Yelp .

“A unique riverboat experience on the "Mighty Mississippi"”

See Hannibal, the famous river town, from the boat that bears the name of Hannibal's most famous citizen. The riverboat offers one-hour narrated sightseeing cruises with commentary on river history, legends and points of interest on the Mighty Mississippi. Also, two-hour dinner cruises featuring live entertainment. Reservations required for dinner cruises. Restrictions based upon weather and river conditions apply. Call or see the sign at the landing for information. Sightseeing Cruise (Memorial Day to Labor Day): daily, 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m.; (May, September and October), daily, 1:30 p.m. Dinner Cruises (Memorial Day-October), daily, 6:30 p.m.

Reviewed by Nicole S.

Im.in lobe with someone.abusive im.plsnmimg rt now to.accept but things.are.ckimf together for now I b Read more

Reviewed by Caroline M.

This was such a peaceful way to spend an hour. Captain Steve did a great job of narrating our tour. It wasn't a busy cruise so it was great to have our own space. There wasn't a lot to see but I... Read more

Reviewed by Lauren R.

Honestly it was a good way to ride the river and hear about some of Hannibals history. I did feel like it was over priced for an hour ride but it was fun. Read more

View 49 reviews on

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Hannibal Tour Company

Take in the scenic views and must-see iconic landmarks of America’s Hometown in a lighthearted ride-along tour. Aboard the tour trucks, our guides will bring the stories and legends of Hannibal to life in this 50 minute trip through Hannibal and its colorful past.

Mark Twain Cave Complex

Samuel Clemen’s (Mark Twain) adventures began at “Hannibal’s Big Cave”. Start your own Hannibal adventure in the same historic location.

Downtown Hannibal

See Hannibal through the years. Over 200 years of history! See where Mark Twain grew up. Hear about fascinating figures from Hannibal; the Unsinkable Molly Brown, Jiminy Cricket, and more.

Scenic Views

See the vast rolling Mississippi River flow by. Multiple breathtaking views of the Mississippi Islands. The Iconic Hannibal lighthouse sits atop Cardiff hill, overlooking the downtown area.

7 Unique Things To Do In Hannibal, Missouri You Can't Miss

Hannibal Missouri, is a beautiful location full of rich culture and literary history. It is, of course, the hometown of the legendary Mark Twain and offers plenty of opportunities to learn more about the famous author and his literary masterpieces. If you’ve been wondering what to do in Hannibal MO, during your stay, we’ve got you covered with this list!

Visit Mark Twain’s boyhood home off Main St in Downtown Hannibal or take in the rich history of the small town at one of the many museums and info-packed tourist attractions. No matter how you decide to spend your time in Hannibal Missouri, you’re sure to be enchanted by its charm.

A tour we think you'll love

1) Journey Down The Mississippi

Take a Mark Twain Riverboat tour with us and discover the serene beauty of the landscape of the Mississippi River and Mark Twain’s hometown. We have two cruise experiences available, the first being a standard sightseeing tour up the mighty Mississippi and the other option being a buffet-style dinner cruise complete with live entertainment.

Contact us ahead of your trip to book the tour time that works best with your plans!

2) Visit A Popular Hannibal Missouri Winery

When visiting Hannibal Missouri, you can’t miss out on the incredible craft beer and wine curated in the area. The Cave Hollow West Winery is located within the Mark Twain Cave Complex and has a cozy campground on site for those who want to take in the fresh air and sleep under the stars.

You’ll also find a wonderful gift shop on the complex, and you can book guided tours of the Mark Twain Cave/Cameron Cave for a thrilling adventure deep into the cavernous rock faces.

3) Some Come To Hannibal For The View

Once you see the views in Hannibal, you’ll understand how Mark Twain could draw inspiration from such a gorgeous place. If you want to see panoramic views of the town, the best place to go for a photo op is the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse. Climb to the top for some of the best 360-degree views of Hannibal.

The next stop on your list of places to find the best views is Riverview Park. Just like its name implies, this 465-acre forested park has some of the most stunning views of the Mississippi River.

On top of the unbeatable scenery that inspired a literary genius like Mark Twain, there are plenty of other things to enjoy. You’ll find trails to take a leisurely stroll, a spring house to visit and relax in, a cascading waterfall, and even a playground and picnic area to relax with family and friends.

4) Learn The Rich History Behind Mark Twain’s Life And His Beloved Hometown

While you might think of simple things like visiting Mark Twain boyhood home to learn about the inspiring author, several locations throughout Hannibal can teach you a thing or two about the author and some of his famous characters.

First, the Hannibal History Museum will teach you all about Hannibal’s history and what makes the town special, and your next stop should be Main St, where you’ll find the house that will teach you about Mark Twain and his boyhood home.

Next, take a trip to the Becky Thatcher’s House Museum to learn about a childhood friend of Mark Twain’s daughter and the famous character she inspired in the “Adventures of Tom Sawyer” story. After the Becky Thatcher House, the Molly Brown Birthplace Museum changes the pace by teaching you about the life of a woman whose heroic actions during the sinking of the Titanic made her famous.

After you finish at the Molly Brown birthplace exhibit, take a trip back in time to the golden age of railroading at Big River Train Town. At this vintage-filled museum, you can interact with old-school railroad toys, shop for vintage trinkets, and more!

5) Tour The Huck Finn Freedom Center

Unfortunately, the time of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer was not a pleasant time for all. The Huck Finn Freedom Center is the first memorial to Jim and the only African American museum in Northeast Missouri.

It’s not only a tribute to the wonderful man that inspired the beloved character Jim, but it highlights influential and prominent African American figures from Hannibal.

6) See How The Locals Lived

It’s always interesting to take a step back and look at how things were for different generations. There are a few locations in Hannibal that allow you to see how Mark Twain and his neighbors may have lived, but two structures stand out to us the most out of all the historic places to explore.

The Rockcliffe Mansion is a massive mansion masterpiece with more than 30 rooms to explore and ten giant stone fireplaces to cozy up around. They even rent our suites to travelers and locals who want to stick around the mansion for a night or two.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have more modest homes like the Huckleberry Finn House on Hill Street.

7) Enjoy The Great Outdoors

After all the tours and museums, head to Sodalis Nature Preserve to enjoy a quiet moment in nature. There are over six miles of leisurely trails to explore and picnic areas to lounge with friends.

Another great outdoor space to discover is Huckleberry Park. Huckleberry Park has brightly lit basketball and tennis courts, softball, and more ways to stay active.

Make The Most Of Your Mark Twain Experience

The absolute best way to capture the beauty of Mark Twain’s hometown is to climb aboard one of our boats at Mark Twain Riverboat.

Sit back and relax while our captains and guides take you down the mighty Mississippi for an educational tour you’ll never forget!

Sightseeing Tour

This one-hour sightseeing cruise travels along the mighty Mississippi River, allowing you to soak up the scenery at a relaxing, rhythmic pace. Listen as the captain guides your cruise with historical commentary on the history, legends, and sights of the Mississippi River.

A cruise aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat is great for family events. Whether you are a visitor or resident of Hannibal, you can make wonderful memories aboard our unique riverboat experience! Looking forward to having you onboard!

Departure time: Varies - check calendar Yearly availability: April 1 - Nov. 4 Weekly availability: Daily

Dinner Cruise

Enjoy a night of dinner and dancing on this cruise on the Mighty Mississippi. Indulge in a delicious buffet and share a wonderful dinner with your family or friends, then enjoy live music from the dance floor or the deck.

Once on board, you are escorted to your table, then you are free to roam the boat until the captain announces that dinner is ready. After dinner, you are free to dance or sit back and enjoy the music. Live entertainment is included on our Dinner Cruises. It may be The Rivermen playing modern jazz (Saturday night from Memorial Day thru September), or you might get to enjoy the music of Tim Hart (Mondays & Tuesdays), or Adam Ledbetter and David Damm (Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). Listen or dance to their favorite tunes — and they have been known to take a request or two. And you never know when a crew member or two may step up on the stage and join in.

Departure time: 6:30 p.m. Yearly availability: May 3 - Oct 28 Weekly availability: Varies - check calendar

How a Literary Darling Finally Broke Through to the Mainstream

Percival Everett is poised for a big year.

James, his twist on Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" told from the perspective of the runaway slave Jim, is racking up rave reviews and already making best-of 2024 lists. Publishing executives expect the book’s arrival on Tuesday to mark the veteran author’s long-awaited leap from literary cult favorite to commercial brand name.

The novel comes on the heels of “American Fiction," which just won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay. Written by Cord Jefferson, the film is based on Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, a satire about racial hypocrisy in publishing. The comedy drama stars Jeffrey Wright as a frustrated novelist who toys with the industry’s prejudices imposed on the books Black authors write.

When he initially came up with James, Everett was shocked not to find more alternative versions of Jim in contemporary literature. In Everett’s telling, Jim, who actually goes by James, is a writer and hardcore book lover who puts on an illiterate persona to protect himself from the wrath of insecure whites. 

Some of the book’s funniest moments occur when he and the other enslaved forget to dumb themselves down in mixed company. Elements of Twain’s 1884 novel remain—there’s still a raft trip down the Mississippi River with Huck and run-ins with some of the same unsavory characters–but that’s just a jumping off point.

Everett, 67, who writes longhand in pencil from various rooms of his house in South Pasadena, Calif., has roamed everywhere from ranch life to antiquity in his work. His books explore layered themes with humor and, at times, existential cheekiness, as in I Am Not Sidney Poitier, a novel about a person named Not Sidney Poitier who looks just like the actor Sidney Poitier.

The author recently spoke with the Journal about spotting prejudice at a New York book gathering, writing in goofy notebooks and not quite getting recognized in a bagel shop.

What made you decide to write James?

I’ve always liked Huck Finn. My revisiting or visiting Huck Finn in no way is an expression of any kind of dissatisfaction with that novel. I think it’s an important novel. But it is deficient. Twain stopped midway and left it for a while and I think that break is quite evident in the writing of it. 

For mercenary reasons he inserted Tom Sawyer because he was trying to sell this book, so the quality and nature of the treatment of Jim necessarily changes. Jim becomes much more objectified in the latter part of the book. But more importantly, Twain could not write Jim, it would not have been possible for him. And it’s also Huck’s novel. It’s not reasonable to expect him to write Jim that way.

What kind of research did you do for the book?

There was geographic research, learning that part of the country. I read Huck Finn 15 times in a row so I would be sick of it and I wouldn’t be repeating it. I really hated it at the end of it.

You visited Twain’s boyhood hometown, Hannibal, Mo. What did you do there?

I had a sandwich and left. I got what I needed out of that. I did toy with the idea of taking one of those riverboat cruises, but you ought to go on YouTube and look at what those are like and who you’d be with. In a way it’s kind of sweet but in another way I think I’d last maybe 15 or 20 minutes on one of those boats.

Do you have a ritual when you start writing a novel?

I go and buy a really ugly notebook. I like going to the drug store and finding the silliest–a notebook with a unicorn that a six-year-old girl might like. I think there might be an attempt on my part to keep things silly, to remind myself that this is just books. There’s a lot of serious stuff going on in the world and regardless of what kind of book I’m making, there’s no reason to take myself all that seriously.

What notebook did you buy for James?

It had a weird kind of tassel on it and a useless attached elastic that you could keep it closed with. It looked like a third grader’s book.

You said once you start writing in a particular room of your house, that’s where you end up for the whole book. Where did you go for James?

I wrote that in the TV room. I use television as white noise. The eight episodes available of the 1960s Mission: Impossible played constantly. I listen to things at a very low volume so no one can hear it. I knew the episodes completely and I never looked up at them but for some reason it helped me focus.

How much of you is in the character played by Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction?

That character is alarmingly similar to me, though not me. I was at some event in New York, maybe a party. My novel Frenzy was out and that’s about the Greek god Dionysus. An editor from some large publishing house said, “I just turned your novel down." I said, “That’s fine. That happens." I’d never take anything like that personally. But then she said, “Can you tell me what this has to do with Black people?" And I stood there and I thought, “I wonder if she would’ve asked Saul Bellow what his novel has to do with Jewish people or John Updike what his novel has to do with uptight WASPs."

Has the success of American Fiction changed your life at all?

The other day I was in a bagel shop. It was very strange, this man kept staring at me and I thought maybe for once in my life I’m attractive. But he stepped away from the ordering spot and I stepped up and I had to give my name and I said, “Everett." He looked at me and said, “Are you Percival Everett? I thought you were Jeffrey Wright."

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

MINT SPECIALS

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How a Literary Darling Finally Broke Through to the Mainstream

Percival Everett is poised for a big year.

James, his twist on Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” told from the perspective of the runaway slave Jim, is racking up rave reviews and already making best-of 2024 lists. Publishing executives expect the book’s arrival on Tuesday to mark the veteran author’s long-awaited leap from literary cult favorite to commercial brand name.

The novel comes on the heels of “American Fiction,” which just won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay. Written by Cord Jefferson, the film is based on Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure, a satire about racial hypocrisy in publishing. The comedy drama stars Jeffrey Wright as a frustrated novelist who toys with the industry’s prejudices imposed on the books Black authors write.

When he initially came up with James, Everett was shocked not to find more alternative versions of Jim in contemporary literature. In Everett’s telling, Jim, who actually goes by James, is a writer and hardcore book lover who puts on an illiterate persona to protect himself from the wrath of insecure whites. Some of the book’s funniest moments occur when he and the other enslaved forget to dumb themselves down in mixed company. Elements of Twain’s 1884 novel remain—there’s still a raft trip down the Mississippi River with Huck and run-ins with some of the same unsavory characters–but that’s just a jumping off point.

Everett, 67, who writes longhand in pencil from various rooms of his house in South Pasadena, Calif., has roamed everywhere from ranch life to antiquity in his work. His books explore layered themes with humor and, at times, existential cheekiness, as in I Am Not Sidney Poitier, a novel about a person named Not Sidney Poitier who looks just like the actor Sidney Poitier.

The author recently spoke with the Journal about spotting prejudice at a New York book gathering, writing in goofy notebooks and not quite getting recognized in a bagel shop.

What made you decide to write James?

I’ve always liked Huck Finn. My revisiting or visiting Huck Finn in no way is an expression of any kind of dissatisfaction with that novel. I think it’s an important novel. But it is deficient. Twain stopped midway and left it for a while and I think that break is quite evident in the writing of it. For mercenary reasons he inserted Tom Sawyer because he was trying to sell this book, so the quality and nature of the treatment of Jim necessarily changes. Jim becomes much more objectified in the latter part of the book. But more importantly, Twain could not write Jim, it would not have been possible for him. And it’s also Huck’s novel. It’s not reasonable to expect him to write Jim that way.

What kind of research did you do for the book?

There was geographic research, learning that part of the country. I read Huck Finn 15 times in a row so I would be sick of it and I wouldn’t be repeating it. I really hated it at the end of it.

You visited Twain’s boyhood hometown, Hannibal, Mo. What did you do there?

I had a sandwich and left. I got what I needed out of that. I did toy with the idea of taking one of those riverboat cruises, but you ought to go on YouTube and look at what those are like and who you’d be with. In a way it’s kind of sweet but in another way I think I’d last maybe 15 or 20 minutes on one of those boats.

Do you have a ritual when you start writing a novel?

I go and buy a really ugly notebook. I like going to the drug store and finding the silliest–a notebook with a unicorn that a six-year-old girl might like. I think there might be an attempt on my part to keep things silly, to remind myself that this is just books. There’s a lot of serious stuff going on in the world and regardless of what kind of book I’m making, there’s no reason to take myself all that seriously.

What notebook did you buy for James?

It had a weird kind of tassel on it and a useless attached elastic that you could keep it closed with. It looked like a third grader’s book.

You said once you start writing in a particular room of your house, that’s where you end up for the whole book. Where did you go for James?

I wrote that in the TV room. I use television as white noise. The eight episodes available of the 1960s Mission: Impossible played constantly. I listen to things at a very low volume so no one can hear it. I knew the episodes completely and I never looked up at them but for some reason it helped me focus.

How much of you is in the character played by Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction?

That character is alarmingly similar to me, though not me. I was at some event in New York, maybe a party. My novel Frenzy was out and that’s about the Greek god Dionysus. An editor from some large publishing house said, “I just turned your novel down.” I said, “That’s fine. That happens.” I’d never take anything like that personally. But then she said, “Can you tell me what this has to do with Black people?” And I stood there and I thought, “I wonder if she would’ve asked Saul Bellow what his novel has to do with Jewish people or John Updike what his novel has to do with uptight WASPs.”

Has the success of American Fiction changed your life at all?

The other day I was in a bagel shop. It was very strange, this man kept staring at me and I thought maybe for once in my life I’m attractive. But he stepped away from the ordering spot and I stepped up and I had to give my name and I said, “Everett.” He looked at me and said, “Are you Percival Everett? I thought you were Jeffrey Wright.”

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Write to Ellen Gamerman at [email protected]