| Mark Twain Cave | |
|---|---|
 The 1890 entrance to Mark Twain Cave | |
| Location | Hannibal, Missouri, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 39°41′19″N 91°19′54″W / 39.68864°N 91.33153°W |
| Show cave opened | 1886 |
| Designated | 1972 |
Mark Twain Cave — originally McDowell's Cave — is a show cave located near Hannibal, Missouri. It was named for author Mark Twain whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Clemens lived in Hannibal from 1839 to 1853, age 4 to 17. It is the oldest operating show cave in the state, giving tours continuously since 1886.[1] Along with nearby Cameron Cave, it became a registered National Natural Landmark in 1972, with a citation reading "Exceptionally good examples of the maze type of cavern development." The cave — as "McDougal's Cave" — plays an important role in the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer[2] (1876) by Mark Twain and was renamed in honor of the author in 1880.
- ^ "Cave directory-Missouri". National Caves Association. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Lesson Plans-Mark Twain's Cave". National Geographic Xpeditions Archive. 1998. Archived from the original on February 2, 2003. Retrieved June 7, 2011.