riverboat dinner cruise 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 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 p.m.  Departure from the dock will be at 1:30 p.m. and returns at 2:30 p.m.

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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Family-Friendly Tours Full Of Adventure, Storytelling, And Fun

History, literature, and travel enthusiasts unite for a unique sightseeing and dining experience aboard riverboat cruises on the Mississippi River from beloved author Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. Witness firsthand what inspired the writer to create iconic characters, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. At Mark Twain Riverboat Co., you get to experience the Mighty Mississippi River in a truly memorable way, a Mississippi river boat cruise complete with storytelling, scenic views, and fine dining.

We provide a unique experience perfect for individuals, families, and groups. The cruise takes place on the Mississippi River from Mark Twain's boyhood home town of Hannibal, MO.

Mark Twain shared his unique perspective of life on the Mississippi River throughout his writings and characters. Get a glimpse of the Mississippi River as Mark Twain might have seen it.

The Mark Twain has been a unique feature on the Hannibal riverfront for more than 30 years. As a family-owned business since 1997, we strive to offer you a unique riverboat experience on the Mighty Mississippi, whether you’re a Hannibal resident or visitor. Choose between our two daily cruise offerings: our Sightseeing Cruise and our evening Dinner Cruise which includes live entertainment and a two entree buffet-style dinner.

Whether you are looking for a sightseeing adventure on the Mississippi River, taking in the sights, or dining on the river at sunset, Mark Twain Riverboat has something for everyone.

Set Sail on Our Riverboat Cruises

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

Why choose us?

A Glimpse At Missouri Through The Lens Of A Famous Author On The Mississippi River

A Mississippi River cruise aboard Mark Twain Riverboat Co. allows you to enjoy a short excursion from Hannibal during the more pleasant weather months of the year. Just 100 miles away from St. Louis, our Mississippi River boat cruise is the only cruise that departs from Mark Twain's boyhood home.

River cruising gives you the time and space to fully immerse yourself in Mark Twain's story and the Mississippi River, getting to know the inspiration behind his books. We handle every detail for you from departure to dinner on our Mississippi river cruises, making it possible for you to fully relax and enjoy our modern riverboat.

Cruising down the river is a great way to unwind and enjoy nature after a busy week. Hannibal, Missouri is home to some of the most scenic riverfront views in the Midwest!

Informative

Our cruise guides are experts in their field and love to share their knowledge about this beautiful city. They'll educate you all about the history of the area and its inhabitants, so you can really get an insider's look at this fascinating area.

Family-friendly

Our cruises are great for families with children of all ages, so bring your whole crew along with you! We have plenty of activities that will keep you occupied during the day and night.

Hannibal, Missouri

Despite its small size, Hannibal, MO is full of history and immersive learning experiences. It is there that you can visit Mark Twain's boyhood home and museum, take a Mississippi River cruise, or even attend a festival in his honor. That's not all there is to do in the area, though. You can explore caves and even take a ghost tour. Although, we are sure our cruise will be one of your favorite experiences yet.

Upper Mississippi River cruises are a great way for people of all ages to take a break from the normal day-to-day. Instead you'll enjoy an afternoon taking in the beautiful scenery or an evening of entertainment and dining. Our cruises are perfect for anyone who wants adventure but doesn't want the length of trip that most American cruise lines offer. A short trip aboard our Mississippi River cruises is just the evening out you need to feel refreshed, educated, and creative.

Frequently asked questions

Can we modify existing itineraries.

To some extent – yes. Sometimes we will have to because the weather isn’t always ideal and we want to stay in shallow, calm waters to keep the trip enjoyable.

What is the duration of the cruises?

Our cruises last approximately one to two hours

Are food and drinks available on board?

Yes, we offer a variety of food and drinks, including a snack bar and a full-service bar.

Is smoking allowed on board?

No, smoking is not allowed onboard.

Is the Mark Twain Riverboat wheelchair accessible?

We are wheelchair accessible on the lower deck. However, there is no lift to the upper deck and wheelchairs do not fit in the bathrooms.

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Mark Twain Riverboat

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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)

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Review Highlights

“ $40 for a wonderful buffet dinner, a cruise on the Mississippi river , nice jazz band and a great two hour experience. ” in 7 reviews

“ the scenery was great, but the best part was Captain Steve and his stories. ” in 3 reviews

“ After a while, we went up on the top deck for a while, until we all had enough sun and heat. ” in 4 reviews

Location & Hours

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100 Center St

Hannibal, MO 63401

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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 thought it was worth it. The woman at the bar was very personable. Tons of free parking.

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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.

Captain Steve was good. He was informative, funny, and very gentle with the boat. We had a good time relaxing on the boat and hearing the stories and information. He was able to point out landmarks easily and we even saw a Bald Eagle. This tour was about an hour long and it's great for groups, couples, families and more. Worth the stop.

If you're a tourist in Hannibal I'd highly recommend booking a Mark Twain river cruise. You can book them online in advance--note that your ticket and email will say to meet at the office prior to your tour for loading. As of our visit (July 2019) the loading area and main office aren't open and we wouldn't have known that if not calling to check it out. You'll go to their "alternate loading area" due to construction/higher water at the original location. They plan to have that corrected by year's end. Signs for the alternate office and loading area are around the docks but it's basically around the corner from the bar that's at the bottom of the hill past Mark Twain Brewing Company. Anyway, we enjoyed the tour. We did the standard tour rather than the dinner tour as it was half the price, we'd rather be outside on the deck than in the cabin, and we wanted to eat somewhere else for dinner that evening. Drink and snack prices for the standard tour are fair though. The tour captain is good, tells enough local factoids worth hearing without constantly talking. It's a pleasant detour and fits in with everything else you're apt to do when in the area.

Haven't bin back with virus but have gone on Dinner Cruise several times . The food was excellent the entertainment was outstanding and the scenery was outstanding. Not to far from home

We were very disappointed that there was not any historical commentary about where we were traveling on the river. We took the dinner cruise. Cruise would have been so much better with that. It did have a solo musician with a guitar. The food was ok. The staff friendly. Sunset was pretty. Would suggest that their online description is explicit re this is not a historical cruise as it seems other people were as disappointed as I was.

The cruise itself was very nice. Dinner was very bland, roast beef tasted like it was boiled, very little flavor. Potato was good, salad was ok, but only two choices of dressings. Pasta salad was terrible and what they called a chicken breast was frozen chicken from Walmart and served cold. They had a saxophone player for entertainment, no thanks, immediately after dinner we went to the deck outside so we didn't have to listen to 1940's music. Beautiful evening out on the deck though. The dinner is not worth the extra money though.

Food was great!! Buffet style! Name on table so no need to hurry to be first in line! We did the Friday cruise for dinner it was very nice and romantic. The music was great one trip to buffet but the plates they give you are a good size very filling food. Out of souvenir glasses which was a downer. But very nice staff and crew! Loved our table at the windows and after dinner you are able to roam the boats three floors. We went up to the top floor and just watched the lights and the river. Music was good including a few pictures. They had salad but I skipped it for I can get more of the main courses

I posted this as 5 stars but it keeps defaulting to 4, not sure why! We had a great time! A perfect way to spend an evening. We took the riverboat dinner cruise. There was plenty of options to spend your time on the deck of the boat in the shade or sun. The food was great, just simple catered food: beef and chicken, salad, green beans, rolls, baked potato... It was nice that the first ten minutes included a little history of the local area and the last 30 min you are riding into the sunset, perfect photo op! Not overly priced considering the meal and the experience. Everyone should do it once, at least! Stay close to the boat after you disembark; music will play through the whistles on the top of the boat. It is a beautiful experience and you won't want to miss it! The summer was a beautiful time to go to see amazing shades of green in the trees that line the river, but we would now like to do it again in the Fall to see all the beautiful Fall colors.

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Mark Twain Riverboat Dinner Cruise

Center St, Landing, Hannibal , Missouri USA

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Reviewed by aligeorge

We took the daytime cruise and it was extremely informative and relaxing.

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Mark Twain Riverboat Dinner Cruise - Hannibal

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Similar Experiences

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

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Mark Twain Riverboat Dinner Cruise - All You MUST 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) - Tripadvisor