Located near Hannibal, Mark Twain Cave is the oldest operating show cave in the state, giving tours continuously since 1886. It plays an important role in the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and is named in honor of the Hannibal native. While it's possible that Native Americans may have been aware of the cave, its documentation claims its discovery in the winter of 1819-1820 by a local hunter, Jack Simms.
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