Rockcliffe Mansion

Rockcliffe Mansion is a 30-room Beaux Arts and Stick Style house on the bluff at the south end of town, built for the lumber baron John Cruikshank in 1898. It is unusually well preserved, with most of its original furnishings, stained glass, and woodwork intact.

Tours run several times a day in season, and the house operates as a bed-and-breakfast for those who want to stay over. The terrace looking out over the river is worth a look in its own right.

things to do sight historic house
A story
Mark Twain delivered a farewell speech from the staircase of Rockcliffe in 1902 on his last visit to Hannibal. The lumber magnate John Cruikshank, who built the mansion in 1898, opened it to Twain as a guest of honour during the visit. After Cruikshank's death the house stood empty and intact for 43 years — when restoration began in 1967, the original furnishings were still in place.