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Mark Twain Statue.
When you see this colossus, you've entered the Twain Zone.

Giant Mark Twain

Field review by the editors.

New London, Missouri

Several miles outside of Hannibal, which is ground zero for all things Mark Twain, stands this towering tribute.

Mark Twain Statue.
"Feed me!"

Twain is one of those instantly recognizable characters who can withstand a less-than-perfect likeness, even one thirty feet tall. This one breaks many sculptural conventions, with withered arms, disproportionately tiny fists, and a flat, almost 2-D perspective. Rust bleeds from various points on Twain's body, betraying a metal skeleton beneath his stucco exterior. Twain has a hook atop his head and holds a barely visible cigar. His half-open mouth looks like it's ready to bite someone.

According to a small monument between Twain's legs, he was sculpted by someone named Larry Koelling for an attraction named Clemens Landing. No one we spoke with in Hannibal knew anything about Larry, but that wasn't surprising: the statue is over 40 years old, and Clemens Landing is a shadow of its former self. In Koelling's day it was a resort with an outdoor theater that staged a nighttime two-hour Twain drama with a replica Hannibal and 50-foot-long riverboat.

Now it's just a campground, and only the mighty mega-Twain remains.

Giant Mark Twain

Address:
Clemens Drive, New London, MO
Directions:
On the west side of US Hwy 61 roughly four miles south of Hannibal.
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Sci-Fi Movie Stars Made of Car PartsSci-Fi Movie Stars Made of Car Parts, Hannibal, MO - 2 mi.
Unsinkable Molly Brown MuseumUnsinkable Molly Brown Museum, Hannibal, MO - 6 mi.
Karlock Cars and Pop Culture MuseumKarlock Cars and Pop Culture Museum, Hannibal, MO - 6 mi.
In the region:
Erik: Carpet Viking HS Mascot, Nauvoo, IL - 65 mi.

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