Missouri Vacation and Travel Ideas for Literary Tours
Shepard of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theater
5586 West Highway 76
Branson, MO 65616
Website: http://www.theshepherdofthehills.com
Email: info@oldmatt.com
Phone: (417) 334-4191 or (800) 653-6288
Although few readers today may recognize the name of Harold Bell Wright, (1872 - 1944), he was well known during his time as a best-selling novelist and playwright. He is said to have been the first American writer to make $1 million from his writing, and the first to sell a million copies of a novel. Over 21 movies were made from screenplays based on Wright's novels, including The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) with Gary Cooper, and the John Wayne film, The Shepherd of the Hills (1941).
Wright's 1907 epic The Shepherd of the Hills was one of his most popular works, and a dramatic version of the book is staged at the Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Outdoor Theater in Branson Missouri, on an ongoing basis. The story is brought to life by over 80 actors and actresses. Dramatic props such as a herd of 40 horses, a flock of sheep, a burning log cabin, and a vintage 1908 DeWitt automobile, serve to enliven the event. The theater started from the 1907 novel The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright. He pitched a tent on an elderly couple's land in the Ozark countryside, and thus began his writing career. The novel was made into a play, which is acted out here on a nightly basis. The love story includes over eighty actors, guns, a burning cabin and even a flock of sheep. During the day, a tourist can go horseback riding, visit Inspiration Tower and take a homestead tour.
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Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum
3068 Highway A
Mansfield, MO 65704
Website: http://lauraingallswilderhome.com
Email: info@lauraingallswilderhome.com
Phone: (417) 924-3626
Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867 - 1957) and her husband, Almanzo, moved to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894 with their daughter, Rose. They built a home and established a successful farm here. Wilder wrote all nine of the books in her Little House series while living here, publishing the first in 1932. Visitors to the home today can see Wilder's study, exactly as she left it, the guest room where sister Carrie stayed, Laura's lap desk, and a table made by Almanzo. The museum also includes a collection of artifacts pertaining to pioneer history, as well as exhibits about the life of Wilder's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, who was also a writer. An annual festival showcases 1800s history, local crafts, folk music, and a parade.
Other notable sites dedicated to Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House books include:
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society in De Smet, South Dakota. For more information, see , visit: http://www.liwms.com/, or call: (800) 880-3383.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Cabin and Museum in Pepin, Wisconsin. For more information, see: , visit: http://www.pepinwisconsin.com/cgi-bin/viewnlcontent.cgi?nlarticle_id=2, or call: (800) 442-3011.
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Park and Museum in Burr Oak, Iowa. For more information, see , visit: http://www.lauraingallswilder.us, or call: (563) 735-5916.
Little House on the Prairie, 13 miles southwest of Independence, Kansas. For more information, see , visit: http://www.littlehouseontheprarie.com or http://www.indkschamber.org/things_to_do_in_independence.htm, or call: (620) 289-4238.
Walnut Grove, Minnesota, setting of the popular television series, Little House on the Prairie. For more information see , visit: http://www.walnutgrove.org/, or call: (800) 528-7280.
The Wilder Farmhouse in Malone, New York. For more information, see , visit: http://webpages.marshall.edu/~irby1/laura/malone.html, or call: (518) 483-1207.
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Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site and Mark Twain State Park
37352 Shrine Road
Florida, MO 65283
Website: http://www.mostateparks.com/twainsite.htm
Email: moparks@dnr.mo.gov
Phone: (573) 565-3449
This tiny cabin, the birthplace of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 - 1910), popularly known as Mark Twain, was moved from its original site about one quarter of a mile from where it stands today. The cabin is now part of an indoor exhibit at the Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site and Mark Twain State Park. Today the tiny home displays a handwritten manuscript of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, items from Clemens's home in Hartford, Connecticut, and first editions of his books. The 2,775-acre Mark Twain State Park, located in Stoutsville, features a granite monument showing the cabin's original site.
Other Twain sites of interest include:
The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, MO. For more information see , visit: http://www.marktwainmuseum.org/, or call: (573) 221-9010.
The Mark Twain Study and Exhibit at Elmira College in Elmira, New York. For more information see , visit: http://www.elmira.edu/academics/distinctive_programs/twain_center/study, or call: (607) 735-1941.
The Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut. For more information see , visit: www.marktwainhouse.org, or call: (860) 247-0998.
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Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum
Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau
505 North Third Street
Hannibal, MO 63401
Website: http://www.marktwainmuseum.org/
Email: Located on very bottom of website page
Phone: (573) 221-9010
From 1844 to 1853, 206 Hill Street in Hannibal, Missouri, was the boyhood home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 - 1910), popularly known as Mark Twain. Today, the site is part of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, which includes eight different buildings, including six of historic significance, along with an interpretive center and gallery. At Twain's home, visitors can see the bedroom that Twain and his brother shared. While at the adjacent Mark Twain Museum, one can view memorabilia from the movie adaptations of Twain's novels and foreign editions of Twain's books. Just across the street is the Becky Thatcher House at 211 Hill Street, home of Laura Hawkins, Twain's childhood friend who became the basis for the character of Becky in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Not far away is the Mark Twain Cave, where Clemens explored as a boy. For more information about Mark Twain in Hannibal, and directions to other Twain sites, visit: www.visithannibal.com/attractions.html
Other Twain sites of interest include:
The Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site and Mark Twain State Park in Florida, MO. For more information see , visit: http://www.mostateparks.com/twainsite.htm, or call: (573) 565-3449.
The Mark Twain Study and Exhibit at Elmira College in Elmira, New York. For more information see , visit: http://www.elmira.edu/academics/distinctive_programs/twain_center/study, or call: (607) 735-1941.
The Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut. For more information see , visit: www.marktwainhouse.org, or call: (860) 247-0998.
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Eugene Field House & St Louis Toy Museum
634 South Broadway
St. Louis, MO 63102
Website: http://www.eugenefieldhouse.org
Email: Info@EugeneFieldHouse.org
Phone: (314) 421-4689
Eugene Field (1850 - 1895) was an American poet and essayist best known for his poem "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod." Born in Saint Louis but raised, for the most part, in Amherst, Massachusetts, Field returned to Saint Louis from 1876 through 1880, during which time he served as editorial writer and as managing editor of several local papers. Field also lived for a time in Denver, Colorado, and Chicago, Illinois. He first began to publish his poetry in 1879, with his book Christian Treasures.
Field's St.Louis birthplace, a Victorian home, is now a museum featuring memorabilia from Field's Chicago home, along with an extensive collection of toys including teddy bears and dolls.
Field's father, Roswell Martin Field, was a well-known lawyer who represented Dred Scott, an enslaved man who attempted to win freedom for himself and his family by bringing suit in federal court., In commemoration of this landmark case, which is credited with contributing to the commencement of the Civil War, the Field House holds an annual event in honor of Black History Month. Along with Maya Angelou, Kate Chopin, and others, Field is honored with a star in the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
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St. Louis Walk of Fame
Delmar Boulevard in the Loop area of University City (6000-6700 blocks)
St. Louis, MO 63130
Website: http://stlouiswalkoffame.org
Email: - none listed
Phone: (314) 727-8000 (St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission)
The St. Louis Walk of Fame is a series of brass stars and plaques in honor of each inductee. Members of the Walk have contributed to the cultural heritage of the city. Some top literary figures who have been honored with stars in the walk include Maya Angelou, William Burroughs, T.S. Eliot, Eugene Field, William Inge, Kate Chopin, Joseph Pulitzer The website indicates the exact location of each star.
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