We recently reported on frequently asked questions that visitors have when they come to Quincy or Hannibal. The staff at the Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau also sent us a list of really funny questions that they have fielded in their office. Here are some of the best ones.

  • There are the river questions: Where’s the river? (you can see it out the front window) Is that a river or a lake? Is that a man-made river?
  • Where am I??? (Seriously, that is not a joke. We all get this one.)
  • Why isn’t the riverboat running? (when it’s 20 degrees and there’s ice on the river)
  • How long is the one-hour tour?
  • Is the cave tour self-guided?
  • Was Mark Twain a real person?
  • Are Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, etc., real people?
  • How do I read this map?
  • Was Samuel Clemens black?
  • When I point out the window to the Interpretive Center (which is in plain sight), they want the address to put in their GPS so they can find it.
  • Are you open? (as they are standing in the building talking to us)
  • Where is the restroom? (there is a big sign on the front door)
  • Is there anything to do in Hannibal?
  • Are there any restaurants in town?
  • I want to eat the kind of food the locals eat.
  • Where do you eat?
  • When a young woman said she wanted food that contained no monosodium glutamate, her mother said, “These people wouldn’t know what that is.”
  • And, of course: “Do you have a Walmart?”

Megan Rapp with the Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau says that their team tries to help answer everyone's questions, funny or otherwise. "Visitors are often surprised and grateful that we are able to help them with questions that aren’t really tourism related; i.e. where is the motor vehicle office, where can they get a fishing license, where is the employment office, where can they find hiking and bicycle trails, where is an RV dumping station, etc. We also Google information for them, print directions, and much more, to help with their travels."

"We also often get phone calls from people, not necessarily visitors, that start with something like, 'I didn’t know who else to call' or 'I know this isn’t a tourist question, but...' Many times it is someone who has our toll-free number and has a question about someone or something in Hannibal, and we can usually find the information they are looking for with a quick internet search."

The Bureau also enjoys getting feedback from visitors. "We get so many compliments from our visitors," said Rapp. "This is the big one: 'If we knew there was so much to do in Hannibal, we would have allowed more time here. We will plan to come back (and usually bring family), so we can spend more time visiting all the attractions.'"

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