Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum

Thinc has been engaged by the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum for an Initial Ideation Phase focused on envisioning the future of visitor experience across its campus. Comprised of eight buildings in downtown Hannibal, Missouri, the Museum includes dedicated gallery spaces as well several historic structures tied to Samuel Clemens’ texts and family, including the 1840s frame house where he lived for a significant portion of his childhood.

Outlining possible interpretive and design approaches from the scale of the campus to that of the gallery, this phase of work will provide the Museum with a preliminary framework for guiding future strategic planning and concept work. The cumulative material from this phase is designed to evoke a compelling vision for the future of the Museum and make the case for why this transformation is essential.

Key considerations during the Ideation Phase include identifying opportunities for immersive media-based storytelling, introducing increased interactivity within exhibits, and optimizing visitor flow across the campus. In addition to the driving force of Twain’s texts, Thinc’s work has been informed by an initial set of workshops conducted with community members, partners, and the Museum’s staff and Board. Given the Museum’s place at the intersection of fiction, biography, and local history, this project represents an exciting opportunity to build powerful experiences surrounding one of America’s most influential and enduring writers.