In the Summer of 1972, Arrow Rock was chosen as a “stand-in” for 1840s Hannibal for the United Artists/Reader’s Digest musical production of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer.

The feature was filmed entirely in Missouri—other locations were in Lamine, Blackwater, Lupus and Meramec Caverns—and dozens of regional residents appeared as the Hannibal townsfolk.

The 50th Anniversary of the filming of Tom Sawyer is coming this summer, and July 4th weekend will see events, special visitors, and a whole-town celebration of this motion picture and one of its greatest stars, the Village of Arrow Rock.