Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom closed permanently to make way for a “Cars” expansion to Frontierland. Take a final look at the details of the island, which opened on May 20, 1973.
Last Look at Tom Sawyer Island
Tom Sawyer Island Map
Tom Sawyer Island was actually a pair of islands in the center of Rivers of America. The main island was home to Harper’s Mill, Potter’s Mill, Aunt Polly’s, caves, and more. The second island featured Fort Langhorn.
An “Explorers Map” of the island was displayed near the docks, with the following information about Mark Twain:
Mark Twain was born Samuel Clemens in 1835, in Florida, Missouri. He grew up not too far away in the small town of Hannibal. From there he would raft over to islands in the Mississippi and watch as majestic steamboats paddled by. As a young man he became a riverboat pilot, listening for the leadsman to sing out “mark twain” which indicated the river measured two fathoms deep, making it safe to proceed. As a writer, his two most famous creations, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, sprang from his boyish memories of life on the Mississippi. All the names on the island can be found in the literary classic “Huckleberry Finn.”
Tom’s Landing
Guests reached Tom Sawyer Island via rafts. Previously, two sets of docks were in operation.
For the past several years, guests have only exited the rafts at Tom’s Landing, where there were also restrooms and water fountains.
Vintage props included advertisements for Swan Brand Apples, Sunlight Soap, and Wells Fargo’s Great Overland Mail Route.
Guests could enter the girls’ restroom on the right and the boys’ restroom on the left. All the signs on the island appeared to be hand-painted by Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
The water fountains jutted out of crates. There were retro washboards, lanterns, and various supplies you might use for camping on the walls.
One prop crate in this area was labeled for cotton and wool fabrics.
An 1818 Farmers’ Almanac thermometer was on the wall.
More props were in the rafters. These included full-size pieces of furniture like a chair and trunk.
Paved paths led across the island. They were lined with wooden fences — some covered in nets — and fake stones. There were large stairs leading up to the island’s higher elevation areas.
This sign welcomed guests to the island.
Welcum
ifn you like dark caves mystery mines, bottomless pits, shakey bridges n big rocks you have come to the best place i know
ifn you dont like creepy old scary places dont wurry… Huck Finn and myself wuz plenty scared too. Huck wuz more scared than me…
Tom
Wuz Not
Huck
Potter’s Mill
Near Tom’s Landing was Potter’s Mill. This windmill overlooked the water and had large spinning blades.
Guests could walk all the way around the windmill. Once, they could walk inside and climb the winding stairs, but this was closed in recent years.
Still, guests could peek inside the door and see the rotating post of the mill.
Huck’s Landing
Huck’s Landing was a smaller dock than Tom’s Landing. No longer operating as a dock, it had rocking chairs for guests to relax and enjoy the view.
Both docks had netting over their railings. Though ropes blocked the net that could be pulled back for raft use, the landing was open on the other side.
There were a pair of rocking chairs and stools.
Ropes and fishing nets hung from prop crates. There were barrels, buckets, and washboards.
Stacked crates had a checkerboard on top — although no pieces.
The props in the rafters included jugs, buckets, and fishing supplies. Horseshoes adorned a tall crate.
From this side of the island, guests could see Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Injun Joe’s Cave
Though still labeled as “Injun Joe’s Cave” on the map, the sign featuring the offensive name had been removed.
This famously had fake rock formations resembling faces inside. The eyes at the top of each face were lit with small lights, giving them a glowing effect.
Deeper in the cave, a wooden bridge led guests over what appeared to be a small cavern.
Old Scratch’s Mystery Mine
We could still explore Old Scratch’s Mystery Mine. This cave had wooden beams framing the tunnels. In the large space at the back of the “mine” was a waterfall and a glowing collection of gems.
The gems were inaccessible to guests thanks to some railings.
The tunnel was illuminated with lanterns. Like a real mine, the flooring was uneven, although it was paved.
Harper’s Mill
On the other side of Tom’s Landing was Harper’s Mill.
This building had a waterwheel system on the side instead of windmill blades.
Here’s the mill’s sign.
Harper’s Mill
This here deserted grist mill wus named after my frien Joe Harpers old man. Ifn you chooze to go inside please don’t scare the birds that you will find there unless some no good done scared em before you did.
Tom Sawyer
While Potter’s Mill was closed, Harper’s Mill remained open. There were two entrances on either side of the building.
Inside, guests could see the giant gears of the waterwheel.
There were some supplies, like lanterns and barrels.
A rustic chandelier made of several lanterns chained together was hanging from a beam in the ceiling. And an owl perched high up in the rafters.
The owl made “hoot” sounds and blinked at guests.
Hick’ry Switch Hill & Tom Sawyer Scavenger’s Fort
The island was covered in trees, foliage, and rocks. Guests could explore the nature and climb Hick’ry Switch Hill for more views of Magic Kingdom, including The Haunted Mansion.
Signs pointed guests to various offerings.
Tom Sawyer Scavenger’s Fort was a play area for kids ages 2 – 12.
It resembled a fort made of found materials. A ramp led to a ship’s sail. There was also once a ship’s wheel and bell, but these had been removed. A short green tunnel ran under part of the fort.
Poor Ole Jim’s Shack & Barrel Bridge
Poor Ole Jim’s Shack was one of the island’s set pieces, located across from The Haunted Mansion.
It had a small dock with crates and barrels. This was blocked with a rope, and the shack’s door was locked to guests.
Next to the shack was the famous barrel bridge. Large barrels floated on the water, with boards running over them, creating a bouncy experience for guests. The bridge had net railings.
One end was the entrance, and the other was the exit, to ensure good traffic flow. A nearby sign pointed to the barrel bridge — “Tom and Hucks Way.” The opposite direction was “The Other Way.”
The barrel bridge had a landing in the center. It encircled Smuggler’s Cove, a small patch of water.
It exited near Aunt Polly’s, across from the Liberty Square Riverboat landing.
Aunt Polly’s
Once a quick-service restaurant, Aunt Polly’s had been shuttered for several years.
There were still a pair of soda vending machines, encased in crates to blend in with the theming and labeled “Refreshments.”
Unfortunately, the machines were rarely operational in recent years.
They were never updated with credit card technology.
Though Aunt Polly’s was closed, guests could still take a break at the restaurant. There were tables and chairs overlooking the water, including in a gazebo facing The Haunted Mansion queue.
Near Aunt Polly’s was this famous photo spot with the names of Huck, Tom, and Becky written in white paint on a fence. A heart was drawn between Tom and Becky’s names.
Superstition Bridge
To reach Fort Langhorn, guests had to cross “Superstition Bridge.”
A junction before the bridge led guests around a large twisting tree.
The bridge was split in two with a railing, one side labeled for entering and the other for exiting. This helped ease traffic on the bridge and encouraged guests not to stop for photos.
There was another map posted near the bridge.
On the other island, guests traversed a few long paths through trees to reach Fort Langhorn. Outside the fort were some benches.
Fort Langhorn
Fort Langhorn was surrounded by tall log fencing with a gate under the sign.
In the center of the fort’s courtyard was a flagpole topped with an American flag. There were bathrooms on the right and a blacksmith forge on the left.
There was a second story of the fort, accessible via staircases in the corners. Guests could visit the rifle roosts.
Though there were bathrooms (the women’s labeled “Powder Room”) at the fort, these were not always operational in the final years.
The men’s restrooms were located in this corner to the left side. A sign that looked to be hand-painted was posted on the wooden exterior wall.
A second, more modern restroom sign was posted next to the door. This one was a circle that looked like a tree trunk, with the usual text and braille underneath.
The restrooms were not overly large, with only one stall toward the back in the case of the men’s room. The walls were covered in tan tile, with a strip of flat stone chunks running near the floor.
While the exterior of the fort was more rustic, the restrooms still had all the usual modern amenities.
There were also water fountains and a well near the fort’s main entrance.
Two windows looked into the blacksmith’s forge, where guests could see two Audio-Animatronic people making horseshoes. Horse figures were in the stables next to them.
A dog was sticking its head into a bucket of water behind the people. Can you spot the hidden Mickey in this image? Hint: it’s upside-down.
The horse’s tails sometimes swished back and forth. Around them were sacks of feed, rope, and reins. Horseshoes were nailed to the rafters.
On the opposite end of the room from the forge were a pair of hens in their nest.
They were surrounded by eggs and would sometimes squawk.
Outside, pots and pans hung from the walls near an AED.
In the corner of the fort was the Guard House, which guests could also look into thanks to a couple of barred windows.
Inside, the guard was snoozing in bed.
Head upstairs to fire a rifle in the rifle roost.
The spiral staircase went up between shelves of props, including boxes labeled “ammo.”
In the rifle roosts, prop rifles were attached to crates in front of slots in the walls. Guests could not lift up the rifles but could crouch or kneel down to use them. Some rifles were removed in recent years, possibly because they didn’t work and were never fixed.
There were multiple rifle roosts, although only one was labeled with a sign on the tower.
The walkways between the towers provided a nice view of the fort and the surrounding island. You could even see the top of the riverboat going by.
The rifles made sound effects but didn’t actually shoot anything. Guests could aim at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Liberty Square Riverboat, and other scenes surrounding the fort.
Of course, you needed to be comfortable with stairs to reach the rifle roosts.
The roosts had more ammo boxes and fake explosives.
There were also cannons in the towers, although these weren’t usable. A sign read, “Use cott’n when shoot’n.”
The cannons were aimed at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The rifles all had brown wood casing with black and bronze metal. They sat on stick-shaped stands.
Back on the ground, there was a closed gate at the back of the fort.
Though you couldn’t exit through that gate, there were a few options for leaving. This opening was in the side of the fort.
It took guests down a path along the water, where they encountered a small dock. Though it didn’t have chairs, there was a crate guests could sit on if they wanted to take a breather and look at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
There was also the escape tunnel. All exits took guests back out to the front of the fort, where they could cross back over Superstition Bridge.
Guests on the Liberty Square Riverboat could see Fort Langhorn during their journey around the Rivers of America. The riverboat is now closed permanently, too.
Video
Watch our full video tour of Tom Sawyer Island below.
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