Love locks find new home on double heart structure at Hannibal’s Lover’s Leap

HANNNIBAL, Mo. — A double heart made of steel has been installed at Lover’s Leap as a way to keep a romantic tradition from ruining the fence at the park.

A love lock or love padlock is a padlock that couples lock to a bridge, fence, gate, monument or similar public fixture to symbolize their love.

In recent years, locks have been placed on the fence and then are removed by Parks and Recreation officials to keep the fence from being pulled down. Park board members asked Central Services director Andy Dorian to construct a structure to allow a place for the locks other than the fence. The structure was built by Hannibal Machine at a cost of $3,200.

Hannibal Parks and Recreation employees mounted the 10 foot-by-10-foot structure on a concrete pad last week at the 5-acre park located on a bluff above Route 79. The double heart at Lover’s Leap includes a disposal box for the keys to keep the keys from polluting the ground or river.