Prisons have always captured our imagination, telling stories of society’s darkest chapters and most infamous inhabitants. These imposing structures, thick walls, and iron bars are powerful reminders of how justice systems have evolved.
From infamous escape attempts to tales of rehabilitation, these historic sites now serve as museums and unique accommodations, offering visitors a glimpse into life behind bars. Ready to explore some of the world’s most fascinating former lockups?
Let’s step inside these preserved pieces of criminal justice history that now welcome visitors through their heavy doors.
Alcatraz Prison, USA
The infamous Rock in San Francisco Bay remains America’s most famous prison site, drawing visitors from across the globe to its windswept island. Formerly home to notorious gangsters like Al Capone, the prison’s audio tour features recordings of former guards and inmates that bring its haunting corridors to life.
Visitors can peek inside the tiny cells, walk the recreation yard, and even step into the solitary confinement unit called The Hole. The evening tours offer an especially eerie experience as fog rolls over the bay.
Port Arthur Prison, Australia
Tasmania’s Port Arthur is one of the best-preserved penal colonies from Australia’s convict era. The sprawling complex includes over 30 historic buildings, including the imposing penitentiary and the chilling separate prison used for psychological punishment.
After dark, visitors can join ghost tours that reveal the site’s paranormal reputation and tragic history. The site also offers overnight stays in the former Commandant’s house, letting guests experience the grounds when most tourists have gone home.
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Hoa Lo Prison, Vietnam
Known to American POWs as the ‘Hanoi Hilton,’ this Vietnamese prison tells two very different stories of incarceration. The French colonial-era cells showcase the brutal treatment of Vietnamese political prisoners, while a separate section focuses on American pilots held during the Vietnam War.
Visitors can view the actual cells, including the one where Senator John McCain was held. The preserved guillotine room is one of the complex’s most chilling exhibits.
Eastern State Penitentiary, USA
Philadelphia’s massive Eastern State pioneered the ‘separate system’ of isolation when it opened in 1829. The castle-like structure revolutionized prison architecture with its wagon-wheel design and gothic facade meant to inspire dread in potential criminals.
Today’s visitors can explore the crumbling cellblocks, peek into Al Capone’s furnished cell, and hear stories of famous escape attempts. The prison offers day tours and popular nighttime Halloween events that transform the space into a haunted attraction.
Kilmainham Gaol, Ireland
Dublin’s Kilmainham Gaol played a crucial role in Irish history as the detention and execution site for leaders of several independence rebellions. The prison’s East Wing, with its Victorian design and central atrium, is one of the finest examples of the ‘panopticon’ style of prison architecture.
Guided tours take visitors through the cells where Ireland’s revolutionary heroes spent their final days. The jail’s restored chapel also holds special significance as the site of the last marriage of Joseph Plunkett, just hours before his execution in 1916.
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Fremantle Prison, Australia
Western Australia’s only World Heritage-listed building operated as a maximum-security prison from 1855 to 1991. Visitors can choose between several tours, including underground tunnel tours where prisoners once worked the water supply system.
The prison also offers thrilling torchlight tours at night that explore supernatural occurrences and escape attempts; for the truly brave, overnight stays are available in converted guards’ cottages on the prison grounds.
Cellular Jail, India
The remote Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands earned the nickname ‘Kala Pani’ (Black Waters) for its harsh isolation and treatment of Indian independence fighters. The seven-wing prison was designed so that prisoners could never communicate with each other, with each wing radiating from a central tower.
The nightly sound and light show dramatically recreates the struggle of freedom fighters imprisoned here. The preserved gallows and solitary cells serve as powerful reminders of colonial oppression.
Missouri State Penitentiary, USA
Once known as ‘the bloodiest 47 acres in America,’ this Jefferson City prison now offers some of the most comprehensive prison tours in the country. The massive site features the original gas chamber, dozens of cells, and the housing unit where James Earl Ray escaped before assassinating Martin Luther King Jr.
Visitors can participate in ghost-hunting tours with professional paranormal investigators. Overnight stays in the cellblocks provide the ultimate immersive experience for brave history buffs.
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Carleton County Jail, Canada
Ottawa’s former jail was transformed into the spooky HI Ottawa Jail Hostel, where guests could sleep in converted cells. The preserved gallows and death row cells remain exactly as they were when the prison operated.
Guests share stories of ghostly encounters, particularly where public hangings once occurred. The hostel offers historical tours that detail the building’s dark past while showing how it transformed into unique accommodation.
Robben Island, South Africa
Located off the coast of Cape Town, this island prison held Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists for decades. Former political prisoners now serve as tour guides, sharing firsthand accounts of life in the maximum-security prison.
Visitors can see Mandela’s cell and the limestone quarry where prisoners were forced to work. The boat ride to the island offers stunning views of Table Mountain and reminds visitors of the isolation prisoners endured.
Tower of London, England
While famous as a royal palace, the Tower served as a notorious prison for over 800 years. Visitors can see the Bloody Tower, where two young princes disappeared, and the Salt Towe, which has its prisoner graffiti dating back to 1560.
The Yeoman Warders share tales of famous prisoners from Anne Boleyn to Rudolf Hess. The Tower offers exclusive after-hours tours where visitors can witness the Ceremony of the Keys, a locking-up ritual performed every night for over 700 years.
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Sinop Prison, Turkey
Set dramatically on Turkey’s Black Sea coast, this fortress prison remained operational until 2006 and gained fame through Turkish literature and film. The prison’s unique architecture combines an Ottoman fortress with later additions, creating a maze-like compound.
Visitors can explore the workshops where prisoners once crafted the region’s famous wooden boats. The maritime museum section details the prison’s connection to the city’s seafaring history.
Stasi Prison, Germany
Berlin’s Hohenschönhausen Prison operated as a secret detention center for East Germany’s feared Stasi security service. Former prisoners guide visitors through interrogation rooms that remain exactly as they were in the Cold War era.
The prison’s isolation cells and ‘tiger cages’ reveal the psychological torture methods used against political prisoners. Visitors learn about surveillance techniques and see preserved prisoner transport vehicles in the courtyard.
Old Melbourne Gaol, Australia
This bluestone prison housed notorious bushranger Ned Kelly until his execution in 1880. The three-story prison now displays the executed prisoners’ death masks and Kelly’s actual death mask and armor.
Evening ghost tours explore the prison’s paranormal reputation and dark history. The site offers school groups the chance to experience a re-created prison day from the 1800s, complete with period costumes.
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Cork City Gaol, Ireland
This castle-like prison overlooking Cork City has been beautifully restored to its 19th-century condition. Life-sized figures and sound effects create an immersive experience of Victorian-era prison life.
The radio museum section highlights the building’s unique post-prison history as a broadcasting station. Evening tours focus on the prison’s supernatural activity and the harsh conditions inmates endure.
Wyoming Frontier Prison, USA
Known as the ‘Old Pen,’ this Rawlins prison showcases the evolution of punishment in the American West. Visitors can see the ‘punishment pole’ where inmates were handcuffed and whipped, along with three different execution methods used over the years.
The prison industries building details how inmates produced wool products in harsh conditions. Winter ghost tours explore the prison’s reputation as one of America’s most haunted locations.
Ushuaia Prison, Argentina
The ‘Prison at the End of the World’ in Tierra del Fuego housed Argentina’s most dangerous criminals in extreme isolation. The radial design featured five cellblocks emanating from a central point, all built by prisoner labor.
Today’s maritime museum shares space with preserved cells and prison exhibits. Visitors learn how the prison helped establish Argentina’s southernmost city.
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Långholmen Prison, Sweden
Stockholm’s former island prison now welcomes guests as a unique hotel and hostel. The converted cells offer comfortable accommodation while maintaining original features like heavy doors and barred windows.
The prison museum details the facility’s 250-year history and rehabilitation programs. The hotel’s restaurant, housed in the former prison kitchen, serves ‘prison portions’ to adventurous diners.
Maitland Gaol, Australia
This New South Wales prison operated for 150 years before becoming a heritage site and tourist attraction. Visitors can take self-guided tours with audio devices that share stories from former guards and inmates.
The prison offers ‘doing time’ sleepovers where guests experience a night in their original cells. Former guards lead specialized tours focusing on infamous inmates and escape attempts.
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Preserving Prison History
These transformed institutions are powerful reminders of how justice systems and society have evolved. While some sites focus purely on historical preservation, others have found innovative ways to repurpose these spaces for modern visitors.
Their continued existence helps educate future generations about the importance of human rights and criminal justice reform. As more historic prisons open their doors to visitors, they ensure these crucial stories and lessons won’t be forgotten behind bars.
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