List of jail and prison museums

Last updated

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary, main gate.jpg
Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia

Museums have been created from many former jails and prisons.

Some old jails converted into museums are listed under the original name of the jail, especially if listed on the US National Register of Historic Places. For example, see Old St. Johns County Jail in St Augustine, Florida.

Museums with a main purpose not associated with the jail or prison[ What is the difference between a jail (or gaol) and a prison? ] in which they are located are listed separately, below the main list.

To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

NameLocationState/ProvinceCountryJail/
Prison
Notes
Adelaide Gaol Adelaide South Australia AustraliaPrison
Seodaemun Prison Seoul Seoul Capital Area South Korea Prison
1811 Lincoln County Museum & Old Jail Wiscasset Maine United StatesJail
Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary Petros Tennessee United StatesState Prison
Abashiri Prison Museum Abashiri Hokkaido JapanPrisonThe only prison museum in Japan. [1]
Alcatraz Island San Francisco Bay Area California United StatesPrison
Ancienne Prison de Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières Quebec CanadaPrison
Beaumaris Gaol Beaumaris Anglesey, Wales United KingdomJail
Bodmin Gaol Bodmin Cornwall United KingdomJail http://www.bodminjail.org/
Buckingham Old Gaol Buckingham Buckinghamshire United KingdomJailMuseum of Buckingham and rural life as well as the building as a prison
Burlington County Prison Mount Holly New Jersey United StatesPrison
Carthage Jail Carthage Illinois United StatesJaillocation of the death of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
Cell Block 7 Prison Museum, State Prison of Southern Michigan Jackson, Michigan Michigan United StatesPrisonClosed as of December 2019.
Central Penitentiary San José San José Province Costa RicaPrison
Cellular Jail Port Blair Andaman and Nicobar Islands IndiaPrisonMany Indian Independence activists were kept in this prison by the British during the British Raj in India.
Clink, The London London Borough of Southwark United KingdomPrison
Cork City Gaol Cork County Cork Republic of Ireland Prison
Crumlin Road (HM Prison) Belfast Northern Ireland United KingdomPrison
Daviess County Rotary Jail and Sheriff's Residence Gallatin Missouri United StatesJail Rotary Jail
Eastern State Penitentiary Philadelphia Pennsylvania United StatesPrison
Eden Camp Museum Malton North Yorkshire United KingdomPrison
Ely Museum Ely Cambridgeshire United KingdomJail Official website
Fremantle Prison Fremantle Western Australia AustraliaPrison
Galleries of Justice Nottingham Nottinghamshire United KingdomJail and Prison
Gevangenpoort The Hague South Holland NetherlandsPrison
Gloucester Prison GloucesterGloucestershireUnited KingdomPrison
Hexham Old Gaol Hexham Northumberland United KingdomPrison
Historic Cornwall Jail Cornwall Ontario CanadaJail
Hong Kong Correctional Services Museum Southern District Stanley Hong KongPrison Official webpage
The museum comprises ten galleries with one mock gallows and two mock cells.
Horsens Statsfængsel (Horsens Prison Museum) Horsens Region Midtjylland DenmarkPrison Official website
Inveraray Jail Inveraray Argyll, ScotlandUnited Kingdom
Jail Museum (Truckee, California) Truckee California United StatesJail
Kansas Regional Prisons Museum Lansing Kansas United StatesPrison
The Lansing Historical Museum is home to hundreds of artifacts and documents relating to the Kansas State Penitentiary/Lansing Correctional Facility.
Kilmainham Gaol Kilmainham Dublin IrelandPrison
Kingston Penitentiary Kingston Ontario CanadaPrisonConstructed 1833–1835, Kingston Penitentiary is the oldest standing prison dating to pre-confederation in Canada. After closing in 2013, the institution began operating tours seasonally from May–October, offering guided tours with online ticketing and Tour Guides as well as retired Correctional Staff on site to provide information to guests.
Cobourg Jail Cobourg Ontario CanadaJailPart of the jail is incorporated into the King George Inn, which includes a museum and artifacts from its time as a working jail. [2]
Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery Beloozero Vologda Oblast RussiaPrison
Kosciusko County Jail Museum Warsaw Indiana United StatesJail
Liberty Jail Liberty Missouri United StatesJail Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, and associates were imprisoned there in 1838–1839 during the 1838 Mormon War.
Littledean Jail Gloucestershire United KingdomJail http://www.littledeanjail.com
L'Orignal Old Jail Orignal Ontario CanadaJail
Louisiana State Penitentiary Angola Louisiana United StatesPrison"Opening in 1997, the Museum at the Louisiana State Penitentiary was established to preserve the long and storied history of crime, punishment, rehabilitation, criminal justice, and reform in Louisiana." [3]

http://angolamuseum.org/ The Louisiana State Penitentiary also has an annual Prison Rodeo, which first began in 1965. The first public Angola Prison Rodeo was in 1967. [4]

Lubyanka (KGB) Moscow Moscow Oblast RussiaPrisonOn Lubyanka Square
Ludwigsburg Prison Museum Ludwigsburg Baden-Württemberg GermanyPrison
Malaysia Prison Museum Malacca City Malacca Malaysia Prison
Memorial and Education Centre Andreasstrasse Erfurt Thuringia GermanyPrisonFormer Stasi prison, used for holding political prisoners.
Mills County Old Jail Museum Goldwaite Texas United StatesJail
Missouri State Penitentiary Jefferson City Missouri United StatesPrison
Montgomery County Jail and Sheriff's Residence Crawfordsville Indiana United StatesJail Rotary Jail
Moore County Old Jail Museum Lynchburg Tennessee United StatesJail
Museu Penitenciário do Estado do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro BrazilPrison
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec Quebec City Quebec CanadaPrisonMostly an art museum
Museo de Tradiciones y Leyendas León León Department Nicaragua Jail
Museo del Presidio de Ushuaia Ushuaia Tierra del Fuego ArgentinaPrison http://museomaritimo.com/
Nationaal Gevangenismuseum Veenhuizen Drenthe NetherlandsPrisonNational Dutch prison museum
Newcastle Gaol Museum Toodyay Western AustraliaAustralia
Norwegian POW Museum Ostrzeszów Greater Poland Voivodeship, also known as Wielkopolska ProvincePolandPrisonWorld War II POW camp
Ohio State Reformatory Mansfield Ohio United StatesPrison
Old Courthouse & Old Jailhouse Museums West Bend, Wisconsin Wisconsin United StatesJailOperated by Washington County Historical Society, Inc.
Old Franklin County Jail in the former Franklin County Jail Chambersburg Pennsylvania United StatesJail
Hamilton County Historical Museum
in the Old Hamilton County Jail
Jasper Florida United StatesJail Web page
Old Tolland County Jail and Museum Tolland Connecticut United StatesJail
Old City Jail (Mount Dora, Florida) Mount Dora Florida United StatesJailCurrently houses the Royellou Museum.
Old Fauquier County Jail Warrenton Virginia United StatesJail
Old Idaho State Penitentiary Boise Idaho United StatesPrison
1859 Jail and Museum Independence Missouri United StatesJail Website
Olde Gaol Museum Lindsay Ontario CanadaJail Website
Old Jail Museum (Albion, Indiana) Albion Indiana United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Allegan, Michigan) Allegan Michigan United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Barnesville, Georgia) Barnesville Georgia United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Canton, Mississippi) Canton Mississippi United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Conyers, Georgia) in the former Rockdale County Jail Conyers Georgia United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Crawfordsville, Indiana) Crawfordsville Indiana United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Dubuque, Indiana) in the former Dubuque County Jail Dubuque Iowa United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Gonzales, Texas) Gonzales Texas United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Goochland, Virginia) Goochland Virginia United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Greenwood, Arkansas) Greenwood Arkansas United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania) Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Iola, Kansas) Iola Kansas United StatesJail information
Old Jail Museum (Knoxville, Georgia) Knoxville Georgia United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Lawrenceburg, Tennessee) Lawrenceburg Tennessee United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Smethport, Pennsylvania) Smethport Pennsylvania United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Silverton, Texas) Silverton Texas United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (St. Augustine, Florida) in the Old St. Johns County Jail St. Augustine Florida United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Taylorsville, North Carolina) Taylorsville North Carolina United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Thompson Falls, Montana) Thompson Montana United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Valparaiso, Indiana) Valparaiso Indiana United StatesJail
Old Jail Museum (Winchester, Tennessee) Winchester Tennessee United StatesJail
Old Joliet Prison Joliet Illinois United StatesPrison
Old Melbourne Jail Melbourne Victoria AustraliaConvict Prison
Old Newgate Prison East Granby Connecticut United StatesPrisonFormer mine/Colonial prison; also spelled "Old New-Gate Prison"
Old Prison (Victoria) Ċittadella Victoria, Gozo Malta Prison Official webpage
Old Prison Museum (Deer Lodge, Montana) Deer Lodge Montana United StatesPrison
Old Wilkes Jail (Wilkesboro, North Carolina) Wilkesboro North Carolina United StatesJailTom Dooley of the song "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley" was held here before his trial.
Patarei Prison Tallinn Harju County Estonia Prison Official webpage
Peter and Paul Fortress St. Petersburg St. PetersburgRussiaPrison
Peterhead Prison Peterhead Aberdeenshire Scotland Convict Prison
Pied-du-Courant Prison Montreal Quebec CanadaPrison
Port Arthur Port Arthur Tasmania Australia Convict Prison
Pottawattamie County Jail Council Bluffs Iowa United StatesJail Rotary Jail
Presidio Modelo Nueva Gerona Isla de la Juventud CubaPrison
Qasr Prison (Qasr museum-Qarden) Tehran Tehran IranPrison Official webpage
Richard III Museum York North Yorkshire United KingdomPrisonPrimarily about Richard III, the museum also has a working portcullis, a medieval execution chamber, and a small prison cell
Robben Island Museum Robben Island Western Cape South Africa Prison
Sabine County Jail Museum and Vergie Speights Memorial Library Hemphill Texas United StatesJail
San Jacinto County Jail Coldspring Texas United StatesJail
Shepton Mallet Prison Shepton MalletSomersetUnited KingdomPrison
Shrewsbury Prison ShrewsburyShropshireUnited KingdomPrison
Solovetsky Monastery Solovetsky Islands Russia
Texas Prison Museum Huntsville Texas United StatesPrison
Anti-sabotage joint committee Prison (Ebrat Museum of Iran) Tehran Tehran IranPrison ebratmuseum.ir//
Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum Phnom Penh Cambodia Prison
Ulucanlar Prison Museum Altındağ Ankara TurkeyPrison www.ulucanlarcezaevimuzesi.com
West Virginia Penitentiary Moundsville West Virginia United StatesPrison www.wvpentours.com
Wicklow Gaol Wicklow County Wicklow Republic of Ireland Prison Irish National Monument
Wilson County Jailhouse Museum Floresville Texas United StatesJail
Wyoming Frontier Prison (Rawlins, Wyoming) Rawlins Wyoming United StatesPrison
Wyoming Territorial Prison (Laramie, Wyoming) Laramie Wyoming United StatesPrison www.wyomingterritorialprison.com//
Yuma Territorial Prison Yuma Arizona United StatesPrison

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilmainham Gaol</span> Prison museum in Dublin, Ireland

Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison in Kilmainham, Dublin. It is now a museum run by the Office of Public Works, an agency of the Government of Ireland. Many Irish revolutionaries, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, were imprisoned and executed in the prison by the orders of the UK Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Melbourne Gaol</span> Museum and former jail in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The Old Melbourne Gaol is a former jail and current museum on Russell Street, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It consists of a bluestone building and courtyard, and is located next to the old City Police Watch House and City Courts buildings, and opposite the Russell Street Police Headquarters. It was first constructed starting in 1839, and during its operation as a prison between 1845 and 1924, it held and executed some of Australia's most notorious criminals, including bushranger Ned Kelly and serial killer Frederick Bailey Deeming. In total, 133 people were executed by hanging. Though it was used briefly during World War II, it formally ceased operating as a prison in 1924; with parts of the jail being incorporated into the RMIT University, and the rest becoming a museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Bay Correctional Centre</span> Building

The Long Bay Correctional Complex, commonly called Long Bay, is a correctional facility comprising a heritage-listed maximum and minimum security prison for males and females and a hospital to treat prisoners, psychiatric cases and remandees, located in Malabar, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The complex is located approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the Sydney CBD and is contained within a 32-hectare (79-acre) site. The facility is operated by Corrective Services New South Wales, a department administered by the Government of New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boggo Road Gaol</span> Prison in Brisbane, Australia

H.M. Prison Brisbane, commonly known as Boggo Road Gaol, was Queensland's main prison from the 1880s to the 1980s. By the time it closed, it had become notorious for poor conditions and rioting. Located on Annerley Road in Dutton Park, an inner southern suburb of Brisbane, it is the only surviving intact gaol in Queensland that reflects penological principles of the 19th century. After closing in 1992, the larger 1960s section was demolished, leaving the heritage listed section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution Hill, Johannesburg</span> Building in South Africa

The Constitution Hill precinct is the seat of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. It is located in Braamfontein, Johannesburg near the western end of the suburb of Hillbrow. The complex consists of the Constitutional Court, the Old Fort Prison and museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parramatta Correctional Centre</span> Building

The Parramatta Correctional Centre is a heritage-listed former medium security prison for males on the corner of O'Connell and Dunlop Streets, North Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was in operation between 1798 and 2011. The centre was initially called Parramatta Gaol until its name was changed to Parramatta Correctional Centre in 1992. When in operation, the centre was managed by Corrective Services NSW, an agency of the Department of Communities and Justice of the Government of New South Wales. Immediately prior to its closure, the centre detained short term sentenced and remand inmates, operated as a transient centre, and was the periodic detention centre for metropolitan Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cooma Correctional Centre</span> Prison in New South Wales, Australia

Cooma Correctional Centre, an Australian minimum to medium prison for males, is located in Cooma, New South Wales. The centre is operated by Corrective Services NSW an agency of the Department of Communities and Justice of the Government of New South Wales. The centre detains sentenced prisoners and persons on remand under New South Wales and/or Commonwealth legislation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maitland Gaol</span> Former prison in East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia

The Old Maitland Gaol, also known as Maitland Correctional Centre, is a heritage-listed former Australian prison located in East Maitland, New South Wales. Its construction was started in 1844 and prisoners first entered the gaol in 1848. By the time of its closure, on 31 January 1998, it had become the longest continuously-run gaol in Australia. It has since been turned into a museum and was a popular tourist attraction. It is currently closed to the public indefinitely due to safety issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HM Prison Reading</span> Former British prison

HM Prison Reading, popularly known as Reading Gaol, is a former prison located in Reading, Berkshire, England. The prison was operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service until its closure at the start of 2014. It is a Grade II listed building and sits on the site of Reading Abbey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wentworth Gaol</span> Heritage listed site in New South Wales, Australia

The Wentworth Gaol is a heritage-listed former gaol and school building and now museum and old wares shop located at 112 Beverley Street, Wentworth, in the Wentworth Shire, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by James Barnet and built from 1879 to 1881 by Whitcombe Brothers, Hay. It is also known as the Old Wentworth Gaol. The property is owned by Department of Primary Industries - Western Lands Commissioner, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 21 October 2016.

Old Jail may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jedburgh Castle</span> Castle, later rebuilt as a jail, in Jedburgh, Scottish Borders

Jedburgh Castle was a castle at Jedburgh in Scotland. It was fought over during the Wars of Scottish Independence, and was demolished by the Scots commanded by Sir James Douglas of Balvenie in 1409. The site of the original castle was used to build the reform prison based on the John Howard system, the construction of which started in 1820.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old York Gaol</span> United States historic place

The Old York Gaol is a former colonial prison at Lindsay Road and Main Street in York, Maine. Its oldest portion dating to about 1720, it is one of the oldest prison buildings in the United States, and one of the oldest public buildings in the state of Maine. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968. It is owned by the Museums of Old York and is open for tours between May and October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Jail Hostel</span>

The Ottawa Jail Hostel is a hostel operated by Saintlo Hostels and located at 75 Nicholas Street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The hostel was originally the Carleton County Gaol (jail), more commonly known as the Nicholas Street Gaol or Ottawa Jail. When the jail closed in 1972, Hostelling International purchased and converted the building, but left much of the structure intact, allowing guests to experience spending a night "in jail". The top floor, which had served as the jail's death row, has been restored to much of its original condition and daily tours were conducted until December 31, 2023. The Ottawa Jail Hostel, ran by Saintlo Hostels decided to end the partnership with The Haunted Walk in order to focus those spaces on accommodations instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Dubbo Gaol</span> Historic site in New South Wales, Australia

The Old Dubbo Gaol is a heritage-listed former gaol and now museum and tourist attraction at 90 Macquarie Street, Dubbo in the Dubbo Region local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The gaol was designed by the NSW Colonial Architect's Office and was built from 1847 to 1945 by James Atkinson Jnr (1862–63) and William Bonython Moffatt. The gaol was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 26 March 2004. It was the second gaol in Dubbo, replacing lock-ups built in 1847 and 1862.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museo Sugbo</span> History museum in Cebu City, Philippines

Museo Sugbo is a museum in Cebu City, Philippines. The museum is located in the former Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) jail, and is located four blocks away from Plaza Independencia. The museum is owned by the Cebu provincial government.

Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) is a prison for women with its permanent pre-2016 facility located in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, United States. It is the only female correctional facility of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Elayn Hunt Correctional Center is immediately west of LCIW. LCIW includes the state's female death row. As of 2017 the prison has temporarily moved due to flooding that occurred in August 2016, and its prisoners are housed in other prisons. The administration is temporarily located in the former Jetson Youth Center near Baker. By 2021 the Baker area address was given for the prison on the LCIW website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tolhouse</span> 12th-century building in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England

The Tolhouse is a 12th-century building in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. The building has been used as a jail and a courthouse and is currently a museum. The Tolhouse is a Grade I listed building.

References

  1. "Abashiri astounds with its ice and convict connections". The Japan Times. 2013-03-24. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  2. Ron Brown (2006). Behind Bars: Inside Ontario's Heritage Gaols. Dundurn. p. 25. ISBN   9781459711143.
  3. "Our Foundation". Louisiana Prison Museum & Cultural Center. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  4. "Prison Rodeo". Louisiana Prison Museum & Cultural Center. Retrieved 2023-12-27.