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Prison Museums and History
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Old Lincoln County Jail and Museum
Wiscasset, ME USA The first Lincoln County jail was authorized by the Court of General Sessions of the Peace as the first item of business at its first meeting on May 12, 1761. The jail was completed in September in that year. A plan for a second Lincoln County Jail was approved and built in 1795. Escapes and overcrowding led to the abandonment of this facility after only 16 years of use. The cornerstone for a new jail was laid on August 1, 1809. Prisoners were transferred by mid-1811. The new Lincoln County Jail would serve the County for 102 years when overcrowding conditions necessitated until its final abandonment in 1953. |
Old Montana Prison Museum
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Old Monterey Jail - California
Monterey, CA USA The Old Jail, located next to Colton Hall, was constructed in 1854 and served as the City Jail until 1956. The jail was an impenetrable fortress for its inmates; no one ever escaped from the thick granite walls during its history. |
Old NewGate Prison - Connecticut
East Granby, CT USA Mining operations began at the Old New-Gate location in 1707. However, mining was not profitable, and in 1773 the Colony of Connecticut purchased the caverns and made them into a prison. It was used to house prisoners during the American Revolution, and in 1790 became the state prison. Old New-Gate was closed in 1827. Submitted 08/22/2007, edited 09/11/2007. 100 hits outgoing, 0 incoming.  Details
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Old Prison Museum - Montana
Deer Lodge, MT USA Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Old Montana Prison was built by inmate labor, this turn-of-the-century fortress was home to at least one member of Butch Cassidy's "Wild Bunch". Guided and self-guided tours lead you through the intimidating Cell House and into the chilling slide bar cells and black box of Maximum Security. |
Old West Virginia Penitentiary
Moundsville, WV USA The prison at Joliet provided the prototype for the West Virginia Penitentiary. It was an imposing stone structure fashioned in the castellated Gothic architectural style. Only the dimensions of West Virginia's facility would differ; it would be approximately one-half the size of Joliet. The first phase of the West Virginia Penitentiary was completed in 1876 at a total cost of $363,061. After 110 years of use, the West Virginia Supreme Court handed down the decision that the penitentiary was to be closed by July, 1992. The prison was closed in 1995 in favor of a modern facility, the Mt. Olive Correctional Center in Fayette County. |
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Parkhurst Prison Museum - United Kingdom
UK In the later part of the 1700's, there was a growing concern for the safety of juvenile prisoners, some of whom were only six years old, many of which were incarcerated in the old, rotten and disease ridden sailing ships commonly referred to as hulks. The prison opened its doors on the 26th December 1838, taking in 102 boys and changed considerably over the course of its operation. It was known as one of England’s toughest jails. |
Peter & Paul Fortress - Russia
St. Petersburg, Russia Founded on May 27, 1703 to defend St. Petersburg against enemy raids, the Peter & Paul Fortress contained Russian political prisoners from the middle of the 18th century. In the 19th century the Peter and Paul Fortress scored the reputation of the main political prison of Russia. The complex included Peter and Paul cathedral, designed by D.Trezzini, which is the city's tallest building, the house of the "grandfather of the Russian navy", where exact copy of Peter I's little boat is kept and the Mint. |
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Robben Island - Pison Museum - South Africa
Imagine a place, where one could see the reflection of triumph of the human spirit . As quoted by Ahmed Kathrada (sentenced to Robben Island in June 1964)," While we will not forget the brutality of apartheid, we will not want Robben Island to be a monument to our hardship and suffering. We would want Robben Island to be a monument...reflecting the triumph of the human spirit against the forces of evil." Robben Island is a place, where people can learn from and acknowledge the history of our world. One could pay respect to people of our time that fought for freedom, in this case for human rights. Life for a prisoner on Robben Island was not easy, but life in the old South Africa was not so pleasant either. People of color were treated inhumanly, not permitted on the beaches, in pools, in movies or to practice their own traditions by order of law. The beautiful country of South Africa was segregated by classifications of skin and cultural background. |
Ruthin Gaol - United Kingdom
Ruthin's first gaol is thought to have been located in the Old Court House of the Lordship of Ruthin. This half-timbered building, now the National Westminster Bank, was built about 1404 following Owain Glyndwr's attack on the town which left very few, if any, houses standing. Baronial, manorial and other courts were held; prisoners being detained in cells below the magnificent beamed court room. Richard Gwyn, a Welsh Catholic martyr, spent the last four years of his life imprisoned in the building before his execution at Wrexham in 1584. |
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San Juan Historical Museum - Washington
Friday Harbor, WA USA The purpose of the San Juan Historical Society and its museum is to share and interpret the story of the people of San Juan Island. The jail was brought to the museum grounds in the 1980's. |
San Quentin Prison Museum - California
San Quentin, CA USA California established a State Prison system in 1851 in response to increased criminal activity brought on by the sudden influx of men seeking their fortune in the gold fields. Originally a private enterprise, a temporary prison was set up on the Waban, a 268 ton bark (ship). As it quickly became overcrowded and escapes common, building began for a permanent facility on Pt. San Quentin in 1852. The museum was founded in 1985. |
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Squirrel Cage Jail - Iowa
Council Bluffs, IA USA One of three remaining examples of the "Lazy Susan" jails, this three-story brick structure was completed in 1885 and featured a "cage" that rotated to allow jailers a view of all cells from a single vantage point. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
Stirling Old Town Jail - Scotland
Stirling, Scotland For 400 years, Stirling's prisoners were kept in the old Tollbooth Jail. It was a stinking, overcrowded, place. There came pressure for improvement and prison reform so the new purpose built Stirling Old Town Jail was opened in 1847. Designed by Thomas Brown and opened as a County Jail, the building was used as the only military prison in Scotland from 1888 until 1935. Restoration to it's current use began in the early 1990's. |
Texas Prison Museum
 (1 vote)Huntsville, TX USA The Texas Prison Museum offers an intriguing glimpse into the lives of the state's least-loved citizens. The museum features numerous exhibits detailing the history of the Texas prison system, both from the point of view of the inmates as well as the men and women who worked within the prison walls. |
The Barbados Museum & Historical Society
The Barbados Museum, located at the Garrison, is housed in the former British Military Prison. The prison, whose upper section was built in 1817 and lower section in 1853, became the headquarters of the Barbados Museum and Historical Society in 1930. |
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The Changi Museum - Singapore
Changi, Singapore The Changi Museum was re-established on its current site on February 15, 2001. The Museum focuses on the trials and tribulations of Singaporeans, the Prisoners-of-War (POWs) and civilian internees who were incarcerated by the Japanese during the occupation years of 1942 to 1945. |
The Clink Prison Museum - London, UK
South Bank, London For centuries, the London borough of Southwark was in the Diocese of Winchester. As such, it fell outside the jurisdiction of London and became a safe haven for all sorts of "illicit" activities. The Clink Prison was owned by the Winchester Bishops and was used for the incarceration of religious offenders, debtors and other malefactors. |
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The Old Jail Art Center - Texas
Albany, TX USA Opened in 1878, the jail, which was designed and built by the civil architect John Thomas of Thomas and Woerner, Builders, Fort Worth. The jail cost more than $9000, outraging the local taxpayers. Considered very modern at the time of its construction, the jail was used for more than half a century until it was abandoned in 1929. |
Westgate Towers Museum - United Kingdom
Caterbury, Kent UK Explore Canterbury's mediaeval fortified gatehouse - one of England's finest. See the Guard Chamber, Murder Holes, Civil War Armoury and City Walls Display. Visit the prisoner in the Tower Cells, and climb to the roof for panoramic views. |
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