Take A Spooky Haunted History Tour At Old Joliet Prison In Illinois
By Melissa Mahoney|Published July 15, 2021
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I've worked in the entertainment industry for much of my adult life and I love photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world! Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream.
The Old Joliet Prison is what the city of Joliet is most known for. First opened to prisoners in 1858, the Illinois State Penitentiary as it was once called, had its fair share of nefarious events and notorious inmates. It was even featured in the 1980 hit movie, “The Blues Brothers,” the more recent television series “Prison Break,” and several other shows and films. Today, the Joliet Area Historical Museum oversees the preservation of the Old Joliet Prison and hosts several themed tours including a fascinating and popular Haunted History Tour where you can hear grim stories of what happened behind the prison walls.
Prisons are notorious for being bad places where many convicted criminals live out the rest of their days. The Old Joliet Prison, which was designed by architect W.W. Boyington using local limestone, first opened its doors to prisoners in 1858 as the Illinois State Penitentiary. By 1878, it housed over 2,000 prisoners which was more than it could handle.
There were reports that conditions became so unsanitary and unsafe that calls to close it were made. But it remained open until 2002 when it was finally closed for good.
Today the prison is overseen by the Joliet Area Historical Society which hosts several tours, and one of the most popular tours is the Haunted History Tour.
Although the Haunted History Tour does not involve ghost hunting, visitors will learn about the prison and some of the dark, grim things that happened behind the prison walls.
You may also learn about the prison's most notorious prisoners like John Wayne Gacy, James Earl Ray, Baby Face Nelson, and Richard Speck. You are bound to hear some fascinating stories!
The Haunted History Tour is 1.5 hours long and will take you on a walk around the prison grounds and select buildings at dusk. You'll hear stories of the darkest side of life here.
Although there is no ghost hunting involved on this tour, you can certainly book a Paranormal Investigation Tour or a Ghost Hunt 101 Tour instead. On each tour, you will learn a bit about the prison's history as you use equipment to investigate potential paranormal activity.
Have you taken a tour of the Old Joliet Prison in Illinois? If so, what tour did you take and what was it like? To book one of several tours, including the Haunted History Tour, at Old Joliet Prison, visit the Joliet Area Historical Museum website.
