10 Abandoned Prisons Hiding Throughout The U.S. – And They Could Be In Your Backyard
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Sophia
Author
The history of crime and punishment in America is a fascinating and complex narrative. As attitudes towards incarceration and criminality shifted over the years, many historic penitentiaries fell silent. These abandoned prisons in the US are equal parts eerie, heart-breaking, and hauntingly beautiful.
Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130, USA
Eastern State Penitentiary operated from 1829 to 1971. When first constructed, the prison was the largest and most costly public structure ever built. Many parts of the prison have been left exactly as they were in the past. The prison's old barber chair is still rooted to the floor of the barber shop. The plush cell of Al Capone, American gangster and former inmate, is one of the most fascinating spots in this prison. Today, Eastern State Penitentiary is a National Historic Landmark and open to the public.
The Ohio State Reformatory, 100 Reformatory Rd, Mansfield, OH 44905, USA
Also known as the Mansfield Reformatory, this prison opened in 1886 and closed in 1990. The East Cell Block is still the largest free-standing steel cell block in the world. This was the prison used to to film a large part of "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994). Restoration of the prison is ongoing, though much of the structure is still in a state of decay.
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West Virginia Penitentiary, 818 Jefferson Ave, Moundsville, WV 26041, USA
This Gothic-style West Virginia prison operated from 1876 to 1995. At least 94 men were executed at this prison. "Old Sparky," the prison's electric chair, was actually built by inmate Paul Glenn. Today, the prison is open for tours. It also serves as a training facility for law enforcement officials.
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Wyoming Frontier Prison Museum, 500 W Walnut St, Rawlins, WY 82301, USA
Wyoming Frontier Prison began operating in 1880 and contained about five-hundred medium-security prisoners. Inmate Henry Ruhl was executed at the Frontier Prison in 1945. To date, he is the only person to be put to death by the Federal Government in Wyoming. The building is now a museum and offers guided tours. Visitors can also check out exhibits about the old prison.
Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
Alcatraz was built in 1912 as a military prison and operated as a federal prison between 1934 and 1963. Due to its location in the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was considered America's most isolated and secure prison. However, 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts over the lifetime of the prison. The escape of inmates Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin in 1962 was the only successful attempt.
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Old Idaho Penitentiary Site, 2445 Old Penitentiary Rd, Boise, ID 83712, USA
This Idaho prison operated from 1872 to 1973, and is only 10 years younger than Idaho itself. The prison was built to hold about 600 people, and saw over 13,000 inmates over its lifetime.
State Prison, Nashville, TN 37209, USA
Tennessee State Prison opened in 1898 and closed in 1992. Much of the prison was actually built using inmate labor. Prisoners worked for up to 16 hours a day on little food. Riots and uncontrollable prisoner violence contributed to the facility's closure.
Old Atlanta Prison Farm, 1420 Key Rd SE, Atlanta, GA 30316, USA
This prison held many low-level offenders who were serving time for ordinance or traffic offenses. Prisoners spent their time farming, caring for livestock, making canned goods, and helping with the operation of the prison dairy. The prison closed in 1995 after 50 years of operation. A fire destroyed much of the prison in 2009, as firefighters decided that extinguishing the blaze was not worth the risk in the case of this old structure.
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Newark, NJ, USA
This jail (also called the Newark Street Jail) was built in 1937 and closed in 1970. It's a popular spot for urban exploration, though the interior is unstable and not guaranteed to be safe.
Roseville Cemetery, Roseville, OH 43777, USA
Opened in 1927, the Roseville State Prison was originally meant to serve as a satellite prison to the Ohio State Penitentiary. The prison closed in 1967 after two violent criminals escaped while working in the prison's brickmaking operation.
Have you ever been to any of these abandoned prisons in the US? How about these 19 abandoned cities and towns in the US? Terrifying!
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More to Explore
Abandoned Places in the US
What are some other abandoned places in the US?
What is it about abandoned places that captures our imaginations so? There’s something wholly unsettling about abandoned places. Ghost towns and old cemeteries, derelict buildings, and forgotten sites; these are places that have been buried in the past — both literally and figuratively. With each passing day, these forsaken locations continue their descent into oblivion, banished to obsolescence. However, there are some that remain relevant; ironically, these sites are now defined as being abandoned. And in the fall, when there’s a nip in the air and dwindling daylight, abandoned places can cause imaginations to run wild — in the very best possible way. Here are several of the most fascinating abandoned places in the US:
- Bombay Beach - Imperial County, California. Bombay Beach was a place of pure paradise; a SoCal mecca that boomed with luxurious hotels and yacht clubs in the early 1900s. The sea and its shores teemed with wildlife, and it truly was a slice of heaven. Then, seemingly overnight, this bustling resort town just up and vanished, leaving many to wonder if, in fact, Bombay Beach had been nothing but a desert mirage all along. By the ’70s, the fish had died, the birds had become ill, and the tourists had disappeared. Today, visitors will find vacant buildings, fish corpses, and an unpleasant smell that seems to permeate the town, making Bombay Beach one of the most intriguing abandoned places in California... and the US!
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Santa Claus Land - Arizona. When Arizona's Santa Claus Land was founded in 1937, it was meant to be an enchanting year-round destination along Route 66. This unique park provided families a magical holiday experience all year long, with the Man in Red on standby to listen as kids rattled off their Christmas wish lists. But by the 1970s, America's love affair with Route 66 had begun to dwindle, and its roadside attractions closed like dominoes. Today, road trippers can see the remains of Santa Claus Land behind a barbed wire fence, making this one of the creepiest abandoned places in the United States.
- Joyland Amusement Park - Wichita, Kansas. With the exception of prisons (see above!), there is little more unsettling than an abandoned theme park - the crowds, rides, and laughter that once filled the park grounds seem to linger in the air. Joyland Amusement Park was once an epic Midwest destination; open from 1949 until 2004, this park was good, old-fashioned American fun, with wooden roller coasters, bumper cars, and a Ferris wheel. Today, the once-popular destination sits quiet and abandoned, kept company by graffiti-covered attractions, decaying coasters, and sun-bleached ticket booths. Over the years, auctions, fires, and nature disassembled Joyland piece by piece; however, this story has a happy ending. Today, visitors can take a whirl on the original Joyland Carousel, which has been renovated and relocated to the Wichita Botanica Gardens.