10 Haunted Prisons and Asylums Open for Tours Across the U.S. and Australia
Former prisons and mental health facilities have transitioned into a niche tourism industry, featuring historical tours and ghost hunts. Key locations include: Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia (operational from 1829 to 1971, offering tours since 1994); Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield (1896-1990, famous for "The Shawshank Redemption"); West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville (1876-1995, where executions occurred until 1949); Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston (established in 1864); Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary (1934-1963); Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville (opened in 1910); Pennhurst State School and Hospital in Spring City (1908-1987); Old Idaho Penitentiary in Boise (1872-1973); Preston Castle in Ione (opened in 1894); Beechworth Lunatic Asylum in Victoria, Australia (1867-1995). Many locations provide ghost tours, although Pennhurst's offerings have drawn criticism from disability advocates.
Key facts
- Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829 and closed in 1971; public tours began in 1994.
- The Ohio State Reformatory held prisoners from 1896 to 1990 and was a filming location for "The Shawshank Redemption."
- The West Virginia Penitentiary operated from 1876 to 1995; nine men were executed in its electric chair, nicknamed Old Sparky.
- The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum opened in 1864 and is one of the largest hand-cut sandstone buildings in North America.
- Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary ran from 1934 to 1963; the June 1962 escape attempt by Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers remains unsolved.
- Waverly Hills Sanatorium opened in 1910 as a tuberculosis hospital and closed in 1961; it later operated as Woodhaven Geriatric Center until 1982.
- Pennhurst State School and Hospital opened in 1908 and closed in 1987 following the Halderman v. Pennhurst lawsuit.
- Beechworth Lunatic Asylum in Victoria, Australia, operated for 128 years, from 1867 to 1995.
Entities
Artists
- John Haviland
- Charles Dickens
- Al Capone
- Willie Sutton
- Steve Buscemi
- Levi Scofield
- John Niebel
- Helen Glattke
- Arthur Glattke
- Thomas Story Kirkbride
- George "Machine Gun" Kelly
- Alvin Karpis
- Robert Stroud
- Frank Morris
- John Anglin
- Clarence Anglin
- Bill Baldini
- Josephine Allen
- Raymond Allen Snowden
- Anna Corbin
Institutions
- National Park Service
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area
- Bureau of Prisons
- FBI
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society
- West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals
- Mount Olive Correctional Complex
- Preston Castle Foundation
- Idaho State Historical Society
- Quartz
Locations
- Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania
- United States
- Mansfield
- Ohio
- Moundsville
- West Virginia
- Weston
- San Francisco
- California
- Louisville
- Kentucky
- Spring City
- Boise
- Idaho
- Ione
- Victoria
- Australia
- Melbourne
- San Quentin
- Leavenworth
- Joliet
- Illinois
- Table Rock
- Pier 33
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Sources
- Quartz —