Deemed the “bloodiest 47 acres in America”, the prison was built in 1836 and closed its door in 2004. From the outside, the building had a grandeur that beguiles the visitor. One step inside and all the grandeur quickly evaporated into desolation.
I’ve toured concentration camps but never a prison; these people were incarcerated here for a reason. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel wondering through the prison. Would I feel remorse, or justice? Or since this was a ghost tour, would I be scared? I read every bit of the information on the website prior to my visit. (I highly recommend it – lots of interesting information) I was ready. Ready to face the heat, the dark, and the ghosts.
As I mentioned, the prison was built in 1836 and housed 5200 inmates at its peak. It was considered the largest prison in the US at one time, and in the late 1890’s was considered a very efficient prison. Inmate labor was used for building and to work in various factories. Some of the grand old homes in the city was built by prison labor and still stand today. Both men and women were incarcerated at Missouri State Penitentiary. Some of the women were imprisoned for speaking of civil rights. Pretty Boy Floyd spent some time at the prison in 1925, and it was from this prison that James Earl Ray escaped in 1967 by hiding in a large bread box. One year later he killed Martin Luther King Jr.
The prison was complete with a dungeon or solitary confinement cells as well as a gas chamber. Forty executions took place in the gas chamber between the years 1937 to 1989, including one woman inmate for kidnapping and murder. Bad things happened in this prison. Bad people were brought here and died here. How in the world could someone enjoy visiting such a place?
I can honestly say; I did. A group of us settled down, trying to cool ourselves off with hand fans, waiting for the tour to begin. Armed with flashlights and bottles of water, we came from all walks of life and ranged from young to elderly. Our guide for the night was Michael, with Diana as assistant. Right from the start Michael had us mesmerized. He had a voice that carried and he had mastered the art of storytelling. He told some of the history of each building we toured along with spine chilling ghost stories.
It was in the oldest unit of the prison where I had my biggest scare. At each building we were given time to explore and take photos. Our guide Michael had just told about an experience during a past tour that stuck with me . . . ok it kind of scared me a little. Night had settled on us and while there was some lights on, it was dark in places. Armed with my little flashlight, I decided to enter one of the cells to snap a photo. I shined my light towards the floor so I didn’t trip while entering the cell and as I looked up I saw a man sitting on the cot looking towards the wall. I jumped back and threw up my hands causing my light to shine on the man who turned and looked right at me. At that point I realized it was one of the men from our group. But oh, was my heart racing!
The prison is located at 115 Lafayette Street in Jefferson City. They offer 2 hr History Tours, 3 hr In-depth History Tours, Ghost Tours, Ghost Hunts, and Overnight Ghost investigations as well as other tours. Check out their website for prices and times. http://www.missouripentours.com/
JFC Outdoors is hosting the 4th annual Prison Break on September 5, 2015. Prison Break is approximately 5 miles of running and tackling obstacles, ending at the Prison Brewery. More information about this event can be found at their website. https://jcrprisonbreak.wordpress.com/
I recommend visiting the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City. I learned a lot of history on the tour, imagined what it was like to be locked up, and had a good heart thumping scare. My few hours spent in prison was a lot of fun. Now who’s with me to do a ghost hunt tour?