By C1 Staff
Correctional facilities see a lot of misery and anger, two emotions often attributed to hauntings. Since it’s the spookiest time of the year, we decided to do a little sleuthing and make a list of the most haunted correctional facilities in the U.S.
Here are ten prisons, none of which are still open, that will give you chills were you to set foot inside. Sound off in the comments if we missed one, or to add your own creepy experiences at your own facility.
Missouri State Penitentiary (Jefferson City, Mo.)
Open from the early 1830s to 2004, this state penitentiary earned the nickname “bloodiest 47 acres in America” due to frequent violence inside its walls. Forty inmates were executed inside its gas chamber during its operation. Just from these two facts, it should come as no surprise that staff and visitors have reported dozens of eerie encounters with lingering spirits.
Wyoming Territorial Prison (Laramie, Wyo.)
Built in 1873 after the expansion of the railroad brought a flood of unsavory characters to Laramie, the facility’s main claim to fame is the incarceration of Butch Cassidy from 1894 to 1896. Since it housed well over 1,000 inmates during its operation, it’s no surprise that ghostly activity has been reported. The most talked about is that of Julius Greenwald, who used to make and sell cigars while serving time for the murder of his wife. Visitors to the site report smelling cigars inside the facility, even though it’s been closed since 1903.
West Virginia Penitentiary (Moundsville, W. Va.)
Most people don’t want to go to jail, but ghost hunters are all but banging down the doors to get inside this facility. Open for 129 years, the Moundsville facility housed thousands of inmates and saw scores of deaths through suicide and violence. This facility housed Old Sparky and The Hole, a brutal solitary confinement area that often drove inmates insane. Visitors claim to have heard ghostly footsteps, voices and noises that have no explanation. They’ve also experienced cold chills and overwhelming feelings of panic, among other things.
Pottawatamie County Jail (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
The structure of the Old Pottawatamie County Jail is unique; three tiers with ten cells on each tier were intended to rotate continuously throughout the night by means of a water wheel in the basement, thus allowing all prisoners to be continuously watched from one location. This set-up earned the jail the nickname the “squirrel cage jail,” but much to the lament of officials, the stone was too heavy to turn as intended. Another strike against the design was when an inmate died in his cell, trapping the body for days. Doors were eventually carved into all of the cells. There were a few other deaths in the prison, including that of an officer who accidentally shot himself while protecting the facility from an angry mob.
Lake County Jail (Crown Point, Ind.)
This facility was believed to be ‘escape-proof’ upon construction, but the builders were proved wrong when John Dillinger broke out on March 3, 1934.The jail remained operational until the 1970s, and has since undergone a restoration as a historical site. Apparitions have been spotted in cells, doors open and close on their own, lights turn on and off, and footsteps and voices have been heard by visitors and volunteers.
Maxwell Street Police Station (Chicago, Ill.)
This police station, built in 1889, quickly garnered a corrupt reputation due to crime organizations in the area. Many who were arrested never returned from the basement area of the station, which was believed to be used for torture. The station was repurposed in 1997 and used for security for the nearby University of Illinois Chicago campus. Currently it’s being used for filming the TV show ‘Chicago PD,’ and visitors say they’ve heard screams coming from the basement, along with moaning, crying and the sounds of rattling handcuffs.
Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio)
This jail saw scores of deaths from fire, cholera outbreaks, murder and executions in the state’s electric chair during its run between 1834 and 1979. Three-hundred and twenty two inmates were killed in a single night in 1930 when a fire swept through the west block of the penitentiary. Even when the prison was still in operation, inmates complained of ghostly sightings and eerie happenings. The building has since been torn down, and yet people still say they’ve seen apparitions among the ruins. The prison has since been replaced by a sports arena, which is also rumored to be haunted.
Ohio State Reformatory (Mansfield, Ohio)
Most famous due to the film ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ the Ohio State Reformatory saw thousands of prisoners during its operation between 1896 and 1986. Originally believed to be a humane prison where offenders could be rehabilitated, it quickly devolved into a place known for torture, abuse and murder. Inmates eventually filed a lawsuit describing its inhabitable conditions. Visitors to the facility have reported apparitions, hearing footsteps, and experienced unsettling encounters inside the cells where inmates once lived.
Alcatraz Penitentiary (San Francisco, Calif.)
Considered America’s ‘ultimate’ prison, the ‘Rock’ was a place where the country’s worst offenders were dumped. It incarcerated the likes of Al Capone, Doc Barker, George “Machine Gun” Kelly and more during its operation. Since it was set in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, most considered it unescapable; there is one successful escape attempt, but it’s unclear if the inmates drowned in the bay or made it to shore. The prison closed one year after that escape and the facility is now regarded as one of America’s most haunted locations. Staff have reported ghosts, screams and eerie music.
Eastern State Penitentiary (Philadelphia, Pa.)
This facility was the first to be dubbed a ‘penitentiary,’ which derived from the term ‘penitent.’ The Quakers who built it believed it would be a place where offenders could ponder their crimes. Inmates were confined in windowless rooms and not allowed any human contact. Suicide became common under these conditions. Solitary confinement was ended in the 1870s, and the prison closed a century later. Paranormal encounters have become commonplace within its walls, including apparitions, disembodied footsteps and strange sounds.