Finding Haunted Prisons
With the internet and the rise of books dedicated to haunted locations across America, finding old prisons reported to have paranormal activity and ghosts isn't something that takes much time or effort. Doing a basic Google internet search for haunted prisons will bring up a plethora of ghostly tours of these old jails that you can experience yourself. Historical prisons are one of the major hot-spots for paranormal enthusiasts and anyone with enough courage to roam these old jail houses-some which look so Gothic and Medieval you would swear you saw them in your last nightmare.
Alcatraz
"Alcatraz, which earned the nickname of the "Rock", was the ultimate American prison. Bloodletters and badmen and assorted public enemies like Al Capone, Alvin Karpis and Machine-Gun Kelly and others, called this place the end of the line. For 29 years, the damp, fogged-in prison kept the country’s most notorious criminals put away from the rest of the world. The heavy mists, cold wind and water and the foghorns of the bay made Alcatraz the loneliest of the prisons".-Troy Taylor, Ghosts of the Prairie, America's Most Haunted Places, 2006
Today, the spirits of the the criminals who lived their days out at Alcatraz are said to haunt this eerie prison. Reports of noises and sightings have been made by tour guides and workers at Alcatraz.. Not only do witnesses today mention ghostly activities, but guards who once worked at Alcatraz report strange happenings back then like cold spots, unusual smells and ghostly sightings.
If you wish to brave it out and tour Alcatraz for yourself, you can find information about ferry tours of Alcatraz Island online.
Ohio State Reformatory
Parts of Mansfield Reformatory in Ohio were used during the filming of the Shawshank Redemption, Tango & Cash, Air Force One and other films. Built in 1834, Ohio Penitentiary housed over 5,000 prisoners in 1955. This old prison seems to loom over you while you stand in front of it, very large and Gothic in appearance, the ghosts seem to be calling out to anyone who will listen. Each year the Reformatory holds ghost walks for those who want to travel the inside of this massive prison. For the less faint-at-heart, they conduct overnight ghost hunts where you can spend the night roaming the same cell blocks and corridors where the inmates were housed. All proceeds from the tours are used for restorations and upkeep of the building. The ghost hunts run from March-November, and fill up fast so make sure you reserve your spot early.
Other Prison Locations
Other locations for haunted prison tours include Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania, and West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia. East coast or west, you can take on one of these excursions for yourself and find out if the old inmates are speaking from within their cell blocks today.
