bath prison tour

Shepton Mallet Prison Guided Tour

• Admission ticket to Shepton Mallet Prison
• Entry/Admission - Shepton Mallet
• Shepton Mallet Prison, Frithfield Ln, Shepton Mallet BA4 5FQ, UK
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Most travelers can participate
• We are dog friendly
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 32 travelers
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

• Hops1865 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great Tour Great tour of almost 2 hours wonderfully explained by Jason, then had time afterwards to do our own exploring, would definitely recommend a visit. Read more Written March 25, 2024
• Somerset_Belles 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Brilliant! We really enjoyed Shepton Mallet prison, it was brilliant, and I'd return again. Unfortunately I can't remember the tour guides name, but he was very good. Read more Written March 22, 2024
• Z2958AMzoes 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Such an interesting place and thought provoking, a good deterrent to if you are considering crime! A very different but great day out. I really like the fact it hasn't been altered hardly at all and you get to see it as it was so you can really get a feel for what it may have been like. It is also very interesting to see the prison through the years from its early days in the 1600's to modern day. Read more Written March 19, 2024
• Raveydavey1982 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent trip. Highly recommend. Visited on a Sunday with two young kids, my wife and mum. Nicely quiet so felt like we had the place to ourselves. Plenty of parking and a very warm welcome from the reception staff. What an interesting place. Really had a feeling of what it would have been like to be an inmate. Quite eerie. All of the prison seemed to be open to walk around with the various cell blocks and exercise yard etc. Would highly recommend. Only sad we didn’t opt for the guided tour as that would have been excellent. Read more Written March 17, 2024
• GezzerD2869KY 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Life Behind Bars What an amazing place to visit warm welcome received at reception and very informative as for our walk around you could sense the eerie feel of being banged up in prison and as walked around the prison there was loads of information to read about the historical past up till its closure would recommend a visit as great place we will visit again in the future Read more Written March 15, 2024
• Z8347FZlauraw 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Brilliant We loved our visit. The escape room was great fun and we enjoyed wandering around the prison. The staff were all friendly and helpful. Wouldn't definitely recommend a visit there! Read more Written March 11, 2024
• lukerichards70 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent Place to visit Visited the prison and the escape room with my wife, and boys aged 12 and 9. The Escape room was great fun. Very challenging but there is help if needed. The prison guard was brilliant and the whole build up to the escape room was great. The prison itself was very interesting. We did the self guided tour. Lots too see. Take a coat as is colder inside than out. Staff awesome. Would go again for the other escape room. Read more Written March 10, 2024
• Y5575NTjeremyt 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles The Cell good option for teenage students My 16 / 17 Yr old students did the cell escape room, very popular and fun, they really enjoyed the experience espciall with Roger our "prison guard" treating us as prisoners, he was great (so was Monica). The hole involves being in total darkness with a hood on and bring chained to the wall, thought it was a bit too much for some of my more anxious students, so The Cell escape room was a good option . Brill experience and gostered some good natured competition between the different teams of students as they all raced to escape first . Read more Written March 7, 2024
• Kiks_UK 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Explore the maze of buildings and corridors to learn about the prison and its inmates over the years I went with my 6 year old and my parents over half term and we had an amazing time! I didn’t realise how big the prison was - it was a maze of buildings and corridors to explore with interesting stories and info scattered around to find. We were there around 2 hours but skipped a few areas when the little one got bored so there was more we could have done. An unusual day out and well worth the money! Read more Written March 6, 2024
• DFYMagicThemes 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Its my daughters 16th birthday so we booked The Hole Escape Room. My daughter and her friends had an amazing time. My daughter had a wonderful time with her friends for her 16th birthday, They tried to escape The Hole. The history behind the prison was amazing. The staff were super helpful. Thank you for an amazing day. Read more Written March 3, 2024
• I7164BOdarreng 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent Fantastic set up and excellent staff Best escape room experience around and we have done a lot of them all over the south of England and this is by far the best Read more Written March 2, 2024
• angiemill 0 contributions 4.0 of 5 bubbles It got better It started off slightly disappointingly but as the route moved on, so did the interest and enjoyment. We would have liked there to have been more information on the walls to explain the various areas. Read more Written February 27, 2024
• F6972OXkeng 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles interesting experience Very interesting experience this was the third visit for me and have now got an annual pass so will be going back The place has a real sense of history and gives a great insight to how the place was run and what it must have been like to be a prisoner there and is well worth a visit Its not overdone and is pretty much how it was when decommissioned and full of atmosphere Looking forward to next time Read more Written February 26, 2024
• Rebecca A 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles An entertaining night ghost walking tour Did the night ghost tour with my family, a very interesting few hours, the guide, Jason, was very engaging and highly informative. Would definitely recommend. Visit date 22nd February 2024 Read more Written February 25, 2024
• E4044DEnikkib 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Amazing time. There were three of us and we all had a fab time, the guide was so informative throughout the whole tour, and answered any questions that were asked, would highly recommend this tour, wrap up warm a can be very cold there and remember to take a torch. Read more Written February 24, 2024

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Shepton Mallet Prison Guided Tour

• Entry/Admission - Shepton Mallet
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Stroller accessible
• Service animals allowed
• Near public transportation
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking
• Most travellers can participate
• For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

• 677kerryt 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Awesome evening 👻 Firstly, I want to start off by saying the lady in the shop/entrance is absolutely wonderful myself my my friend Claire went 2 weeks ago and bloody loved it! Jason the tour guide is brilliant he makes it fun and exciting when we were in our cells he would act like we was in actual prison it was just a great experience, bought some lovely things in the gift shop caught some footage a photo of something that looks like a shadow certainly not a reflection because there was nothing to reflect through. There was no glass. I will add the photos, so you can make your own mind up, but I can't wait to go back again when it's a little bit warmer and maybe do my own guided tour go around the whole place at my own leisure but thoroughly enjoyed it. I've told everybody about it. All good nothing bad excellent Read more Written 25 March 2024
• Hops1865 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Great Tour Great tour of almost 2 hours wonderfully explained by Jason, then had time afterwards to do our own exploring, would definitely recommend a visit. Read more Written 25 March 2024
• T7235ATeleanorc 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Brilliant Tour by Jeremy What an amazing tour and museum! We were guided round by Jeremy, who did a fantastic job of recounting all 400 years of history in an informative and entertaining manner. Thank you so much for a great day! Read more Written 24 March 2024
• Somerset_Belles 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Brilliant! We really enjoyed Shepton Mallet prison, it was brilliant, and I'd return again. Unfortunately I can't remember the tour guides name, but he was very good. Read more Written 22 March 2024
• Z2958AMzoes 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Such an interesting place and thought provoking, a good deterrent to if you are considering crime! A very different but great day out. I really like the fact it hasn't been altered hardly at all and you get to see it as it was so you can really get a feel for what it may have been like. It is also very interesting to see the prison through the years from its early days in the 1600's to modern day. Read more Written 19 March 2024
• som3rsetfoodie 0 contributions 1.0 of 5 bubbles Don't waste your time/money Very disappointing. We went there full of excitement as this place had been on the list for a while, but left feeling let down. The tour that lasts about 90mins we kept being told we couldn't go into places as there were to many of us and we would have to come back our selves. (why pay for the tour?). The tour seemed less about history more about who has filmed here and this and that. The gift shop and café that is advertised is more like a coffee machine and a few bars or chocolate. as for the gift shop felt like last knockings at a closing down sale. This was not worth the drive nor the time wasted. A real shame as I was going to do the ghost tour but after this experience I will not waste my money. Read more Written 18 March 2024
• K2292JBpaulc 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A great tour with a brilliant guide. Such an interesting place with so much history and our guide, Jeremy was fantastic, very knowledgeable and extremely funny. I would highly recommend visiting. Read more Written 18 March 2024
• deking 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Brilliant What an amazing day absolutely loved it. The staff at the prison are so friendly and the guided tour was so interesting . Would recommend highly Read more Written 17 March 2024
• johnnyh953 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A prison you want to get into Visited HMP Shepton Mallet for a birthday treat as have been meaning to go for years. We payed a little extra to have a guided tour and so glad we did! Jason, our guide, was fantastic and full of knowledge about the history of the site as well as answering questions, his passion for the subject matter clearly showing. In a way it's a shame that the site has been bought by property developers, and with that in mind I would visit sooner rather then later with it's future uncertain. I'm now considering a ghost tour! Read more Written 17 March 2024
• Raveydavey1982 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Excellent trip. Highly recommend. Visited on a Sunday with two young kids, my wife and mum. Nicely quiet so felt like we had the place to ourselves. Plenty of parking and a very warm welcome from the reception staff. What an interesting place. Really had a feeling of what it would have been like to be an inmate. Quite eerie. All of the prison seemed to be open to walk around with the various cell blocks and exercise yard etc. Would highly recommend. Only sad we didn’t opt for the guided tour as that would have been excellent. Read more Written 17 March 2024
• Global19485503862 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A must see place before it's knocked down and turned into flats A fantastic day out with so much to see and so much history. We did the guided tour with Jeremy and he was incredible. He has so much knowledge and answered all our questions. The tour was humourous throughout but Jeremy was very respectful of all those he spoke about. I want to go back for a ghost tour. The guided tour is a lot of standing around, which I struggled with, so be mindful of that if mobility is an issue. Although much of the prison isn't wheelchair accessible, I would say there is still plenty to see on the levels that are. This prison isn't likely to be there forever so go and visit asap. Some property developer wants to build houses on the site eventually...who would want to live on such a haunted site I do no know. It's very cold inside so wrap up warm in cooler months. Read more Written 17 March 2024
• GezzerD2869KY 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Life Behind Bars What an amazing place to visit warm welcome received at reception and very informative as for our walk around you could sense the eerie feel of being banged up in prison and as walked around the prison there was loads of information to read about the historical past up till its closure would recommend a visit as great place we will visit again in the future Read more Written 15 March 2024
• cherylcX1910ZE 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Ghost tour Our guide was Jason who was brilliant. He knew all the facts and you found yourself getting lost within the stories of Shepton Mallet prison. All Wings of the prison were explored, some feeling worse than others. We were deff not Alone!!! I had a sense that in parts we were being followed, C wing a dark cold place, that you wouldnt want to hang around in. Going in the cell , having the doors shut and sitting in total silence for 2 minutes , was an experiance that i prob will never forget. This is deff worth a visit, ive done the day tour, but the ghost tour is deff worth doing. We must keep this prison open . Its an education and the stories must not die. .....Go and get scared, it will really make you think. Read more Written 14 March 2024
• Z8347FZlauraw 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles Brilliant We loved our visit. The escape room was great fun and we enjoyed wandering around the prison. The staff were all friendly and helpful. Wouldn't definitely recommend a visit there! Read more Written 11 March 2024
• 371kirstyc 0 contributions 5.0 of 5 bubbles A great half day out!! Had a great time at the prison. Would definitely recommend the guided tour if possible. Our guide Jason was great - very informative and his sense of humour made it! Good that you could look around under your own steam after the tour. Would recommend dressing warmly as was cold even indoors (building is all stone obviously!) Information boards were in plain English and easy to read. Only possible negative is could do with bit bigger choice of food as only crisps/chocolate unless you want a pot noodle!! Read more Written 11 March 2024

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

13 PRISON MUSEUMS YOU CAN VISIT IN THE UK

Want to explore the darker side of social history? These 13 old prisons in the UK have opened their doors to visitors and put their grisly pasts on display. You can learn about the most notorious of criminals, the wrongfully imprisoned, the executed and the terrible conditions many of them lived and died in. Several of these prisons offer events such as ghost tours or even sleepovers in the cells. Read on to find out more.

Dartmoor Prison, Princetown, Devon

Photograph © Brian Henley

One of England's most famous prisons, Dartmoor has been a prison for over 200 years, situated on the windswept and foggy moors.

It was built to hold prisoners of the Napoleonic War, who started arriving in 1809. By 1813 they were joined by American prisoners, and the prison soon became overcrowded, leading to outbreaks of contagious diseases and thousands of deaths. In the Victorian Era it held convicts who were considered the worst criminals in the land, although it now houses only Category C prisoners - those who are preparing for release.

The prison museum is not your typical modern museum with stark lighting, gleaming surfaces and sterile out-of-context exhibits. It is a quirky, slightly ramshackle place which makes it all the more appealing. Exhibits include objects made by the prisoners out of bone, prisoner and guard uniforms, cells, items with secret compartments for keeping contraband hidden, handmade weapons such as knuckle dusters, shivs and shanks made from toothbrushes.

It is fascinating in a rather dark way and the fact that there is a sign informing visitors that the museum is sometimes staffed by prisoners, adds an extra frisson of interest to the whole experience.

Dartmoor Prison Museum website >>

Shepton Mallet Prison, Shepton Mallet, Somerset

Shepton Mallet was built in 1610 when it was decided that the eastern part of Somerset should have their own House of Correction.

Men, women and children were all housed together for a variety of crimes, whether debtors, vagrants or just mentally unwell. Conditions were bad, with regular outbreaks of fever, jaundice, venereal diseases and many more unpleasant illnesses, with the bodies buried in unconsecrated ground just outside the prison.

Many executions were carried out in the prison whether by firing squad or hanging. Executioners included the famous Albert Pierrepoint, who executed about 600 people during his career. For World War II, the prison was used by the British and the American military, as well as safe storage for the National Archives from London, including the Magna Carta and the Domesday Book. The Kray Twins were held here in the 1950s after absconding from their national service.

The museum closed in 2013 and is now a tourist attraction, hosting not just sight seeing tours, but also ghost tours after hours, an escape room, and even the opportunity to spend the night behind bars, with free rein to explore the place at night.

Read about my Night Behind Bars at Shepton Mallet prison >>

Bodmin Jail, Bodmin, Cornwall

Photograph © Bodmin Jail Attraction

Built in 1779 on the edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, the prison was ground breaking in prison reform at the time, with individual cells, separate areas for men and women and prisoners paid for their work.

The prison was completely re-developed by 1861 and included a chapel and a debtors' jail, until 1869 when imprisonment for debt was abolished. From 1887, part of the jail was used by the Royal Navy, who were there until 1922. Over the years there were 55 executions on site, 8 of them being women.

The last prisoner left in 1916, and the jail was decommissioned in 1927.

The jail has been open as a tourist attraction for some time, but was recently overhauled and now has a lot to offer the visitor, including an immersive 'Dark Walk Experience', Ghost Tours, After Dark Tours, Scary Cinema and even a hotel being built in the site for visitors. The jail has the only original Victorian hanging pit left in the country (pictured), the Naval prison cells, an in depth look at the stories behind the administration of the prison and overall it looks like a fantastic place to visit.

Bodmin Jail Website >>

Shrewsbury Prison, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Photograph © Shrewsbury Prison

Built in 1793, Shrewsbury Prison was built to replace the prison in the castle, which was crumbling so badly that prisonners could escape by removing bricks from the walls. Known as 'the Dana' after Rev Edmund Dana, a local vicar and magistrate, the prison was a place of execution for many years, with public hangings which attracted large crowds.

The prison was decomissioned in 2013 and is now open to visitors, with a wide variety of tours and events on offer. Guided tours by ex-prison officers during the day or after dark, tours underground of the original prison, escape rooms, a 'prison break' event, nights spent in the cells, ghost hunting, live music, even axe throwing; it is all on offer here.

Shrewsbury Prison website >>

Clink Prison Museum, Southwark, London

There has been a prison on this site in Southwark, London from 1151. Owned by the Bishops of Winchester, the prison was part of the estate, and included heretics as well as local criminals.

No-one is quite sure how the Clink got its name - whether from the clinking of the chains the prisoners wore, or of the cell doors slamming shut, but it has now become a universal term for prisons.

This one became the most notorious of prisons, with massive amounts of corruption and prisoner degradation. By the 16th century, the prison largely held people who disagreed with the Bishops, and after that mainly held debtors. After a decrease in numbers, the prison burnt down in a riot in 1780 and was never rebuilt.

The museum is built on the original site, and contains just a single wall left from the original building. It covers over 600 years of history with a self-guided tour which looks at the assorted inmates, debauchery of the Southwark area and artefacts connected with the prison.

Read about a visit to the Clink Prison Museum >>

Littledean Jail, Gloucester

This one is best avoided by children and those of a sensitive disposition, as the warnings on their website will attest. Describing their museum as politically insensitive and bizarre, there is a huge rage of items on display. Exhibitions look at Witchfinders, Satanism, the SS and the Holocaust, the KKK, instruments of punishment and torture, police memorabilia and a whole host of other subjects. It is not all the dark side though, as their subject matters include the bravery of the SAS and people like Violette Szabo of the S.O.E .

Littledean Jail was built in 1791, and little has changed since it was first built. It has held all manner of prisoners, including children as young as 8, and is believed to be one of the most haunted prisons in the country. It was also used as a police station and a court for 20 years from 1854.

Read the website before you go to make sure you want to - reviews on Trip Advisor range from 'fantastic' to 'absolutely disgusting', so make sure you know what you are getting into.

Littledean Jail website >>

Gloucester Prison, Gloucester

Built in 1792 as a County Jail, this men's prison has been renovated and added to over the years, including the addition of a Young Offenders Wing in the 1970s.

It was the site of many an execution, with the last one taking place in 1936. By the early 2000s it had a reputation as being seriously overcrowded, as well as bad conditions for the inmates and subject to repeated flooding.

The prison closed in 2013 and its re-development is still under discussion. In the meantime however, it is open to the public for guided tours and a variety of events.

Visitors can take guided tours which are family friendly or which included more details on the executions, paranormal activity and violence. Various paranormal groups run ghost hunts in the prison, as do Salvation-Z - a live action Zombie survival experience, or combat games.

Read about a visit to Gloucester Prison >>

National Justice Museum, Nottingham

A Victorian Courtroom Photograph © National Justice Museum

The National Justice Museum is in a Grade II listed building, on a site which has been in use as a court since 1375 and a prison since 1449. The current building was a Victorian police station, gaol, courtroom and execution site, making it a one stop shop for the judicial process. Executions were held on the front steps of the building, with the last public execution held in 1864 of a Richard Parker, who shot both of his parents after a drunken row.

The building ceased use as prison in 1878, but continued as courts and the meeting place of the County Council until 1991. It opened as a museum in 1995 and objects on display include the cell door of p laywright Oscar Wilde, the bath from the Brides in the Bath murder case, gibbet irons, force feeding equipment used on Suffragettes and conscientious objectors and the dock from Bow Street Magistrates Court, which was used in notorious cases such as the trials of Oscar Wilde, Roger Casement and the Krays. T here are over 40 000 objects and archives, making it the UK’s largest collection relating to law, justice, crime and punishment.

National Justice Museum website >>

Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast

Built in 1845, 'the Crum' in North Belfast was a County Gaol for men, women and children, who were often imprisoned for offences such as stealing food and necessities.

Executions were carried out in public at the gaol until 1901, when an execution chamber was built inside. 17 executions were carried out in the prison, including the final one in all of Ireland in 1961. The prison had some well known prisoners from the Troubles, and two prisoners were killed when a IRA bomb went off in one of the wings. The prison closed in 1996.

The prison is now not just a tourist attraction, but hosts concerts, live events and party nights. Tourists can do the Crumlin Road Gaol Experience, a self-guided tour around the building which includes the tunnel linking the courthouse on the other side of the Crumlin Road to the hanging cell, the historic holding cells and the graveyard.

Read about visiting Crumlin Road Gaol >>

York Castle Prison, York

Photograph © Visit York

Part of York Castle Museum, there has been a prison on the site for nearly 1000 years, with a castle built for William the Conqueror in 1068, which included a prison.

The site is still in use for criminal justice, with York Crown Court held in the 18th century court and people are still held in cells here, including those accused of the most serious crimes.

The prison buildings were built in the 18th century, and visitors can explore the original cells. Conditions were terrible at the prison, with 15 to a cell sleeping on bare floors and living off bread and water. Many of the Keepers of the prison were as corrupt as the inmates, and they made as much money as they could off the prisoners. The most notorious prisoner held here was the legendary highwayman Dick Turpin, who was found guilty of his crimes at York Court and sentenced to death at the gallows.

The museum is part of a visit to York Castle Museum, which looks at many aspects of life in historic York.

York Castle Prison Museum website >>

Prison & Police Museum, Rippon

Photograph © Rippon Museums

There has been a prison on this site since 1684, when a Workhouse and House of Correction was established for putting the poor to work and punishing those who had broken the law. In 1816, it was incorporated into the new Liberty Prison, which is the current museum building. Prisoners were held in cells on the ground floor, with debtors on the floor above them. Inmates had to do hard labour and worked for 10 hours a day, walking the treadwheel amongst other tasks.

The prison later became the police station, until it became a museum in the 1980s, one of three in the area which also include a workhouse museum and the courthouse, giving a fantastic look at poverty and justice in the region. The prison museum includes a look at policing from the Anglo-Saxons onwards, as well as an exhibition in the prison cells about life in a Victorian prison.

Rippon Prison and Police Museum website >>

The Old Gaol Museum, Buckingham

Photograph © Buckingham Old Gaol

Built in 1748, this Gothic prison provided terrible conditions for the inmates, who lived in damp cells with no heating, lights or bathrooms, and who were fed on just bread and water.

The prison housed local convicts, although one in three were just poachers, often held for the smallest of crimes.

Over the years, the prison has been used as a Police Station, Fire Station, ammunition store and an air-raid shelter. Faced with demolition in the 1980s, the prison was bought by a charitable organisation, and it now houses the local museum as well as the Old Gaol.

The museum focuses on local history, spanning time from the Ice Age to World War I. It is also home to the Lenborough Hoard of 5,000 Anglo-Saxon silver coins as well as a permanent exhibition dedicated to Flora Thompson, author of Lark Rise to Candleford .

Buckingham Old Gaol Website >>

Dorchester Prison, Dorchester, Dorset

A Victorian prison built in 1885 on the site of a much older prison, Dorchester was closed in 2013 and is now awaiting its fate from developers.

In the meantime, you can take guided tours from Ed who is still a serving prison officer and who used to work there. He provides a fascinating insight into the life of this prison, showing you round this now crumbling site. There were several executions here, including that of Martha Brown who is said to still be haunting the prison, and whose execution was watched by Thomas Hardy, inspiring the hanging he wrote about in Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Visitors can also join paranormal nights and airsoft combat games within its walls.

Read more about visiting Dorchester Prison >>

Want to delve even deeper into prison history? Try the Prison History website which looks at UK prison history from 1500 - 1999.

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Visiting Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary, The Complete Guide

Established in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary (“ESP”) was a pioneering correctional facility with a mission to cultivate genuine remorse, or penitence, in its prisoners. Its innovative approach to solitary confinement set the stage for worldwide prison reform.

On the outside, ESP had an imposing Neo-Gothic exterior with 30 foot walls, turrets, and gargoyles. Inside, it resembled a monastery, with high vaulted ceilings and cells with “eye of God” skylights.

Following Enlightenment ideas, prisoners were kept in isolation, away from others. This tactic was meant to encourage reflection on their misdeeds and instill a desire to repent and reform.

While the intent of the Quaker prison reformers was honorable, their theory of remediation was flawed. Isolation didn’t miraculously cure the prisoners. (No surprise!)

Rather, as Charles Dickens had foretold, the extreme isolation was “cruel, wrong, and tampered with the mysteries of the brain.”

Many of the prisoners were never remediated and became recidivists. On top of that, ESP became overcrowded, disease ridden, and its infrastructure broke down. As a result, the collapsing prison was closed for good in 1971.

In this Eastern State Penitentiary guide, I give you a history of the now ruined prison and tell you everything to see on a visit.

>>> Click here to book a ticket to ESP

History of Eastern State Penitentiary

ESP opened on October 25, 1829 and operated until 1971. The penitentiary was designed by architect John Haviland based on the principles of the “Pennsylvania System,” a pioneering approach to prison reform.

The system was the brainchild of civic-minded Quakers who wanted to alleviate the miseries of mass incarceration in public prisons. The would be reformers included Benjamin Rush and Benjamin Franklin.

The prison was designed with these reformist principles in mind. The goal was to provide a humane and rehabilitative environment that would allow inmates to reflect on their crimes and improve morally and spiritually.

Key to this mission was the principle of solitary confinement.

Previously, prisons were just detention pens where criminals, murderers, thieves, and even children were all thrown together with little to sustain them. They often died from violence, cold, or starvation.

The antidote to mass incarceration, the reformers thought, was the other extreme — isolation and confinement in more humane conditions that would deter violence.

If crime was a “moral disease,” it could cured in a church-like environment where the prisoners could experience spiritual remorse.

The prison they envisioned, and which opened in 1829, was unlike anything that had been designed before.

Seven wings of cell blocks radiated from a central hub. This gave guards stationed there a clear line of sight down the long, straight cellblocks extending from the center. And made it easier for guards to monitor inmate activity and respond quickly to any issues.

The cellblock design was copied around the world, making ESP a historically influential prison.

The interior of ESP was designed to appear like a church or a monastery. The cellblocks had tall vaulted ceilings. The cells were also vaulted, and each had a glass skylight called the “eye of God” from which light streamed in.

The doors to the cells were small. Prisoners had to stoop to get in, as if they were bowing to god. They were fed through a tiny “feed door.”

The prison infrastructure was a vast improvement from other prisons.

The private cells all had central heat, flushing toilets, and shower baths. Even the White House didn’t have these luxuries at the time. When completed, ESP was the most expensive building ever constructed in the US.

For 23 hours a day, prisoners ate, slept, worked, and lived in their 8 x 12 foot cells. Their only reading material was the Bible.

And they were only let outside, to a tiny courtyard through the back door of their cell, for two half hour sessions a day. Schedules were synchronized so that the prisoners couldn’t see each other or communicate.

Exposure to other humans was considered an evil. When inmates left their cells, they were hooded so they wouldn’t see anyone.

People were fascinated with this new penal system. For a time, the prison received more visitors than Independence Hall.

Europeans and philosophers from around the world came to inspect the prison. Alex de Tocqueville praised the reform system. He thought it was “severe,” but that it would promote reflection and religion.

Not everyone was convinced though. Charles Dickens was horrified by the concept. He thought isolation would “tamper with the brain” and was worse torture than beating or physical punishment.

Failure of ESP’s Prison Theory

In the end, Dickens was right. The controversial Enlightenment thinking had not been so enlightened after all.

It was, in fact, naive. In reality, solitary confirmation only worsened the mental health of most inmates.

In 1913, ESP gave up on its lofty ideal of splendid isolation, which really just broke people and was another form of punishment. Instead, the prison had inmates work, play, and share cells together.

As time went on, more and more prisoners came to ESP. More cells were built, including ones below ground. Severe overcrowding eventually undermined the prison.

Over the years, ESP held 750,000 prisoners. Some never left. ESP closed in 1971.

Government officials thought about re-purposing the prison, rather inappropriately, as a shopping mall or apartment complex. But, in the end, ESP opened as a museum in 1994.

Though preserved, ESP remains in a state of stabilized semi-ruin. And the museum points out that you assume all risk of bodily harm. Though it seemed perfectly safe to me.

You’ll see peeling walls, crumbling cells blocks, and furniture askew. There is dust everywhere. It will be spooky to some. (Children under 7 are not allowed to visit.)

But the abandoned prison also has eerie beauty, with its unique architecture, historical significance, and the passage of time. The combination of aged stone and a storied past creates a haunting atmosphere that’s akin to “ruin porn.”

Guide To Eastern State Penitentiary: What To See

Here are the highlights and best things to see on a visit to ESP.

The audio tour begins just outside the Visitor Center. You can see the prisoner’s exercise yard. Once inside, you’ll be in cellblock 1.

There are a total of 15 cellblocks within the penitentiary, each with its own unique features and history. These cellblocks contain hundreds of individual cells.

Visitors can explore the prison’s various wings, yards, and outdoor spaces. In addition to the cellblocks, ESP has several central areas like the rotunda, the synagogue, the hospital block, and the administrative offices.

There are also exhibits and plenty of information signage.

Cellblocks 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 15 are open to the public. These crumbling cellblocks once held some of the most notorious criminals in American history.

In particular, you’ll want to explore cellblock 7. It’s often referred to as the “Two-Story Block.” You can walk through the tall rusty iron gate and climb the stairs up to the second level.

There are two tiers of cells, with the upper tier overlooking the lower tier. The cellblock was built in 1836 to house a growing inmate population.

The two-tiered layout allowed for increased capacity while maintaining the principles of solitary confinement. Each cell in cellblock 7 had a small exercise yard attached to it, providing some outdoor space for the inmates.

Al Capone’s Cell: Cellblock 8

ESP’s most famous prisoner was the infamous gangster, Al Capone, nicknamed “Scarface.” He was arrested outside a movie theater for carrying a concealed unlicensed revolver.

Capone was hit with the maximum sentence, one year in prison. It was his first stint in the slammer. He served 8 months, getting out a bit early for good behavior.

Capone’s reconstructed cell is just off the central hub near cellblock 8.

ESP doesn’t know exactly what cell Capone was really held in. At first, it was thought that he was housed in a luxury cell on “Park Avenue” with a radio playing waltzes.

But an article in the Philadelphia Recorder in 1029 suggested a more humble cell. Capone most likely even had a roommate. Still, it had a plush decor with a desk, lamps, chair, and paintings on the walls.

The photos above show a past recreation of the supposed luxury cell (left, cell 1) and a new reconstruction of what was more likely Capone’s actual cell (right, cell 3).

The redesign featured less ostentatious period furniture, an added cot for Capone’s roommate, and a prison made rug. The walls are patched up and washed in limestone. This setting was, apparently, not much different than the other ESP prisoners.

The cell to the right of Capone’s is an interesting one. It has traces of paint that were once artistic frescos on the walls.

Other Famous Prisoners

Capone wasn’t the only mobster at ESP. He was just the most famous.

Other notorious lawbreakers included Slick Willie Sutton, Victor “Babe” Andreoli, Ralph “Whitey” Tropiano, and Morris “The Rabbi” Bolber.

Some prisoners had organized crime connections when they arrived at ESP. Others formed new criminal organizations while there.

“The Four Horseman” were a powerful ESP clique in the 1920s. They ran an alcohol, drug, and prostitution ring at ESP. In fact, they nearly took over control of the prison.

They had been appointed by a well-meaning warden to represent the entire prison population and handle small disputes. He hoped, in misguided fashion, that the appointments would instill a sense of accountability and responsibility.

But just the opposite happened. The Four Horsemen used their power to take over everything “from mail privileges to private grudges” in what was called a “unique carnival of lawlessness.”

They even stole a guard office from which to run their seedy operation. Among other things, they operated an elaborate heroin trafficking operation.

The warden was fired and replaced. And the Four Horsemen eventually squelched.

Hospital Wing: Cellblock 3

In cellblock 3, you can tour the remnants of the prison’s Hospital Block, where inmates received treatment.

Once lost to time from dilapidation, it was stabilized and re-opened in 2017. The gate has an iconic Red Cross.

The wing was entirely dedicated to health care, and was unusually well-equipped. It had an operating room, lab, pharmacy, hydrotherapy rooms, and recovery ward.

On the second floor, there was treatment rooms for mental health issues and tuberculosis. Nearly 50% of the prison inmates died from the disease.

Al Capone twice visited the Hospital Block, once for a tonsillectomy and another time for treatment for syphilis.

You’ll see rusty doctors chairs and patient beds, medical artifacts and equipment, and bedpans.

Catholic Chaplain’s Office

This was where Catholic chaplains provided religious counseling to inmates.

The office is decorated with murals by Lester Smith, a self-taught artist who converted to Catholicism while serving time in 1955. He landed in ESP after a string of armed robberies. He was one of the few prisoners who was successfully rehabilitated.

At first, Smith painted saints. But the staff noticed his talent and asked him to paint the Catholic Chaplain’s Office.

Using the pseudonym “Paul Martin,” Smith painted a total of 23 murals during his incarceration, paying homage to his two favorite saints and souls in purgatory. They were discovered in 1995, became part of the public tour in 2011, and were restored in 2014.

These delicate and striking paintings transformed the Catholic chaplain’s quarters into a unique space within the prison. Of particular significance is a mural depicting a kneeling prisoner seeking absolution through confession.

The murals are still extremely fragile and crumbling.

Barber’s Chair

In cellblock 9, you’ll see an abandoned barber’s chair from the early 1900s. It was a Koken classic vintage design and is displayed in a decayed cell.

This particular cellblock housed inmates, provided workshops, and had spaces for activities like barbering and shoe repair. Prisoners would get hair cuts in this cell.

The chair is sometimes referred to as the “Mad Chair.” That’s because it wasn’t just used for haircuts, but to punish uncooperative inmates. They were chained and strapped to the chair, rendered unable to move.

The punishment would literally drive some prisoners insane.

This was the first prison synagogue in the US. It was built in 1924 and served the Jewish inmates at the penitentiary.

It’s situated between cellblocks 7 and 8, in a space that had been four separate exercise yards.

The synagogue has been restored and reopened. There are information placards on display.

You can also see the original Star of David, which was once on the door to the synagogue.

Liberation Library

The “Liberation Library” was a ESP project aimed at providing books and reading materials to inmates.

It was an initiative designed to encourage education and personal development among incarcerated individuals.

Libraries like these are now common in many correctional facilities. They serve as a resource for inmates to access reading materials, including a wide range of books, magazines, and educational materials.

The Klondike

Down a creepy flight of stairs is The Klondike. It was a part of the prison where inmates were placed in solitary confinement as a form of punishment or for disciplinary reasons.

The windowless cells were directly below death row. Prisoners were confined here for up to 2 weeks. Horrifyingly, there was no natural or artificial light. (The lights there now are for museum visitors.)

The Klondike was known for its harsh conditions, including extreme isolation and deprivation. The prisoners had no human contact and very little water and food.

Fortunately, this practice was abandoned in the 1950s.

Death Row: Cellblock 15

Death row inmates sentenced to death were housed in cellblock 15. This was where the most violent prisoners ended up.

There was a panel on the wall with buttons corresponding to each of the cells. This was the only cellblock with electric doors.

This was just an inmate waiting station. No executions took place at ESP.

Prison’s Today Exhibit

This exhibit was installed in 2016. This is where you can learn about the history and different types of incarceration and today’s American model of punishment. The thesis is that mass incarceration isn’t really working.

The exhibit shows how your upbringing might affect your chances of going to prison. In fact, when you walk in you have to make a choice.

You walk to the left if you’ve been incarcerated or to the right if you haven’t. As I walked to the right, it informed me that I was very lucky indeed.

The exhibit features a range of multimedia installations and informational displays that address topics such as mass incarceration, the impact of the prison-industrial complex, the experiences of incarcerated individuals, and efforts at prison reform. You can listen to confessions of prisoners and visitors.

The highlight is a video installation with archival video and C-Span clips. It examines the burgeoning prison population over the decades.

The audio tour ends at The Big Graph. it’s a $100,000 steel structure erected in the exercise yard.

It’s 16 feet tall and weights 3,500 pounds. The monument is essentially a 3D infographic, giving the viewer a set of statistics depending on your vantage point.

From the south, it shows the number of people in prison per a 100,000 population. Through 1980, the figure was low. But then the rate took off and there was unprecedented growth.

From the north, you can see the racial breakdown in prisons. From the east, it charts the rates of incarceration and capital punishment policies around the world.

Seasonal Events

The prison is known for its haunted attraction, Halloween Nights . It takes place on selected evenings from September to November.

It’s an immersive experience with five haunted houses. There are historic tours, live entertainment, and themed bars.

I haven’t been to this event. But, with ESP’s eerie setting, I can imagine it’s as spooky as a horror movie.

Practical Guide & Tips For Visiting ESP

Here are some must know tips for visiting ESP.

Address : 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130

If you are visiting ESP on a weekday, you may be able to find free parking on the street. On a Friday in September, I was able to park right across the street.

If not, there are several parking garages within walking distance of Eastern State Penitentiary, including the Parkway Corporation Garage and the Philadelphia Parking Authority Garage.

The Hop On Hop Off tourist bus stops at ESP. The prison is also close to several bus lines and is a designated stop for both the Big Bus and The Philadelphia Trolly Works.

Hours : Open daily 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Self guided tours are $21. Click here to pre-book a ticket. Entry is also included in the Philadelphia Go City Pass . They will need to scan the QR code on your paper or digital pass.

The audio guide is excellent and narrated by Steve Buscemi from the HBO show The Sopranos . It guides you around the property, giving you the history of the place along the way.

Guided Tours:

Guided tour are $21. If you are lucky, you may get a former inmate as a guide. If you take one of the tours, you will go into some cells that the general public can’t, such as the half-collapsed kitchen and communal dining hall.

The schedule for tours is:

• Every Saturday & Sunday at 10:30 am
• (Beginning March 20, 2023) Monday through Friday at 2:00 pm

Searchlight Series : ESP partners with criminal justice experts to present lectures on crime, justice, and the American prison system. Check the website under “events” to see what’s on.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to visiting Eastern State Penitentiary. You may enjoy these other Philadelphia travel guides:

• 2 Days in Philadelphia Itinerary
• Top Attractions in Philadelphia
• Guide to Independence National Historical Park
• Guide to the Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Guide to Philadelphia’s Rodin Museum
• Guide to The Barnes Foundation
• Guide to the Mütter Museum
• Guide to the Betsy Ross House

If you need a guide to Eastern State Penitentiary, pin it for later.

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Former Kansas State Penitentiary now open for public tours

By Betsy Webster

Click here for updates on this story

    LANSING, Kansas ( KCTV ) — It’s not as famous as Alcatraz, but the Kansas State Penitentiary has a more interesting history than some might realize, and the Lansing Historical Society plans to share about it.

The original prison, known in modern days as the Lansing Correctional Facility, was abandoned several years ago when a new one opened right behind it. State lawmakers were discussing the cost of tearing down some of the old buildings when a local lawmaker suggested doing tours instead. It required a non-profit. The Lansing Historical Society jumped at the offer.

On Thursday, historical society president Debra Bates-Lamborn gave KCTV5 a preview tour of the state’s oldest prison. She recently toured the old Missouri State Prison in Jefferson City and learned it had become one of the state’s top tourist destinations. Her vision is to greet even more visitors seeing that Lansing is closer to a major airport and the county is known for its prison industry.

“A long time ago our tourism group had [the slogan] do some time in Leavenworth,” she said. “That’s because we had so many prisons.”

The state prison complex in Lansing has separate prisons for each of the three security levels. Neighboring Leavenworth has a federal civilian prison and a federal military prison.

Until 1990, the Lansing Correctional Facility was called the Kansas State Penitentiary. Construction on the original limestone building began in the 1860s using prison labor. There was a brief halt in construction due to the Civil War. The prison executed state, federal and military prisoners by hanging until 1965. Among those hanged: were the two men convicted of killing the Clutter family, a murder which was the subject of the Truman Capote novel In Cold Blood.

Perhaps the most famous person to spend time at the prison wasn’t a prisoner. It was Johnny Cash. He played on the auditorium stage in 1970 with his wife June Carter Cash.

“And then he went over and performed at the federal prison at Leavenworth,” Bates-Lamborn said. “So, we had him first.”

Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson, the county’s top prosecutor, championed the plan to offer tours.

“As a lifelong resident, it’s something I think is going to bring a lot of people here to tour and see how wonderful our community is,” said Thompson. “As a prosecutor, what I hope is people wanting to come visit and learn why they don’t want to stay here.”

It can be about tourism and curiosity or something more personal. Bates-Lamborn, Thompson and Kansas Department of Corrections personnel were conducting the media tour when Thompson spotted someone familiar. Leavenworth Mayor Jermaine Wilson was there shooting a documentary. He spent nearly three years there on a drug possession conviction. He had just seen his old cell for the first time since he was released 13 years ago.

“I was in C2 cell house and my cell number was 507,” Wilson said. “It was overwhelming, emotionally overwhelming, knowing that this is where the transformation started.”

His time in prison strengthened his spirituality. He now mentors prisoners and speaks about second chances.

“You can’t undo what’s been done, but you have an opportunity to do something that’s never been done,” Wilson said. “I lost my freedom but I discovered my purpose.”

With tours on the horizon, he’s excited about being able to show his 16-year-old son where he wrote his letters home, the place that made him want to find a new beginning and keep his son from becoming the third generation of incarcerated men in his family. The visit Thursday was emotional, he said, but necessary.

“I needed to close the door,” Wilson stated.

He hopes it will do the same for others once tours begin. Bates-Lamborn said The Lansing Historical Society will meet with the Kansas Department of Corrections next week to get the final go-ahead. They hope to begin offering tours in February.

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Standard Tour

Type: Guided | Duration: 1.5 hours

Step inside the walls of Canada’s oldest penitentiary and explore the living and working areas, some dating back to the 1830s. Hear the personalized accounts from former staff and learn about the history and the daily routines, including stories of escapes, riots and everything in between on this guided tour. Available in French as well.

This tour contains subject matter designed for a mature audience -  parental discretion is advised.

Extended Tour

Type: Guided | Duration:  2.5 hours

This tour covers the Standard Tour content as well as a more in-depth look behind the walls exploring the history of Kingston Penitentiary and Regional Treatment Centre. Discover more of the site and hear about the history of additional areas, such as the hospital, gymnasium, and school. With smaller group sizes the Extended Tour provides a greater opportunity to connect with retired corrections staff and tour guides.

This tour contains subject matter designed for a mature audience - parental discretion is advised.

Express Tour

Type: Guided | Duration: 45 minutes

This fully accessible guided tour offers an introductory experience of Kingston Penitentiary. Guests will have the opportunity to visit many of the highlights of the institution, including the North Gate, a cell range, the canteen and social services area to hear about the 1971 riot, and more.

This tour contains subject matter designed for a mature audience - parental discretion is advised.

Package: Standard Tour & Prisoners of Age Exhibit Viewing

Type: Guided &   Semi-Guided | Duration: 2.5 hour

Standard Tour:   Step inside the walls of Canada’s oldest penitentiary and explore the living and working areas, some dating back to the 1830s. Hear the personalized accounts from former staff and learn about the history and the daily routines, including stories of escapes, riots and everything in between on this guided tour.

Prisoners of Age: A travelling exhibit made up of a series of large canvas posters highlighting photographs and interviews with elderly offenders conducted in prisons in the United States and Canada from 1996-2015, will be hosted within a cell range and workshop at Kingston Penitentiary for the 2023 season. While more than 2.5 million North Americans are behind bars, an estimated 35% of them are far past middle age. The Prisoners of Age exhibit, accompanying documentary and 208-page book (available to purchase) captures the complexity of a subject that is seldom contemplated: aging offenders in the correctional system. This self-guided one-hour exhibit and documentary viewing set against Kingston Penitentiary’s impressive architecture encourages guests to consider the human dimension of doing time while growing old in prison.

Prisoners of Age Exhibit

Type: Semi-Guided | Duration: 1 hour

Prisoners of Age, a travelling exhibit made up of a series of large canvas posters highlighting photographs and interviews with elderly offenders conducted in prisons in the United States and Canada from 1996-2015, will be hosted within a cell range and workshop at Kingston Penitentiary for the 2023 season. While more than 2.5 million North Americans are behind bars, an estimated 35% of them are far past middle age. The Prisoners of Age exhibit, accompanying documentary and 208-page book (available to purchase) captures the complexity of a subject that is seldom contemplated: aging offenders in the correctional system. This self-guided one-hour exhibit and documentary viewing set against Kingston Penitentiary’s impressive architecture encourages guests to consider the human dimension of doing time while growing old in prison.

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Virtual reality offers a chilling 3d look inside venezuela's spiraling prison.

A person standing near Times Square in New York City wears a virtual reality headset screening an immersive experience of the conditions at Venezuela's El Helicoide prison, on Sept. 19, 2023. Protesters gathered to demand the release of political prisoners and the closure of the detention center over allegations of torture. Stefan Jeremiah/AP hide caption

A person standing near Times Square in New York City wears a virtual reality headset screening an immersive experience of the conditions at Venezuela's El Helicoide prison, on Sept. 19, 2023. Protesters gathered to demand the release of political prisoners and the closure of the detention center over allegations of torture.

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — After being tortured and brutalized during 129 days at El Helicoide, Venezuela's most notorious jail for dissidents, human rights activist Víctor Navarro was determined to expose its horrors to the world.

He wrote a book, but it didn't capture the true madness of El Helicoide — which is Spanish for helicoid, named for its helix design.

But then Navarro took a virtual reality tour of the house of Holocaust victim Anne Frank. Although viewing it in Argentina, it made him feel like he was right in the secret annex in Amsterdam where Frank hid from the Nazis for 25 months before she was captured and sent to a concentration camp, where she died of typhus.

Víctor Navarro, a Venezuelan former political prisoner and developer of the "Helicoide Reality" project, shows the virtual reality tour simulating the conditions in which the prisoners live in the prison, during an interview with AFP in Buenos Aires on July 27, 2023. Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Víctor Navarro, a Venezuelan former political prisoner and developer of the "Helicoide Reality" project, shows the virtual reality tour simulating the conditions in which the prisoners live in the prison, during an interview with AFP in Buenos Aires on July 27, 2023.

"It was really moving," Navarro tells NPR. "So, I decided: This is what I'm going to do."

After working with 3D graphic designers and interviewing 30 former Venezuelan political prisoners, Navarro put together a virtual reality tour of El Helicoide. Then, he hit the road, VR headsets in hand, to educate audiences in the U.S, Europe and Latin America about the growing repression of Venezuela's authoritarian regime.

Navarro, 28, lives in Argentina where he has refugee status. Ex-inmates that he interviewed for the project were mostly inside Venezuela.

It's an intense experience. With Navarro narrating (in Spanish, with an English version also available), viewers are led into Helicoide's dark, cramped, underground cells that are fouled by human feces. Flies buzz, water drips, cockroaches scurry away.

Víctor Navarro shows on his laptop part of the virtual reality tour of Venezuela's El Helicoide prison. Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Víctor Navarro shows on his laptop part of the virtual reality tour of Venezuela's El Helicoide prison.

Then comes the accounts of former inmates. One tells of being handcuffed and shoved inside a tiny, isolation cell where he could barely move. Another describes almost suffocating when a guard pulled a plastic bag over his head.

A screen grab from the virtual reality experience created by Venezuelan former political prisoner Víctor Navarro. Víctor Navarro/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

A screen grab from the virtual reality experience created by Venezuelan former political prisoner Víctor Navarro.

"That's when the real torture began," the former inmate says. "I don't know how many times I fainted."

There's even sound, which Navarro says was secretly recorded by another prisoner on his cellphone, of a detainee screaming as guards shock him with electricity.

"The idea of doing something through virtual reality was spectacular," says Antony Vegas, an opposition activist who was detained at the Helicoide for five years and worked on the project with Navarro after he was released. "It's a way to teach what torture at El Helicoide is really like."

One fan is Javier Corrales, a Venezuela expert at Amherst College in Massachusetts who, along with his students, took the VR tour of the Helicoide during Navarro's recent visit to the campus.

"There are plenty of talks and exhibits about human rights violations, political prisoners and torture, but nothing like this," Corrales says. "And there is nothing as portable and as vivid as this technology can produce."

One of Corrales' students, Giulia Miotto, said the experience left her shaking and sweating. In a class paper she wrote: "I truly hope that this virtual reality experience of El Helicoide is able to help drive its closure. In the meantime, it is devastating that these atrocities are ongoing."

The Venezuelan government did not respond to NPR's requests for comment. But in 2022 it "categorically rejected" a U.N. report that described the widespread torture of political prisoners in the country's jails.

Ironically, the Helicoide was once a symbol of Venezuela's progress amid an oil boom.

A view of Venezuela's intelligence police headquarters, known as el Helicoide, in Caracas, Venezuela, 2018. It was the same year that Navarro was brought there. Fernando Llano/AP hide caption

A view of Venezuela's intelligence police headquarters, known as el Helicoide, in Caracas, Venezuela, 2018. It was the same year that Navarro was brought there.

Construction began in the 1950s under dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez. It was designed to be a luxury shopping mall and convention center. Its spiral design suggests a spaceship and drew praise from artist Salvador Dalí and poet Pablo Neruda.

However, Jiménez was forced out in 1958, and successive governments lost interest in the complex, which remained unfinished. At one point in the 1970s, the building filled up with squatters. Eventually, parts of El Helicoide were occupied by the state intelligence service, which added prison cells in the bottom floors.

Navarro arrived there in 2018 when he was arrested for taking part in massive protests against President Nicolás Maduro, who during 11 years in power has led Venezuela into its worst economic crisis in history. Police officers burst into Navarro's home, put a shotgun to his head, and led him off to El Helicoide.

"That's when the hell began," he says in his NPR interview.

Navarro was slapped, kicked, thrown to the floor. He recalls a guard putting three bullets into his pistol then placing it in Navarro's mouth, though he didn't pull the trigger. But he says it was even worse hearing the screams of fellow prisoners who were being tortured in nearby cells. He had been falsely accused of conspiring against the Maduro regime but after four months behind bars was suddenly released.

He is one of nearly 16,000 dissidents who have been imprisoned in Venezuela since 2014, which may be the highest number of political prisoners in Latin America, says Alfredo Romero, who heads the Caracas human rights group Foro Penal (Spanish for Criminal Forum). Although most have been released, many remain traumatized.

Andreina Baduel (second from right) joins others to protest against the taking of what they call political prisoners outside the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service building known as El Helicoide, in Caracas, Venezuela, Nov 3, 2021. Baduel is the daughter of former Defense Minister Raúl Isaías Baduel, who died in prison in 2021. Ariana Cubillos/AP hide caption

Andreina Baduel (second from right) joins others to protest against the taking of what they call political prisoners outside the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service building known as El Helicoide, in Caracas, Venezuela, Nov 3, 2021. Baduel is the daughter of former Defense Minister Raúl Isaías Baduel, who died in prison in 2021.

"When you get out, you are not the same person," Navarro says.

Behind bars he lost 40 pounds and, once at home in Caracas, had recurring nightmares, couldn't remember people's names, and sensed that he was always being followed. Eventually, he fled Venezuela, put together the VR tour, and hit the road, visiting about 20 countries.

Meanwhile, Vegas, the former detainee who worked with Navarro on the VR tour, is discreetly presenting it to small audiences in Caracas and hoping that he won't be rearrested for doing so. Indeed, as Maduro maneuvers for another six-year term in July's presidential election, his antidemocratic crackdown continues. Romero, of Foro Penal, puts the current number of political prisoners at 264, including 67 in El Helicoide.

That's why Navarro continues to spread the word — through virtual reality.

"We are exposing what the Venezuelan government doesn't want people to see," he says. "It shows the scale of the crimes they are committing."

• virtual reality
• mass incarceration
• South America
• incarceration

Virtual reality offers a chilling 3D look inside Venezuela’s spiraling prison

A person standing near Times Square in New York City wears a virtual reality headset screening an immersive experience of the conditions at Venezuela's El Helicoide prison, on Sept. 19, 2023. Protesters gathered to demand the release of political prisoners and the closure of the detention center over allegations of torture.

Stefan Jeremiah / AP

After being tortured and brutalized during 129 days at El Helicoide, Venezuela’s most notorious jail for dissidents, human rights activist Víctor Navarro was determined to expose its horrors to the world.

He wrote a book, but it didn't capture the true madness of El Helicoide — which is Spanish for helicoid, named for its helix design.

But then Navarro took a virtual reality tour of the house of Holocaust victim Anne Frank. Although viewing it in Argentina, it made him feel like he was right in the secret annex in Amsterdam where Frank hid from the Nazis for 25 months before she was captured and sent to a concentration camp, where she died of typhus.

Víctor Navarro, a Venezuelan former political prisoner and developer of the "Helicoide Reality" project, shows the virtual reality tour simulating the conditions in which the prisoners live in the prison, during an interview with AFP in Buenos Aires on July 27, 2023.

Luis Robayo / AFP via Getty Images

"It was really moving," Navarro tells NPR. "So, I decided: This is what I'm going to do."

After working with 3D graphic designers and interviewing 30 former Venezuelan political prisoners, Navarro put together a virtual reality tour of El Helicoide. Then, he hit the road, VR headsets in hand, to educate audiences in the U.S, Europe and Latin America about the growing repression of Venezuela's authoritarian regime.

Navarro, 28, lives in Argentina where he has refugee status. Ex-inmates that he interviewed for the project were mostly inside Venezuela.

It's an intense experience. With Navarro narrating (in Spanish, with an English version also available), viewers are led into Helicoide's dark, cramped, underground cells that are fouled by human feces. Flies buzz, water drips, cockroaches scurry away.

Víctor Navarro shows on his laptop part of the virtual reality tour of Venezuela's El Helicoide prison.

Then comes the accounts of former inmates. One tells of being handcuffed and shoved inside a tiny, isolation cell where he could barely move. Another describes almost suffocating when a guard pulled a plastic bag over his head.

A screen grab from the virtual reality experience created by Venezuelan former political prisoner Víctor Navarro.

Víctor Navarro/Screenshot by NPR

"That's when the real torture began," the former inmate says. "I don't know how many times I fainted."

There's even sound, which Navarro says was secretly recorded by another prisoner on his cellphone, of a detainee screaming as guards shock him with electricity.

"The idea of doing something through virtual reality was spectacular," says Antony Vegas, an opposition activist who was detained at the Helicoide for five years and worked on the project with Navarro after he was released. "It's a way to teach what torture at El Helicoide is really like."

One fan is Javier Corrales, a Venezuela expert at Amherst College in Massachusetts who, along with his students, took the VR tour of the Helicoide during Navarro's recent visit to the campus.

"There are plenty of talks and exhibits about human rights violations, political prisoners and torture, but nothing like this," Corrales says. "And there is nothing as portable and as vivid as this technology can produce."

One of Corrales' students, Giulia Miotto, said the experience left her shaking and sweating. In a class paper she wrote: "I truly hope that this virtual reality experience of El Helicoide is able to help drive its closure. In the meantime, it is devastating that these atrocities are ongoing."

The Venezuelan government did not respond to NPR's requests for comment. But in 2022 it "categorically rejected" a U.N. report that described the widespread torture of political prisoners in the country's jails.

Ironically, the Helicoide was once a symbol of Venezuela's progress amid an oil boom.

A view of Venezuela's intelligence police headquarters, known as el Helicoide, in Caracas, Venezuela, 2018. It was the same year that Navarro was brought there.

Fernando Llano / AP

Construction began in the 1950s under dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez. It was designed to be a luxury shopping mall and convention center. Its spiral design suggests a spaceship and drew praise from artist Salvador Dalí and poet Pablo Neruda.

However, Jiménez was forced out in 1958, and successive governments lost interest in the complex, which remained unfinished. At one point in the 1970s, the building filled up with squatters. Eventually, parts of El Helicoide were occupied by the state intelligence service, which added prison cells in the bottom floors.

Navarro arrived there in 2018 when he was arrested for taking part in massive protests against President Nicolás Maduro, who during 11 years in power has led Venezuela into its worst economic crisis in history. Police officers burst into Navarro's home, put a shotgun to his head, and led him off to El Helicoide.

"That's when the hell began," he says in his NPR interview.

Navarro was slapped, kicked, thrown to the floor. He recalls a guard putting three bullets into his pistol then placing it in Navarro's mouth, though he didn't pull the trigger. But he says it was even worse hearing the screams of fellow prisoners who were being tortured in nearby cells. He had been falsely accused of conspiring against the Maduro regime but after four months behind bars was suddenly released.

He is one of nearly 16,000 dissidents who have been imprisoned in Venezuela since 2014, which may be the highest number of political prisoners in Latin America, says Alfredo Romero, who heads the Caracas human rights group Foro Penal (Spanish for Criminal Forum). Although most have been released, many remain traumatized.

Andreina Baduel (second from right) joins others to protest against the taking of what they call political prisoners outside the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service building known as El Helicoide, in Caracas, Venezuela, Nov 3, 2021. Baduel is the daughter of former Defense Minister Raúl Isaías Baduel, who died in prison in 2021.

Ariana Cubillos / AP

"When you get out, you are not the same person," Navarro says.

Behind bars he lost 40 pounds and, once at home in Caracas, had recurring nightmares, couldn't remember people's names, and sensed that he was always being followed. Eventually, he fled Venezuela, put together the VR tour, and hit the road, visiting about 20 countries.

Meanwhile, Vegas, the former detainee who worked with Navarro on the VR tour, is discreetly presenting it to small audiences in Caracas and hoping that he won't be rearrested for doing so. Indeed, as Maduro maneuvers for another six-year term in July's presidential election, his antidemocratic crackdown continues. Romero, of Foro Penal, puts the current number of political prisoners at 264, including 67 in El Helicoide.

That's why Navarro continues to spread the word — through virtual reality.

"We are exposing what the Venezuelan government doesn't want people to see," he says. "It shows the scale of the crimes they are committing."

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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