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Old Prison Museums
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3 reviews for Old Prison Museums
Admittedly, prisons aren't high on the list of any normal person's destinations, touring or otherwise. As a matter of fact, the nearest to a prison any average person wants to get, is perhaps watching "The Shawshank Redemption." But even so, a visit to the Montana Territorial Prison is worth the time and admission price.
This imposing, gothic structure located in downtown Deer Lodge is a must for anyone interested in Montana history. This was the first prison in Montana, dating back to the days when Montana was a just a territory and vigilantism ruled the roost.
Commissioned in 1870, the territorial prison was an official, civilized answer to the lawlessness that prevailed in mineral-rich areas such as Butte, Bannock, Helena , and Virginia City (the previous solution was to hang the individual, if they were not lucky enough to high-tail it out of the area). Over the next century the Montana Territorial Prison was a model prison, and by that, I mean it was a model for overcrowding, violence, corruption, and survival of extreme conditions. Riots, murders, slave-labor; it all took place within the cold, stone walls of Montana's ultimate form of justice and correction, and became a final stop for many.
Now a state and national historical site, the only occupants are ghosts of the past, and an eerie silence that slightly hints at how much of a bad-mojo factory this place really was. The self-guided tour gives individuals the opportunity to tour and explore the complex at their own pace, while the guided tour will offer the advantage of inside stories and the chance to ask questions. If you can, I recommend doing the guided tour first, then come back and do the self-guided tour a day or two later, which has the effect of really sinking home the knowledge that this was the world of men condemned to spend years or decades in an area just slightly larger than a few square city blocks, or in some cases far smaller.
To write of the actual history that happened here would take up many pages more than Yelp allows. Instead, be assured that this is no mere tourist trap. Both this and the adjacent car museum are well worth the price of admission. If you are traveling in the area, consider setting aside a few hours and stopping in. You will not regret it.
Spooky old prison + ability to go inside cells - $9 = FANTASTIC!
And if that isn't scary enough for you, your admission fee for this place also covers your admission to a doll museum.
Oh, check out the men's bathrooms in the giftshop. They have the highest urinals that I've ever seen. They were good for me, but at 6'2", I had to believe that some people might just need to use the stall instead.
We toured the old prison with a tour guide, his stories were to much so we finished looking around by ourselves. We really liked the old car museum and especially the old RV campers. A good collection of vehicles.