West Virginia State Penitentiary
Historic Site · Moundsville, West Virginia
A Gothic Revival prison in hand-cut sandstone, begun in 1866 and modelled on the penitentiary at Joliet, standing in the middle of Moundsville directly across the street from a 2,000-year-old burial mound. It closed in 1995 after the state supreme court found its five-by-seven-foot cells to be cruel and unusual punishment. It is now open for tours, and the contrast with the mound opposite is the reason to make the trip.
Jefferson Avenue, Moundsville, West Virginia, 26041, United States
Guided tours only, on a published schedule running roughly spring through late autumn with a reduced winter operation. Day tours, evening ghost hunts and overnight investigations are separate products. October is given over to a commercial haunted attraction. Verify the current schedule before travelling.
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