Prisons are an integral part of our justice system, housing the convicted and condemned for years. While they seem to be constantly under fire for some sort of human rights infraction, prisons were never intended to be plush criminal resorts.

So what happens once a prison closes? Some are abandoned and left to rot, but others are redeveloped as tourist attractions so that the public has the ability to tour their mysterious inner walls. What famous criminals were housed here? How bad were their stays? The original four walls keep these secrets to themselves, but their visitors get to explore and wonder exactly what it was like to be an inmate.

Some of the world’s harshest and most famous prisons closed and reopened as tourist attractions. The government in each country hopes that you’ll both learn about the history of the prison while at the same time having an experience that will discourage you from doing anything that might result in you having your own stay within the system.

1. Eastern State Penitentiary

The Eastern State Penitentiary was originally opened in Philadelphia, PA back in 1829 after years of lobbying for a penitentiary system to alleviate crowding in the prisons. The concept of a penitentiary was to force inmates to work hard while limiting their interaction with other criminals and the outside world in order to minimize the chance of them committing more crimes. The penitentiary hosts daily historical tours, with special twilight and winter tours during certain months of the year. ESP was known as home for several high profile inmates, including the notorious Al Capone.

2. Alcatraz Island

Off the shores of California, Alcatraz was originally a military fort but turned into a prison in the mid-1930’s. The prison was thought to be escape proof because of it’s island location surrounded by cold and choppy Pacific waters. A number of high-profile inmates did time at Alcatraz, including Al Capone and Alvin Karpis. On Alcatraz Island you’ll find opportunity for plenty of tours of both the island grounds and the prison itself.

3. Ushuaia National Prison

The Ushuaia National Prison in Argentina was built in 1896 and was originally only supposed to hold around 400 inmates. In about 15 years, however, the prison was holding an overcrowded population numbering closer to 1,000. The prison was originally meant to house military prisoners but soon grew to hold a number of other repeat offenders as well. The prisoners worked hard and were subject to severe punishments for noncompliance. Prisoners provided all of the utility and volunteer services to the town of Ushuaia.

4. Old Melbourne Gaol

The Old Melbourne Gaol in Australia was an active prison from 1842 until 1929. The prison housed petty criminals along with a number of criminals on death row. The Old Melbourne Goal is incredibly well known for the number of hangings it conducted during the time it was open (almost 150!). The prison is open for tours 7 days each week and will include information about both the prison and the way hangings were conducted.

5. Robben Island

The Robben Island Museum can be found in Cape Town, South Africa. The island is a desolate place, surrounded by shark infested waters destine to keep the prisoners locked on her shores. The island started out as a home for the mentally ill and criminally insane, but later became a maximum-security institution for hard-core criminals. Nelson Mandela is known to have spent time on Robben Island.

6. The Clink Prison

Located in London, England, the Clink Prison was the private prison used by the bishops of Winchester. Originally opened in 1151, the prison was home to almost anyone who turned the heads of the bishops and made them angry. The prison was a dismal and disgusting place, flooding regularly and plagued by disease and torture. The prison was destroyed in a fire in the 1780’s and has since been reconstructed in the form of a museum.

7. Acre Underground Prisoner’s Memorial Museum

The Acre Underground Prisoner’s Memorial Museum was once the site of the Acre Fortress in Israel. The British conquered the area in 1918 and turned the fortress into a prison. The museum is rich with history, as the prison was the site of several executions and was also the site of one of the largest prison breaks in history!

8. Fort Jesus Museum

Located in Kenya, the Fort Jesus Museum was originally built by the Portugese as a fort to keep the citizens of Africa safe. The British colonized Kenya in1815 and immediately turned the fort into a prison. The historical grounds were converted into a museum in 1962.

9. The Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs is not a prison, but an actual bridge in Venice, Italy. One story suggests that Lord Byron named the bridge because prisoners sighed as they caught what would be their last glimpse of the city before being locked in their cells. Another suggests that Lord Byron named the bridge after actually hearing the signs of prisoners as he crossed the bridge himself.

10. Seodaemun Prison

The heartbreaking Seodaemun Prison is located in Seoul, South Korea. The Japanese forced the Koreans to build the prison during their occupation between 1910 and 1945. Koreans look to Seodaemun as a painful reminder of the persecution they felt at the hands of the Japanese during that time, as they were imprisoned, tortured, and sometimes killed.

Each of these prisons is culturally significant in the area in which it is located. Let them each serve as both educational materials and reminders. Are these places you’d like to end up?

Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8