Its been called the Bloodiest 47 Acres in America, a prison known for its stunning violence, housing 5200 inmates at its peak, including gangsters, boxers, and even James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King Jr.s assassin. This place was serious. Jefferson City, MO 65101, 5-Hour Overnight Paranormal Investigation, 8-Hour Overnight Paranormal Investigation, These Walls Still Talk Overnight Investigation with MSP Staff, Private Overnight Paranormal Investigation. Mojo Traveler In a place like this there is so much to focus on, so its a constant challenge to create a scene that's balanced and doesn't feel chaotic. George Tiny Mercer was the first Inmate executed by lethal injection on January 6, 1989, the last Inmate executed at Missouri State Penitentiarys gas chamber building, and the first inmate executed in the state since 1965. Mike purchases a mouldy Porsche Boxster with seized brakes and a host of other faults, but at 1,000, he can't resist. Death Row @ The Missouri State Penitentiary. While he was still at large, he assassinated Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. The License Plate Plant was destroyed in the 1954 riot at Missouri State Penitentiary, by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. For example, we've got our fair share of some spooky ghost towns, creepy abandoned buildings and homes (why did they leave? How do they build the famous steam-powered paddleboats that cruise the Mississippi River? Nicknamed the "Bloodiest 47 Acres in America". Find the perfect missouri state penitentiary stock photo, image, vector, illustration or 360 image. 1,179 Reviews. See more ideas about penitentiary, missouri state, missouri. Ghost Hunt with experienced Ghost Hunting Team. They just pretty much worked a lot of the inmates like slaves; it was pretty brutal, said Tom Wells, who began working as one of the prisons guards in 1989. Murder convictions were won against 7 men who were involved in the murder of Walter Lee Donnell. Other armed troopers were on the roof and over 100 police officers were standing just outside the prison yard as a second wall of defense. The officers on the roof were finally forced to open fire with machine and riot guns to remove convicts from the prison yard. Missouri State Penitentiary. Jefferson City had been designated the state capital in 1822, and Governor John Miller suggested that the state's main prison be constructed there to help the city maintain its somewhat tenuous status against other towns trying to obtain the capitol for themselves.J ames Dunnica, a master stonemason who built the first Capitol building in Jefferson City in 1826, was appointed to oversee construction of the new prison, and $25,000 was allotted by the legislature for expenses. The gas chamber was located at the Jefferson City Correctional Center in a small rock building set apart from the main prison. Missouri State Penitentiary By day, take a history tour of the Missouri State Penitentiary, once the oldest continuously operating prison west of the Mississippi. After the prison was decommissioned in 2004, Wells was asked to assist with some of the prisons ghost tours and has since begun leading the tours with his wife, who he met during his first tour of the prison, and his stepdaughter. Though initially I had hoped to get the chance to explore it alone, after spending a few hours amongstNick Groff Tour guests who continued to experience everything from the touch of phantom fingersto mysterious nausea I changed my mind pretty quickly. Im the guy that lucked into the coolest part-time job in the whole wide world, Wells said, because Im not a ghost hunter. Visitors are then given insight into the prisons paranormal and unusual activities as they are guided around the upper yard, into Housing Unit 1 dungeon cells where prisoners were kept in complete darkness and through the basement of death row chambers in Housing Unit 3 until ending the tour inside the prisons gas chamber. Josh and Casey apply frontier medicine to a bleeding deck boss. Meanwhile, Dave buys back one of his first builds, a Karman Ghia. During its long life, thousands of inmates would call The Walls home, several of whom were well-known. Its at this point you realize that you are now inside one of the most historic and haunted pieces of land to exist anywhere in the country, Missouri State Penitentiary. And, at a salvage yard in Kent, Drew uncovers a ragtag collection of Victorian era Dave is tasked with finding and transforming a 1967 GTO for a secret client from South Africa. How do they power the next generation of race cars that run on electricity? The word "penitentiary" means "a place of penance." By 1885, numerous industries made contributions to the economy of Jefferson City through their use of prison labor to help manufacture their products. By 1868, the prison continued to expand and built its oldest remaining building, Housing Unit 4, also known as A Hall, as a means to house post-Civil War criminals. I shut the doors and Im like, What? and he goes, You aint going to find that guy. I said, What are you talking about? He said, I saw him. I said What did he look like? and he said, He had long blonde hair and a white T-shirt and Im like, yeah. He says, Wells, we aint got nobody in this building that looks like that, and I was just like, Whoa, youre right. It felt like somebody had just punched me in the chest.. Before the building was secured, as many as nine men were locked away in each cell. Use of our equipment which includes, trigger objects and EMF Meters. The leather restraints that were used to hold the condemned in the chair were also stored in the second cell. And many believe some of those inmates spirits still remain locked behind old bars. He escaped in 1967 by hiding in a truck. Dave and Kev take the show to the American Midwest, as more than 2,500 cars descend on the Summit Motorsports drag strip for a weekend of fun and RPMs. Other inmates set fired in the school, license-plate factory and other buildings. A-Hall, the prisons oldest building is said to be a hotspot of unearthly activity. Meanwhile, Darryl Carrison has a close encounter with a great white shark. The penitentiary was decommissioned in 2004 and is now open to the public for tours. 2023 Getty Images. Wells now leads some of the prison's ghosts tours, and although he considers himself more of a tour guide, his own paranormal experience as a guard has made him a firm . Tours run from March - November each year. Its amassive stone building, lined on ether side from floor to ceiling with jail cells and catwalks that criss-cross its width, making it the perfect home base for an overnight stay. After spending nearly 15 hours exploring the grounds, I still feel like I havent even scratchedthe surface of The Walls or the legends contained within them. The inmates attacked another guard, freed some of their friends, grabbed a sledgehammer from the machine shop, and made their way to death row. Housing Unit 1 is the oldest complete building which still stands today. Housing Unit 4, also known as A-Hall, was completed in 1868 to hold post-civil war criminals. Have you planned a history tour, ghost or paranormal tour or a photography tour at MSP, but want to see more of the infamous big house before your trip? Those who walk through these haunted halls may find their resolve tested like never before. Tales of ghostly visitors began long before the prison closed with both prisoners and guards reporting having seen apparitions. Main Episodes Video Photos Articles Ghost Adventures: Missouri State Prison Pictures Zak, Nick and Aaron investigate the infamous cellblocks and prison halls of the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City. These highly affordable and guided tours are some of the best that are offered for a haunted location such as this. There are no tours during December, January or February. And one of them may want to tell their story to you. The Paisano Pass Train Mystery, The Disturbing Case of the Dark Mirror: Investigating the Haunted Object Thats Terrified Hundreds, Groundbreaking Paranormal Documentary Series Hellier Returns with Ten Haunting Episodes of Appalachian Mystery, Meet Devin Person, a Real-Life Wizard Who Grants Wishes on the New York City Subway, The Conjuring of Bigfoot: The Forgotten Case File Detailing the Time Lorraine Warren Met Sasquatch in Tennessee, Phenomenacon: Attend the Worlds First Online Paranormal Conference, Featuring Your Favorite Paranormal TV Stars, Travel Channels Haunted Salem: Live Features the Paranormal Dream-Team in Live, Four-Hour Ghost Hunt. In 1950, Charles Sonny Liston, who would later become a heavyweight boxing champion, was sentenced to time in the Missouri State Penitentiaryfor armed robbery. The experience was over before wed even realized what happened, and though its been months since the event, Ive still not been able to fully explain what happened. Sitting near the Mississippi River in Jefferson City, Missouri is a square of thick stones walls which surrounds a daunting complex of abandoned buildings. 115 Lafayette St., Jefferson City, MO 65101. The name was reverted back to Missouri State Penitentiary and the State of Missouri operates tours, public investigations, and private rentals. In 1967, TIME magazine referred to Missouri State Penitentiary as The bloodiest 47 acres in America. What are some haunted places in Missouri? It's hot, wet and smelly. More information can be found here: www.missouripentours.com, My full gallery of 73 photos can be viewed on Flickr here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWTBeG9. There are, Click here to Learn more about ghost & paranormal tours, Click here to Learn more about history tours, Click here to Learn more about photography tours, Click here to Learn more about gift cards, Click here to Learn more about brochure request, Click here to email info@missouripentours.com, Click here to view location 115 Lafayette Street Before this, executions were conducted by hanging. The historic and ominous Missouri State Penitentiary is well-known to be rampant with paranormal activity. adroll_currency = "USD"; Berdella died of a heart attack in October 1992 in the Hospital building of Missouri State Penitentiary. Housing Unit 3 was constructed in 1914. In 1938, a 5-story, 240-bed hospital complex was completed, which allowed for medical records to be created and maintained on each inmate. However, after being a model prisoner, she was released in 1939. Call us for more details! A gymnastics coach works on his dream cabin in Utah's Wasatch Mountain Range. Later, a salvage yard features some amazing finds. Hall and Heady were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for the crime on November 19, 1953. We went on the ghost tour, they had a lot of stories of past experiences. Strangely, some have seen or heard the ghosts of children, and others, even a dog. . Explore the strange and unbelievable occurrences at the Missouri State Penitentiary on this guided overnight ghost hunt. It remained in operation for 168 years. Plus, how will Jim and Ferno cope on the airline's busiest day of the year? The team know a rust-free GTO would be a great car to kick off the USA workshop. A cell in the Missouri State Penitentiary by Kathy Weiser-Alexander. Haunting in Cell #48: Investigating Missouri State Penitentiary With Ghost Adventures Nick Groff, LawrenceburgGhostWalksown Jeff Waldridge, you can find hours for their public tours at their official website, including rates for private, all-night lockdowns as well, Check out the official website of the Nick Groff Tour, Accident or Murder? So I often look for symmetry or patterns that help lead the eye through the busy scene. On February 5th, 1911, Inmates rushed to save thousands of documents from the Missouri State Capitol as it was being destroyed by fire. In 1988, serial killer Robert Berdella (known as The Kansas City Butcher or The Collector) was convicted and sentenced to life at Missouri State Penitentiary for the rape, torture, murder, and dissection of six young men. Wells now leads some of the prisons ghosts tours, and although he considers himself more of a tour guide, his own paranormal experience as a guard has made him a firm believer of what remains inside the prisons now vacant cells. When you consider the amount of violence that took place behind thosewalls, its no surprise that those feelings still linger. Craving more creepiness in the state of Missouri? You might even get claustrophobic when you visit, seeing as how up to six inmates sat crammed into single cells for most of the day, every day. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Epic Jefferson City Scavenger Hunt: Small Town Beauty! However, if you arent able to make a tour before then, you may also be able to catch one of the prisons Select Mystery Tours where employees choose a date between June through September to have an ex-inmate of the prison lead a tour. Shortly after, in 1909, Inmates were no longer forced to wear the striped black and white prison uniforms that had previously been required. Liston went on to become a renowned heavyweight boxing champion. As a shadow rushes by you, an apparition walks toward you, footsteps fall behind you, or a hand reaches out to touch you. My full gallery of 73 photos can be viewed on Flickr here. In 1893, Missouri State Penitentiary was considered one of the most efficient prison systems in the country by showcasing their ability to feed and house Inmates for only $0.11 per day. Collect, curate and comment on your files. As the new abalone season begins a new crew are on the hunt for valuable abalone. Inside the massive stone building are four tiers of cells with catwalks that criss-cross its width. Prisoners were employed during the 1830s in making bricks; the initial prison population consisted of one guard, one warden, fifteen prisoners, and a foreman for the brick-making operation with an assistant. Considering that the building is older than my home country of Canada and the amount of bizarre activity happening inside its stone barriers, MSP is a living, breathing piece of Americas history, and ranks amongEastern State Penitentiary, Ohio State Reformatory, and West Virginia Penitentiary, as one of the most incredible haunted prisons in the country. The morning after the riot at Missouri State Penitentiary, 1954. In 1984, during an installation of a recreation yard for offenders on death row, six cells were unearthed between Housing Units 2 and 3. In 1833, the House of Representatives passed a bill that called for a penitentiary to be established and built. Several of the prisons tours involve the history of housing and its most infamous inmates including Sonny Liston, who began his boxing career while incarcerated at MSP, womens rights activists Emma Goldman and Kate OHare, and James Earl Ray, who managed to escape the prison in 1967, a year before he murdered Martin Luther King Jr. Jefferson City, MO 65101. 2. Veteran shiners reveal the secrets of these unwritten rules. In September 1937, Governor Lloyd Crow Stark signed a bill into law calling for execution by lethal gas. Missouri State Penitentiary Building by Kathy Weiser-Alexander. The only light in these cells came from a small slit in the door. Prior to his placement in the dungeon, he had attempted to escape several times and had started several fires. The Raneys must move an entire cabin into the flood zone as Marty's dam is put to the test. Missouri State Penitentiary Ghost Hunt $129 Per Person Participants must be over the age of 18 The historic and ominous Missouri State Penitentiary is well-known to be rampant with paranormal activity. Hundreds of Inmates then rushed the recreation yard to throw rocks at retreating staff. In 1905, Housing Unit 1 (the former womens unit and intensive therapeutic community that currently serves as the main entrance for Missouri State Prison) was constructed. Today, the Gothic style Missouri State Penitentiary ranks as one of the most incredible haunted prisons in the country, along with the Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania, the Ohio State Reformatory, and the West Virginia Penitentiary. When the prison, nicknamed The Walls, was fully completed it was surrounded by a high limestone wall with 15 officer towers. In the center of the building was the air tight chamber painted white, with two perforated steel chairs. Missouri State Penitentiary is one of the oldest prisons in the U.S. that still remains standing. The team know a rust-free GTO would be a great car to kick off the USA workshop. In 1868, Housing Unit 4 or A Hall, was built to house post-Civil War criminals. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Ray escaped Missouri State Penitentiary in 1967 by hiding in a bread truck. Venture down the stairs into the former dungeon cells and discover who may be down there waiting. . Review of Missouri State Penitentiary. Its intimidating and immense, and was built to withstand pretty much anything that the inmates could throw at it, and for good reason. Who are these spirits that are often seen and heard through the buildings of this massive abandoned penitentiary? Josh and Casey apply frontier medicine to a bleeding deck boss. Housed on death row was an Inmate named Walter Lee Donnell. Several major ghost-hunting groups have conducted investigations at the prison over the years, recording ghostly voices and shadowy people. Missouri State Penitentiary Tours Right here, we have the gas chamber (we never said these tours were going to be pleasant). $45 Ages 12+ 3 hours Photography Photography Tours Take fantastic photos of the Missouri State Penitentiary on this guided photo tour! The tour Guide said that night was overbooked so they split the group in two. Missouri State Penitentiary in its early days. The prisonis made up of quite a few buildings, all of which have their own unique paranormal stories, legends, and strangeexperiences attached to them. The cell contained the crocks used to hold sulfuric acid and later placed under the perforated chair. A collection of paranormal, historical, and photography tours of Missouri State are available in both public and private capacities for those looking to get a glimpse inside the infamous walls. 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