The Old Montana Prison

00:00     Title
00:15     Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park
00:55     Old Montana Prison & Auto Museum
03:15     Grant Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
04:15     Gates Of The Mountains
06:00     Bearmouth Fishing Access
09:20     Garnet Ghost Town
17:54     Fin
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Touring a historic site can be a boring experience for some, but all it takes is conjuring up images of the old wild west to add some excitement to the venture. Touring the gold rush ghost towns, forts and old west museums certainly will provide insight into the past, which in turn will greatly enhance the vacation experience. Oddly enough, some western museums feature a unique theme that can be found nowhere else on earth and the subject matter is captivating beyond belief. One such example is the Old Montana Prison in the town of Deer Lodge, which in the past was only open for tours by hardened criminals.

Going to prison while on vacation may seem like a strange travel plan and trying to explain where you have been to friends back home may raise a few eyebrows. The opportunity to recount the vacation actually is good reason for doing time at the Old Montana Prison, of course as a visitor and not as an inmate. The Montana Territorial Prison was constructed by inmates back in the early 1870s. The incarcerated populous occupied cells in this big complex till a century later in the 1970s when this prison closed. Fortunately the entire prison complex was preserved as a historic site and stepping through the iron gates without getting locked up is now possible to do.  

Because the Old Montana Prison was established before this territory became a state, prisoner rights were practically unheard of. Many forms of what are now considered to be cruel and unusual punishment are on display, including concrete shoes that weigh 20 pounds. Several famous old wild west outlaws did time in this old fashioned prison, which is equipped with classic sentinel towers that overlook the yard. Because the gold rush era brought all sorts of dubious characters to this territory, overcrowding was a constant problem and the facility was expanded several times through its long history.

As can be imagined, there are many horror stories about macabre occurrences inside the prison walls and paranormal tourism is taken seriously in this place. There are also humorous stories that can all be experienced while doing the tour. The Old Montana Prison actually houses five unique museums, which include classic car and train exhibits. There is enough content behind the walls to thoroughly entertain the entire family and the insight gained into the early years of the Montana Territory is priceless. Going to prison while on vacation can be a good thing, so be sure to check out this historic Montana site!