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Brief History of the Missouri State Penitentiary

The Bloodiest 47 Acres in America

The Missouri State Penitentiary
Courtesy of Missouri Pen Tours

Although the Missouri State Penitentiary was NOT a place you wanted to visit for the first 168 years of its existence, the “old state pen” now is a pretty cool place to visit. The prison opened in 1836 in downtown Jefferson City along the banks of the Missouri River. It housed some of the most notorious inmates in American history until it was decommissioned in 2004. It now offers a variety of tours, so you can see what life was like behind the walls and razor wire and why Time Magazine once named it “The bloodiest 47 acres in America.”

Interior of the Missouri State Pen
Public Domain

The Missouri State Penitentiary is a rare prison that housed both male and female inmates. Some of the more infamous names include James Earl Ray, Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd, and Charles “Sonny” Liston. Over the years, 40 inmates were put to death in the gas chamber on the grounds at the prison, leading
many to believe the prison is haunted (the basis for one of the tours that is offered).

Although some people may consider it morbid, there is quite a history lesson to be learned at the Missouri State Penitentiary. You can take part in several tours, including a mystery tour, private
tours, student tours, and, of course, the ghost and paranormal tours. The eight-hour, overnight, paranormal investigation tour even lets you spend the night!

The Missouri State Pen


State Pen Tours
115 Lafayette St.
Jefferson City
www.missouripentours.com

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  • I've asked multiple times & have never gotten an answer, is H-hall still there & on one of the Tours, i ask because i was there in february 1983, i would like to stand on the walk Tier 4 in front of cell 74 or 78 because i turned my life around after my stay/sentence & standing where i stated would make me feel like i beat it, Might sound weird, i can't really explain it myself, but it's been 40yrs ago & that's on my bucket list. Thank You!

    • I"m not sure about that one. I'll do some checking.

  • I was there also in the year 1985 in H-Hall an experience I will never forget it was hell back then an very Dangerous God bless the souls that made it out of there.

  • I was there in 1965 and 1966 not as a prisoner but as a member of a Jr League Football team that played football games on the athletic field as entertainment for the inmates. As a 7th and 8th grader entering the pen is an experience I have never forgot. The clanging of the gates as they closed behind you, the long single file walk through the prision yard that pased the gas chamber as you trecked towards the field. As a young boy you can say I was "scared straight" and realized early in my life that bad choices have consequences. I am looking forward to a tour of this notorious prison this summer.

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