It’s 1871 in Cañon City.
You start another day to the unworldly grunts of fellow inmates as they awaken to another day in a series of endless hours in the notorious Colorado Territorial Penitentiary. Your neighbors are a rough-and-tumble bunch of convicts; food is scarce, and escapes are common. Each day brings another round of hard labor in the stone quarry, building walls for what will become a Colorado state prison in 1876, which still exists today.
You can feel all this firsthand—without serving a life sentence—in Cell House #4 at the Museum of Colorado Prisons. Formerly the women’s jailhouse, the museum features over 30 exhibits that eerily depict life behind bars. Confiscated murder weapons, contraband and inmates’ artwork are among the historical items on display. The original kitchen, laundry room, dining hall and isolation cells have been carefully preserved for viewing in the prison’s basement.
Visitors can stare death in the face inside the state’s mint-green gas chamber, last used in 1967, and its earlier version—a primitive block-like structure used from 1933 to 1955. If that isn’t enough to give you the heebie-jeebies, consider the actual hangman’s noose used in Colorado’s last execution by hanging in 1933, when John P. White was executed for murder.
Be prepared to hear whispers down the hall—the ghosts of former inmates revealing their prison break or detailing a murder. Listen to the voice of prospector Alfred E. Packer, arrested in 1874 for allegedly cannibalizing his hiking companions during a blizzard in the San Juan Mountains, as he claimed innocence of his charges. And young Antone Wood, who committed murder at the age of 10, speaking in French as he studied with his private tutor.
Indeed, the museum is considered one of the most haunted places in Colorado, with paranormal activity consistently reported by many visitors. For enthusiasts of paranormal activity, the museum hosts “Paranormal Nights,” featuring guest mediums, spirit box sessions, and private overnight lockdowns.
Before you escape, make sure to visit the museum’s unique gift shop. Among the many items available include inmate-handcrafted wallets, leather goods and jewelry. Of course, you can always pick up prison-inspired t-shirts, hats and aprons replete with black and white convict stripes for your next dinner party.
- 201 N. 1st Street
- Cañon City, CO 81212
- (719) 269-3015
- PrisonMuseum.org
