Been driving through this part of Tennessee for the last 10 years or so and have been wanting to visit here that whole time. Finally made it. I've have visited 3 other shuttered prisons over the years and they all are pretty neat. This one was physically the smallest but was very impressive. We did like most folks and did the self guided tour. Took us about 2 hours and I think we visited everything that was open. They claimed that former staff or guides would be around to answer questions- sadly I never seen anyone. Now reasoning for my rating was based on not seeing staff for questions as well as the price. I know it's a neat historic place but $25 a person was a bit high. They did offer a small discount for military but again a self guided tour for $25 was a bit much. So I do recommend this historic place. But be aware of the cost and that your questions might not be answered. read more

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What a cool stop!! Soooo much to see! The Jail, the offices, a dog rescue building and all the grounds with the original items. Not too far off the beaten path for driving and a beautiful area! read more

Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary - Historical Tours Near Me - Petros, Tennessee

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Wow it's so cool to see and lots of stuff to view and all. Sad history there and lots of bad people along the years. They have a got shop, restaurant and their own spirits to buy there! A must visit read more

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Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, last named Brushy Mountain Correctional Complex, (or, unofficially, Brushy) was a maximum-security prison in the community of Petros in Morgan County, Tennessee, operated by the Tennessee Department of Correction. It was established in 1896 and operated until 2009. Prisoners worked the local coal mine, under a convict lease program. They were beaten, over crowded, over worked, and riddled with diseases. At the gates of hell, some say! I could so feel the negative energy. Built on 9,000 acres of state-owned property (today, much of that property is the Frozen Head State Park & Natural Area) For more than 100 years, Brushy Mountain housed the worst of the worst offenders. Always way over crowded. Today, Historic Brushy Mountain is a tourist destination like none other. Tours are available, there is an on-site restaurant (The Warden's Table), you can conduct your own paranormal investigation, and it is host to frequent concerts and an on-site distillery. Also Paranormal Tours read more

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What a fun historical spot to learn some dark history! Came here with family and it was really cool to see how prisons used to look and to read all the dark history of this prison. The outside was beautiful and the weather was perfect to walk around the prison grounds. Their gift shop is cool and it is also a distillery which I did not try but maybe in the future! read more

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Interesting place to visit. You're on your own using a handheld tour on a cell phone-type gadget and earphones. It was sufficient, but following the yellow arrows got to be confusing. The historical aspect of it was good. It's the type of place that you go to once and once is enough. There were two cats on the premises, one was an older kitten, the other a sweet orange cat. If you're going to keep cats on the premises, all I can say is FEED YOUR D*MN CATS! The bowls were empty and the cats are underweight and hungry! A young girl that I believe hangs out there while her mother works was feeding the cats white bread. I asked her why she was feeding the cats white bread and she said because they like it. WTF! When any animal is hungry enough they'll eat anything, including white bread! I told the lady collecting the tickets that all the cat bowls were empty of food and she said she couldn't leave the area but she'd get them some food later. How about the lazy ladies sitting in the hallway getting off their butts and taking care of filling the empty bowls! It was more than upsetting to see. If you go, bring the cats some food, would you, please? read more

This tour is amazing and a must do visiting Tennessee. Our guide, George Wyatt, was absolutely delightful and entertaining. He was an actual inmate at the prison and tells so many interesting stories. You just need to get use to his accent, which is the best thing about him! After the tour make sure to eat at The Warden's table in the gift shop. The brisket French Dip was delicious. Maricela, who works in the gift shop, was so helpful and sweet. I would go back again and again!!! read more

Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary - Historical Tours Near Me - Petros, Tennessee

We got to tour Brushy Mountain last weekend and it was an interesting place to visit, but it didn't wow us. The buildings are completely falling apart and while it's definitely fun to tour something in a state of ruin (we've toured other penitentiaries like this), it honestly looked like there was no care taken to preserve anything. We also learned more from our friend who grew up in the area than we did from the informational placards around the penitentiary (though the museum was done well). The mine nearby actually looks just as interesting as the penitentiary and we wished there was more information about it. We didn't eat at the restaurant as it looked pretty expensive, but we did try some of the moonshines at the distillery in the gift shop and I have to say, they were some of the worst things we've ever drank. Butterscotch, cinnamon, blackberry, they were all terrible and it's a shame since East TN moonshine is typically very good. Overall, it's a decent place to visit, particularly if this is your first visit to a historic prison, but they can do a lot to make this a better experience overall. read more

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The tour was good. Had a problem with the gift shop with over charging. But I must say that once I contacted the general manager Alex; he corrected the problem immediately. Amazing that people actually care. Thank you Alex for your quick response and solution. More companies should take note of on how to make the customer happy read more

The ribs were terrible. The guide and prison tour were cool. The restaurant sucked!!!!!!!

Booked the paranormal 10p-2a tour for my birthday weeks in advance and paid over $500. Got the confirmation email and a reminder the day before. We drove over an hour and got there 30 mins early like they say to but when we got there the gate was locked. We sat there for 55 minutes until 10:25 before we gave up and drove over an hour back home. There was no special number to call and the regular number just went to a voicemail. We had taken the next day off work since we would be out late but it was such a waste of time and money. We will be requesting a refund. read more

Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary - Historical Tours Near Me - Petros, Tennessee

This is a fascinating place with a very dark past. It's located about 30 minutes west of Knoxville up in the Tennessee hills. I strongly recommend have George White Jr. as your guide. A former inmate with so many personal and facility stories. He was excellent. Look for a smaller group as ours was too big to hear him sometimes. So stay close. read more

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Highly recommend visiting! First, the employees are incredible. Specifically, Sam was extremely helpful and kind, and discounted my tickets due to prior AC issues. Also, my tour guide was incredible. I can't remember his name, however he is married to another Brushy employee and was a CO in the prison when it was open! I have actually toured twice--once for school and once with family. My second tour was equally as great because it was guided from the perspective of another employee. If it's your first time, I recommend a guided tour. Each guide tells the history of the prison and gives first hand memories of his/her time there. Such an incredible opportunity! Plus, you'll get to see James Earl Rays cell, hear stories about him and other "famous" inmates, and you'll have the opportunity to ask any and every question you've ever had about prisons. I definitely want to go back and do a haunted night tour or even try to go to a concert there! I read more

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After a tour of the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, which was extremely interesting and scary, a stop at the Distillery was perfect. The Distillery has both a great Tasting Room and very friendly and welcoming people. We left with a great sample of one of their products. read more

Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary - End of the Line Moonshine - Historical Tours Near Me - Petros, Tennessee

Our family had a really good time learning about this prison's history. We had both a former inmate and a former guard share personal accounts of living and working here. The prison has a lot to see set on grounds that also house a distillery and a cafe. Gorgeous in fall. Our tour guides were very good story tellers! read more

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We have been to many historic penitentiaries and this is by far the worst. The management has completely let this place get run down. There is so much history to this place, yet they take little effort to keep it in good shape. The rooms are dirty and cells are falling apart at the seams. The maximum security cells are so overgrown full of plants and weeds. It would be so much nicer if they just did some general maintenance. The museum part is the only cool part in which there are artifacts from prisoners. Outside of it, it is expensive and you don't feel like you leave with a good background. The distillery is also generic. Even those of us who like moonshine and whiskey found them lacking flavor. The staff don't seem to care about the place or people visiting, as we waited while she took a personal phone call without saying anything to us at the time. It's just not worth the time to visit! read more

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It was an amazing experience to walk through and see the inside of the prison as well as walking throughout the grounds. Hearing the stories of the guards that used to work there was eye opening!! read more

Great day trip if like history. Is really neat to explore and see during the day. You can go in pretty much every building and see different locations within the prison. Price is $16/person but do have military/senior discount. Have a on site distillery and restaurant. Also is near Frozen Head State Park which is a good place to explore also and see where the Barkley Ultramarathon is ran every year. But overall is a good place to see especially if known what all the history of the place and what all took place in that prison before it was shut down in 2008. I wouldn't recommend this place for anyone under 15 due to some of the stories that is in the place and that it is a prison where harden criminals where located at. read more

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So, I used to work at a prison in Nashville. I also knew someone who was incarcerated at Brushy Mountain a long time ago. Not a crowning moment in my life to know that person, but he should have been in longer than what he was. I digress. Moving along, Brushy Mountain now sells moonshine and vodka + is open to the public to tour. What a change to happen since 2009 when it shut its doors. Established in 1896, this prison housed prisoners for minor convictions up to maximum security. Though they had an electric chair, no executions ever occurred here. There were a ton of deaths at Brushy Mountain, but not by sentence. Prisoners were used to mine the area for coal as the prison is surrounded by mountains in the Cumberland Plateau of Morgan County. When Brushy Mountain closed in 2009, most of the inmates were sent to the "new" state prison, Morgan County Complex. One of the most notable inmates during its 113 years open was James Earl Ray, the assassin, of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. In 1977, James Earl Ray escaped Brushy with 7 other inmates only to be returned less than 58 hours later. It is said that he was begging to return back to the prison. Prison escapes were very few and hardly successful due to the mountainous and rocky region that the prison lies. Before taking the tour, my friend and I opted to go to the gift shop/restaurant/moonshine tasting building to get our tickets and to do the shine tasting. Trust me when I saw, doing the alcohol tasting adds an element to the experience. I know, I know. Why would I get a buzz before walking around the prison? Well, the answer is simple - to lighten my nerves and to add some spice to the experience. I succeeded. As far as the moonshine goes, I was not crazy impressed with some of the flavors, but on other the other hand, I really liked the honey and blackberry moonshine. The vodka was smooth and named after the state park nearby, Froze Head. The moonshine is called "End of the Line", very appropriately named considering the location. All booze are made at the onsite distillery. For this tour, allot around 2 to 2.5 hours to get the full experience. I feel like that might even be modest if you want to really take in the sites. There is a 20 minute video that provides commentary on the history of the prison plus insight on what it was like being in the prison both working and as an inmate. There were a couple of inmates that were employed there as tour guides now that we heard stories from about their experience being in the slammer. Brushy is used as an event venue. Want to get married at the prison? No problem! They have an open field that used to be the rec space that is now used for concerts, local events, and if you want - your event. Side note, there were notes on several doors saying "No Paranormal Activity During Daylight Hours". I would be very curious to see people come here at night to do ghost hunting. It wouldn't be my cup o' tea, but I would watch the show on television. The tour costs $15 for self-guided and $25 for a guided tour. We did self-guided. Food ranges from $6 - $14 depending on your selection. They serve mainly comfort food (BBQ, mac and cheese, burgers) and sandwiches. Moonshine tasting is $5. If you buy product, the $5 spent on the tasting is deducted from your bottle purchase. All moonshines and vodkas cost $25/bottle. I uploaded a ton of photos for your viewing. I encourage you to visit! read more

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If you're anywhere within a two hour drive, you should check this place out. Lots of history here. If you're a senior it will cost you $19.62 bottom line, tax included. Not cheap but this is a place you'll only need to visit once and I think you'll be glad you did. Be sure to see the movie which was about 20 minutes. It will give you a lot of insight. read more

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Great gift shop and clean restrooms. The prison tour is self guided and was very interesting. Make sure to make time to watch the movie it's very informative. While we saw some kids there I'm not sure the theme is appropriate as this prison housed hardened criminals. read more

Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary - Historical Tours Near Me - Petros, Tennessee

What a WILD experience. Truly that's all I can think to say. We didn't actually tour the prison, we did walk around outside though and that was pretty eerie enough for our group. The real thing that kept us from doing the full tour is the potential for snakes in your route. If you are hoping to do the tour, you'll need to stop at the first building to buy passes before going up to the prison. The tours are self led, but they cut off entrance after 5pm. After perusing the grounds we enjoyed the $5 for 5 moonshine tasting. With 20 spirits to taste, you can always try them all for $20...I'd recommend having a DD if you go for it because woah baby, they're all 13% proof or higher and you feel it. Our favorite flavors of moonshine were butterscotch and apple pie. The orange is the only one I might say to skip. This is super unique and I think worth a visit. Apparently there are several bed n breakfasts in the area and so while I though it was a random Yelp find, it might be more popular than I thought. I was hoping for more of a "distillery tour" experience than it was. I think the prison tour is the real attraction here. read more

Hubby and I were doing a 2-week driving trip as our first venture out since the pandemic. This seemed a good stop and we wanted to compare it with Alcatraz. This was a good representation of a prison. You got to tour almost every area of the prison. There was not a tour guide, but the displays have good information. There is one area that had displays of weapons, art, and other contraband (smokes, tattoo machines, etc.). It was interesting to see the artistic skills of some of the inmates. The museum store has lots of nice quality items for sale (reasonable price) and includes a restaurant with a prison motif, e.g. cell bars and distillery items. The area surrounding the prison is very pretty. We enjoyed this self-guided tour. $16 for adults. read more

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Rocky Horror Picture Show--TIME WARP!!! What an incredible piece of history preserved for us. The visitor's center is clean and welcoming. There is an assortment of t-shirts and moonshine. The moonshine is made on the premises and comes in flavors such as peach cobbler, apple pie and frosty orange. You can sample them at the bar. It also houses a BBQ joint that is packed with people getting their food. On a side note, I ordered the Bbq baked potato. Now back to the actual prison. It's got a great informational movie-go see it. There's memorabilia on display. I am a history teacher so I was interested in James E. Ray's cell and unsuccessful escape. Even though he is the most infamous prisoner, I feel they don't overplay his importance. Our paranormal group, Soul Sisters, explored and investigated the prison at night. Jamie and Tiffany were gracious hosts and the night proved very active. Thanks for preserving history. read more

Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary - Cell James Earl Ray last occupied - Historical Tours Near Me - Petros, Tennessee

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This was an unexpected gem of a visit. Really cool to explore and learn about the history of the prison and I'd love to see someone perform on the stage in the back! Oh, and get the Bloody Mary Mix...free with Vodka purchase, so I was willing to take a loss on it, but it's surprisingly good. read more

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Everyone was so friendly and helpful. The gift shop has a large selection for anyone to find a souvenir. The souvenirs are kinda pricey, but well made items. They are worth the price. I love that you can just wonder around and take your time looking without following a group. They have arrows on the floor to keep you going in the correct way. There is also information everywhere on what has happened in the areas. The prison is very well kept keeping the ran down esthetic. The art work from the prisoners is all over the tour including the cafeteria. Which is amazing by the way. There are plenty of parking and gaps in the walk through to stop and read. I also stopped and had conversations and listened to a former inmates stories. You can have personal space or socialize. I do plan on going back. Just keep in mind you might loose cell service so keep your directions open on your phone to leave if you don't know the area. read more

Visiting the prison is like going back in time. It was awesome. The tour is definitely worth the visit. Nestled around beautiful mountain slopes adds character. We met one of the tour guides who was a former guard there. His stories of the past were fascinating. We went for the tour and a concert afterward. Great place for a concert in the field of the prison. I would give five stars. However, one very disappointing part of out visit is if you go to a concert there and need to park in handicap parking by the prison, expect to wait a while before leaving. We left before the end of the concert so we could avoid traffic. However, we were not allowed to leave the handicap parking lot until all concert goers walking after the end of the concerts left before us. A long unnecessary wait. Otherwise, highly recommended. read more

I was putting this tour off for awhile thinking it wouldn't be worth my time. Boy was I wrong! The food at the restaurant was amazing! Everything came out perfect, tasted great, and they give you extras like fruit and a cookie. The interior of the restaurant has bars like a jail cell and it was just a nice place to eat to get you ready for the tour. Walking around Brushy was eye opening. You can immediately feel the hardship and anxiety of the workers and inmates. Every day was a bad day. The provide a lot of great info, stories, and contraband too view. The paintings were incredible from the inmates. It's a great informal place to walk around on a nice day. I wouldn't go when it's raining because there are a lot of leaks in the building and walking outdoors. It may make it a lot less enjoyable. The gift shop had some nice t shirts and moonshine. I wish they had a bit more to offer but we went with a shirt and a bottle. read more

Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary - Prison - Historical Tours Near Me - Petros, Tennessee

Such a fun experience! $12 and you get to enjoy a leisurely self guided tour through history. I really enjoyed seeing all of the inmate writing on the walls and plaques with history information. There weren't many people there which was GREAT because I hate crowds. Improvement needed: just give us one cell to walk into! That would have been very cool. Also, a lot of it was roped off. I wonder if they're working on more? The moonshine was BAD. I read a review a while back that said it was the worst shone he had ever had- I wrongfully doubted that. Paid $5, tried 5 flavors, thought I was going to throw up! The packaging is very cool. Shame the alcohol tasted like it was distilled in a toilet. read more

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So this was the first visit to Brushy since the the doors opened. I was amazed at the hospitality of the staff. The tour is amazing. It is awesome to hear from actual people that were involved when the prison was operational. The gift shop has everything you could think of. Did not eat at the Wardens table due to the Covid restrictions on quantity of people. But next time I will for sure. It was also nice to see how clean everything was and people kept the social distancing rules really well for the most part. The weekend we went was a concert and the show was awesome. Very reasonably priced on entry food and beer. It was nice to see the social distancing during the concert as well. If you haven't been... you need to go. Grab your mask , sanitizer and check it out! read more

Definitely a place worth visiting!! You won't regret it!! It's beautiful and take as much time you need. So much details can be missed if your in a hurry! Highly Recommended!! read more

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Interesting place to visit. I would have like it more if they offered guided tours and if there weren't so many people. We didn't get to hear any guard or inmate stories because of the amount of people. There is a lot of information about the history posted on the walls though. read more

Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary - Historical Tours Near Me - Petros, Tennessee

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A very interesting place to tour. We really enjoyed it. It has not been well maintained and could use some work but very informative and full of history. Highly recommend. read more

I wanted to see a different side of life, so I visited this historic preserve. I strongly recommend you visit the distillery first and taste the moonshine. For $5 you get to sample five different flavors. Then take the tour of the old prison. My friends and I got a tour from a former prisoner named George. He was a really great tour guide! We all learned so much and realized how difficult prison-life was in those days. It's well worth the visit for an unforgettable experience! read more

I really enjoyed my day trip to Brushy Mountain. It was educational and I left with a lot more knowledge than when I walked in. That's the sign of a good tour experience. It is self-guided, so it's easy to get lost wandering around, but they do have a little route/path to follow, if you choose to follow it. There were a couple old prison guards who told some stories from when they worked there, which was really interesting. Sounds like they've been through some crazy stuff, but I guess that's no surprise. I'm glad that they were able to repurpose the building as a museum. Some people have complained about the admission price, but I was okay with it. When they closed the prison, a lot of people were out of jobs, so now they can work again. There's even alcohol served/sold there now. I didn't try any samples, but heard it's good. My favorite part of the tour was the cafeteria. Some of the prisoners painted murals on the walls and columns. It's really amazing to see in person. Some real artists. One guy painted a tea set. I loved it. Like a slice of normalcy in a very unexpected place. Seriously, you've gotta bring your camera with you. read more

Brushy Mountain was built to keep the worst of the worst in, but now the gates are wide open and you should not miss the opportunity to go in. This prison is probably the most photogenic prison in the world. I mean they actually have a mountain as a natural barrier to the yard. The prices are nice and I recommended finding a guide to walk you through. We were lucky enough to have an old prison guard walk us through and provide personal experience and history with us. To preface a little misunderstanding on the website, the actual prison closes at 6 and the gift shop/ restaurant is open until 8. The gift shop is giant and also has moonshine tasting which is probably best to do after the tour. They also have started having concerts their as well which would be an awesome venue. Words cannot do this place justice. Definitely a must visit read more

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Group of four went this weekend on a rainy Sunday. Absolutely loved the prison and the self guided tour. The informational panels were great and it made me want to read more! Beautiful area set in the mountains and a perfect fall activity. I'm giving it 4 stars because the liquor tastings and restaurant were subpar. I also wished we could have explored more buildings, the guard towers, or even the mine nearby. read more

While I am sure that the tours and such are good, I am doing this review based on my experiences while ATTEMPTING to attend a concert at the location. As I know this area, I expected traffic on the way into Brushy - I still did not expect to sit in my car for nearly 2 hours waiting to get into the parking area. By the time we reached the unlit parking area (a soft, now muddy from vehicles driving on it, field) - the opener had already played and the main act had been on stage for 20 minutes. I believe this wait was caused from each car being stopped to pay to park and the parking lot attendants were all very young. There were cars parked horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. A total mess. Where we parked was probably a half mile from the gates to get in. By the time we walked almost to the gates, the rain started again. We were prepared for the weather in proper clothing and ponchos. But, the rain was heavy and we were afraid that we would not be able to get our car out of the field with continued rain. Plus, we had already missed a good chunk of the show we paid to see. I will never try to go to another show here. It may have been an incredible show, but for all of us that were held on the road waiting to get in- we all got jipped and basically lost our money. With the traffic problems, the venue should have held off on starting the show. Refunds should be offered. read more

So Brushy Mountain Distillery was a waste of fucking time to drive 2.5 hours for. You can't get a new ID right now in many states because of COVID. 90 day extensions were offered in nearly every state. The WHOLE FUCKING COUNTRY knows that. Even the Tennessee licensing website plainly states that. Every distillery we have went to in Tennessee knew that. We have been to 10+ in the last 3 days. But they don't care. We were super excited to come here but will make sure this veteran family will never spend money here. read more

Wow!!! What a cool experience. I was happy we went on a day that George could show us around. It would have not been such a memorable experience without a tour guide. George was once a resident at Brushy mountain so his stories are lively and fascinating. We enjoyed it and the drive was gorgeous. Petros is tucked away. It was a perfect summer getaway. I hope they do more to restore the artwork. It is peeling and needs some restoration. The end of the line moonshine was very good quality. I did not agree that the bar tenders could not receive tips. I am not sure where that rule comes from. All other distillery's and wineries let you tip. It's just an appreciation for good service. Also the food at the wardens table was hot and the prices were decent. We spent a few hours walking around the prison. I hope it stays open for many years and brings tourists to the area. Thanks again George for showing us around l!!! read more

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