Very interesting tour of this formidable fortress-like old jail. History of the place quite grim, treatment of people just horrible, especially the Irish back in the day. But history is important, and they gave a good history of the cruel overlords of the coal mining industry, and the resistance put forward by the Molly Maguires, who fought for fair wages, treatment and justice. Jail operational until 1975. Worth a visit. Correction: Jail operational until 1995. read more

We throughly enjoyed our tour through the Old Jail Museum! The guided tour was informative, while also giving tourists the freedom to explore around themselves at their own pace. The staff and guide(s) were very kind and helpful! The only thing I would see as a "negative" is the information received in the ~5 minute pre-tour video, that gets repeated again afterwards, taking up a chunk of time. read more

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There are tours available, approximately 45 minutes, and its worth the $12 fee. The tour guide was knowledgeable, took questions, and did a good job explaining things. I would highly recommend this tour. read more

A must add to your Jim Thorpe itinerary! We thoroughly enjoyed our tour in the old jail museum. It's small and the tour lasts about 45 minutes, but you are given unlimited time to wander around once the guided portion culminates. If you enjoy history and creepy vibes, it's for you! The focal point of the tour itself is the Molly Maguires. They provide context with a short video prior to the tour. The museum is very affordable with tickets being only $12. Check the website though as tour times are limited and you cannot walk through on your own. Also note that street parking is prohibited on Broadway so you will likely need to use the public lot at the foothill of the street. Not to worry! It's about a 10-15 minute walk only and there are eclectic shops lining the street that you can browse on your way. read more

I really enjoyed the Old Jail Museum and I recommend it for you and your children. It starts it's a video history lesson about the plight of the Irish in the 1800's which led to them immigrating to the United States. The video reminded me of a history film we would have watched in High School. It was interesting being reminded of the history of Ireland. The jail definitely seems like a real haunted house or haunted building, the basement is truly scary ... it would be unimaginable having to be licked in solitary confinement in the dungeon. The tour is really pretty basic and our tour guide ,Kyra, was fantastic. She was very knowledgeable and well spoken for a high school student and I think she will be somebody important someday. Make certain to visit the kitchen and upstairs women's cell block , it isn't part of the tour you tour the upstairs on your own. read more

Old Jail Museum - Museums Near Me - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

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Built in 1871, the facility was occupied as a jail until 1995. The Old Jail Museum located on W Broadway in Jim Thorpe is best known for where several of the Molly Maguires (an early mining union) were falsely accused, convicted, and hung for murder. At first glance, it looks more like a fortress than a jail. Upon entering, visitors will usually find themselves milling about in the entrance hall, which used to be the warden's family sitting room. To the left of the entrance, it's now the gift shop, and along with tickets, visitors can purchase books or souvenirs. Visits to the jail are via guided tours offered from May through October only. The entrance hall, gift shop, and old visiting area can be viewed by anyone, but to go farther requires a ticket. Tours were given last Saturday. However, my partner, his aunt and I arrived around 2pm, and the next available tour was scheduled for 4pm. We decided to opt out and save it for our next trip. read more

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PROS: this was one of the top two things to do in Jim Thorpe. The jail was huge, the tour took us through all the main rooms, most things were original, and it was affordable. They also have a nice gift shop and the grandson of the owners, who tours you around, was very nice CONS: there's no parking around here as all street parking is for residents only. Also, they only accept cash. They didn't tour the second level of the prisoners area nor the courtyard OVERALL: one of my favorite places to go to in Thorpe. I highly recommend visiting read more

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Jail was pretty cool. Some of it is closed. Definitely catch it if you can. Go when they open and make reservations.

We enjoyed our visit to this little historical jail. Tours go out every 20 minutes or so and it costs around $12 for adults. When your tour begins, you are ushered into a room where you watch a short video about the Molly Maguires, as they were some of the first "tenants" of the jail where they were falsley accused and hung (yes, inside the jail). A tour guide then takes you down into the super creepy basement "dungeon" where you have a chance to check out the cells (it's really dark so we used the flashlight on our phone). Then we went back upstairs where we learned more about the history of the jail (it was actually in operation until 1995). The tour lasted around 40 minutes and then you could peruse about the kitchen and the warden's quarters on your own. They have a cute little gift shop where you can grab some memorabilia from your trip, including a picture of the mysterious hand print that will not go away (you can see it in one of the cells on your tour but you are asked not to photograph it). Overall, we enjoyed our tour and would recommend to other visitors to Jim Thorpe. read more

Quick 30 min guided tour with and opportunity to walk through more after. Guide had fun stories and history to share. $12 for adult tour ticket. Well worth it! read more

Pretty underwhelming. The video didn't really connect anything. The room to get in to the tour gets really clogged with people trying to go in and buy tickets. The tour itself is memorized and there isn't much by way of artifacts. It was used up until the mid nineties so you'd figure there would be more by way of anything and there really wasn't. And the town while cute and charming sucks compared to when I remember it it's so jam packed now you can't even get anywhere. So be warned if you want to do anything in this down from parking, eating or even getting a drink arrive at 6am. Or even the day prior. read more

Our group took a tour of this historic old jail and it was fantastic! Definitely worth it. So interesting. We started with a short video outlining the history of the building and the hangings of the "Molly Maguires" that unjustly took place there in the 1800s. Then our guide, Cole, took us through the jail including the exercise yard, dungeon (where prisoners were placed in solitary confinement for things such as unpaid parking tickets, in more recent history), kitchen, gallows area, individual cells, laundry and showers. But the most interesting part is cell 17, where the handprint is located. The story goes that Alex Campbell put his handprint on the wall in his cell right before he was led to the gallows. He did it as a protest to the crime of murder against him in June of 1877. Creepy cool story. Look it up! The handprint is still there!! You cannot take pictures of it. The other cells, including the dungeon, are open and available for visitors to walk into. Make this stop if you are in Jim Thorpe. Tickets are 12.00 for adults. Reservations are required. It's a good place to visit, particularly during Halloween time!!! read more

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The tour was awesome. We had the pleasure of being led around by the owner's grandson. He was very knowledgeable. It's a non-profit so proceeds go towards maintaining the historic building. The story of the Molly Maguires is a tragic and interesting one. read more

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Definitely stop by here and take a tour! So much history in this town. Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. The tour was more or less an hour or so and it also depends on how slow or fast you explore the museum. Highly recommend when your in town! read more

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Overall it was a good experience. You spend about half the time watching a video on the history. The video is okay, but could use an update lol. The other part of the tour is pretty quick. It's short, but interesting. I would say this is a must visit if you are on the area! read more

Old Jail Museum - Museums Near Me - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

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Parking is tricky but if you don't mind a healthy trek from the main lot at the bottom of the hill, it's doable. Make time for standing in a long line on the weekends in the fall cuz Jim Thorpe is bursting with tourists & this is a popular spot! The museum is run like a mom & pop biz by a family who purchased the building when it was ending its time as a real jail (in the 1990's) and it feels like they are running the place using the same exhibits and old video intro they've used for 30 years. It's mostly a self-guided tour with a group of 20 other people through a cool old empty building! There are a few artifacts and a few plaques with captions telling a story. Staff are posted at various points to recite a memorized script. If you ask a question & they go off script, they don't have much additional information. We did get a few interesting ghost encounters stories when we asked a young woman who is, apparently, quite connected to the spirits there. One or two cells seem very active, supernaturally, she claimed. Not very accessible for people with poor eye sight or mobility issues. Lots of stairs and not well lit. The dungeon basement is very dark and hard to navigate (but they keep it dark for effect). The intro video is on a tiny screen in the 1st room you are asked to go into. It is tightly packed with seats & you are expected to sit & watch en masse when you start the tour. They should just have it playing on loop on screens throughout (and they should up date it). There's a cardboard poster trifold with facts about the building & history you can't read because it is tiny, ancient & looks like someone's 8th grade History Day project. When I asked historical questions only the owner, in her late 70's, sitting in the bookstore had in-depth knowledge (she'd written 4 short monographs). But even she hadn't done much primary research on the jail itself. Her focus seems to be stories about the Molly's. She's lovely to talk to if you get her alone for a few. We enjoyed walking through the old building and found some of the scripted content interesting. The story about the first resident to return as a tourist was interesting, as was the great escape tale & history of the gallows. I would recommend it if you are really into local history and curious about jails. Probably best for folks aged 13-50 who can do stairs & don't mind walking in very dark places. A bit over priced for an hour (including the time waiting in line 15 minutes). But entertaining! read more

The jail in Jim Thorpe is intriguing and also fun to visit. While there are other historic jails out there that I have found to be more extensive, such as the one in Mt. Holly, NJ, this one happens to be located in a touristy town, so it gets more traffic. It's still worth visiting at any rate. Entry costs $10. You have to go in with a tour. The tour guides are mostly young, and it's not as in-depth as you might expect. There also haven't been so many notorious inmates there either, such as Al Capone. However, you do get to see each part of the now-closed facility, and it's worth checking out. You even get to go down into the hole, which is the musty dungeon for inmates who were "uncooperative." read more

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This was super spooky! I liked the guided portion of the tour, she explained things well, good story telling skills and told us about all the paranormal happenings shes seen in the area. The solitary confinement room was so creepy and claustrophobic and I enjoyed learning about the Molly maguires, who I haven't heard of before. And the gallows were sobering to see as well. Definitely felt a haunted vibe being this jail. My down rating is because of the first 15 minutes of the tour. They put us in a room w chairs, a whole bunch of posters that looked like they'd been school projects and a video presentation that also felt like I was watching a school presentation. You don't pay 10$ for a tour to watch a video, I could have watched something similar in youtube. It's a lot easier to engage with the material when a human is telling you these things instead of a monotone voice on the TV. Also watching an educational video isn't exactly something I wanted to do on vacation! read more

Small hike to get there, but a very interesting place to visit. The guides tell stories of how was back in the day up to when it was last used as the county jail in the mid 90s. Makes you think how things were barbaric back then and they still kept using the jail into modern times with all that history. The video showing before the tour starts needs a new narrator, not a computer voice. Very hard to understand. The story of the Molly Maguires shows how these men were basically executed for no reason and how the justice system utterly failed with no checks and balances at all. On that note, while reading the history that is on the walls, it became apparent that the railroad managers are basically responsible for starting the whole thing. A visitor next to me mentioned that and I replied "I am a current railroad employee and management is still the same." I then felt someone bumped into me. I turned around, but no one was there...... read more

The tour was about 35 minutes, short and sweet but fine. Our tour guide looked to be about 12 years old, however he knew his stuff and gave a good tour. It's nice that at the end they give you time to wander around the cell block and go into the cells. I would appreciate some kind of little movie at the beginning showing the full history of what it meant to be a Molly Maguire etc. But for $10 this was well worth the time and money read more

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We went on the ghost tour, which was a fun little tour. It's a small tour so it's not going to be grand but it's a fun way to pass the time. Solitary confinement was cool and all of the tour guides were well spoken and very nice. read more

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What an excellent tour of the jail, packed with fascinating historical information! We visited as a group of four and were delighted by the experience. The tour struck the perfect balance, allowing us ample time to explore independently while also continuing with the group. Our tour guide, who happens to be the grandson of the owner, was absolutely fantastic. His insights and stories added a personal touch that made the experience unforgettable. I would highly recommend this tour--it's worth every penny! read more

Couldn't even get to this location. What a nightmare! I wanted to take the after hours ghost tour so badly. But since they only give these tours on weekends, I got stuck in the extremely, and insanely crowded town of Jim Thorpe on a weekend. Out of towners such as myself have no idea what a nightmare it is to navigate through this town. Very narrow streets with gridlocked traffic, people walking everywhere, absolutely NO parking anywhere. The fact that this location does not have a parking lot is very very inconvenient. Wasted my time, and caused me great disappointment. I will never ever return to this location unless they schedule weekday/weeknight ghost tours. read more

Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was underwhelmed by this tour. While you are waiting for the tour to begin, they put you in a side room with a bunch of posters about the Molly Maguires and the history of the jail. They look like they were made by middle schoolers for a school project. More effort could definitely have been put into them. That seemed a bit unprofessional and old fashioned to me. The tours are led by high school guides, which is great, and our guide definitely memorized all the information well, but it just kind of took away from the ambience of the whole tour. It felt kind of forced and robotic, like he did not want to be there, but he did know the info. Also, there are weird Halloween decorations around the jail that look like they were bought at the dollar store. That really turned me off to the whole thing because I was looking to see the jail as it actually looked when it housed prisoners. Overall, the tour was a bit corny and also, the jail is for sale which was a bit weird because at the end they tried to market the jail to the tourists. I don't think I will be back and I don't recommend spending money on this tour. Visit the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia instead. read more

The jail is open daily with the exception of Wednesday from 12:00 to 4:30 with tours starting about every fifteen minutes from Memorial Day until Labor Day and then weekends only until the end of October. Prices are currently $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors over 65, $4.00 for children 6-12 and kids under 6 are free plus they do accept credit. My fellow Yelper Aaron T. has his facts wrong regarding children under 12 not being allowed. Aside of the three ghost tour nights in October, children 12 and under are allowed at all times hence why they sell a ticket for that age range. Parking like everywhere in JT is a real SOB. If you get there for the first tour then things may not be so bad but especially on a weekend you might have a bit of a hike as the jail only has a small lot and then after that you're fighting with the locals for their very limited spaces. The tour itself is very, very short. You're given a brief speech in what was the warden's living room and then you are taken to the second floor to see where the warden's family lived, their bathroom (complete with the story that there was a guard posted in there at all times including when the family or warden was taking care of business), the main cell block, the women's cells and the dungeon. I didn't time the tour but maybe it was around 20-25 minutes at the most as our young guide spoke very fast and kept us moving along at a brisk pace. After the tour concludes in front of the reproduction of the gallows where some of the Molly Maguires were hung you are allowed to roam freely anywhere except for the dungeon but including the infamous cell #17 with the hand print which is the only thing in the jail that you cannot take a picture of. Overall is the tour worth it? I suppose as a one time gimmick to say that you did it but there truly is no reason to ever have to go back a second time and in terms of believing in any ghosts or the hand print I'll use the infamous quote of former warden Charles Neast who said, "You don't believe it. I don't believe it. But there it is!" read more

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Visiting this place ruined our trip to Jim Thorpe. My group went to the Old Jail for one of the Saturday night ghost tours. We were excited to learn about the history of the jail and have the opportunity to walk around and potentially catch some "ghost orbs" on camera. After waiting two hours in the cold, we were seated in a room to watch a presentation about the history and ghosts of the jail. The presentation was filled with grammatical errors and was difficult to follow because of the terrible cadence of the narrator. After the ten minute video we were led out into the main jail area to begin the tour. It seemed that the tour leader was trying to convince herself as well as the group of the existence of ghosts in jail. The whole jail was decorated with tacky Halloween decorations that distracted from the gravity of the fact that men suffered and died in this place. After hearing a couple of the ghost stories, we were given a few minutes to explore the area. There was a man with a mask hiding in one of the cells that popped out and frightened a couple of people trying to take pictures of the cells. He then came out and was following people around the open area. We we not made aware that this tour would have jump scares, and it was not included in any of the advertisements. After that we were on our guard as we were led into the solitary confinement cells in the basement because we were not interested in being scared by teenagers in cheap costumes. A new tour guide told us the stories of the solitary confinement cells, but her disinterested tone and poorly rehearsed script fell flat. Most of our 20 person group decided to get shut into one of the cells in complete darkness during the "exploration time." After a couple minutes in the cell, the lights were flicked back on and a girl dressed up like "the ring" character was standing in the middle of the cell. This caused one member of our group to have a panic attack and have to rush out of the Old Jail with another member of our group. Again THERE WAS NO INFORMATION ABOUT JUMP SCARES OR PEOPLE IN COSTUMES IN ANY OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR THIS ATTRACTION. That is NOT why we wanted to take this tour. We continued to the final (outside) spot of the tour without them, but the experience was completely ruined because we were so concerned about our group member. The final tour guide had affected the character of the "guy who's too cool to think ghosts are real" and gave a half-hearted retelling of a ghost story while complaining about how cold it was. Luckily, the person in costume for this spot seemed to realize that we were not in the mood to be approached and took his mask off to hang out by the fence. There wasn't much more to explore after that and we were not interested in taking pictures or visiting the gift shop since we wanted to get to our group member who experienced the panic attack. After we left, we were discussing the tour and realized that several of us had been touched on the shoulder while we were in the solitary confinement cell. WE DID NOT SIGN ANY WAIVERS THAT PERMITTED PEOPLE TO TOUCH US WHILE ON THE TOUR AS WE WERE NOT INFORMED THAT THERE WOULD BE "ACTORS" POPPING OUT AND TOUCHING US. This tour is a lawsuit waiting to happen. If our group member had reacted with a punch instead of a panic attack, what would happened? We are so disappointed because this was the last thing we did in Jim Thorpe and it left a terrible impression. It's as though the owners did everything they could to cheapen the tour experience. If you are traveling to Jim Thorpe DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY ON THE OLD JAIL MUSEUM - ESPECIALLY THE GHOST TOUR. read more

We visited with my 90yr old father who couldn't do the stairs to solitary. Vince couldn't have been more helpful or more engaged with making sure my dad had a great experience!! He stayed with my dad, pretty much giving him a private tour, and answering any question he had. The Old Jail, for obvious reasons, is not ADA compatible but Vince made sure my dad stayed safe and comfortable, throughout!! read more

This weekend was the first time we visited the Old Jail in Jim Thorpe. We took our daughter and her friend to see it. When we arrived the tour was starting in twenty minutes. The price to get in there was pretty decent. When they called the time of the tour there was a little confusion about are time slot. Which in the end it worked out for our group. They seat you in a room to wait for your tour guide. Our tour guide was a young sweet girl she was phenomenal also she had a trainee with her learning the skills. She spoke very clearly and loud so you can hear her. Always stop and asked if anyone had questions. I am mad at myself because I can't remember her name. When you walked thru your body gets tingles learning the history behind the jail. The dungeon was super creepy but also cool. Cell block 17 is the one cell that you want to see. It is amazing how the hand print is still on the wall from years ago. Very cool experience. It's sad to see the jail is up for sale. I hope whoever buys the jail keeps it the same way as it is . I hope it goes into good hands. read more

Old Jail Museum - Very cool experience!!!! - Museums Near Me - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

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We enjoyed the tour. The tour guides were young, so it seemed like everything was spoken from memorization. Overall they were good. The old jail is super creepy and I love getting creeped out, so this was just my thing. Learning about the Molly Maguires and the gruesome history of coal mines was interesting. read more

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Visited and stayed in Jim Thorpe this past weekend. Loved this cute little town! MUST VISIT overall. The Jail is def something to do in the town. It's not expensive at all and the tour was pretty cool. We went on Saturday and the parking was fine, they have a tiny parking lot next to the jail but I can def see it getting full. We got there around 12:30pm for the 1pm tour. The dungeons are def creepy as hell! And as we walked into the main cell block I SWEAR I felt someone or something touch my shoulder, I got the chills and I looked back and nothing. Totally creep out!! A lot of history though. It's def worth it. read more

I just want to say that if you happen to get a tour guide who isn't the most enthusiastic or knowledgable about the jail and its history, don't fret --- you will get your seven dollars worth. This is because after the guide finishes the book-report-style babble, you will be free to explore the jail (however the jail is small, but that's ok because it IS a jail, meaning it's dark, damp, depressing, etc.) on your own, and read the bits of information placed about the walls at your own pace (you will not be able to enter the dungeon on your own - darn!) The history of this place is as black as the coal that made this town rich once, and I suggest checking out the Asa Packer mansion too (for ten bucks) to see the golden splendor in which the town's king and queen once resided, up on the hill looking over the gallows. read more

Old Jail Museum - Poor Irish can't catch a break in this town! (Magnet on the fridge in jail kitchen) - Museums Near Me - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

The tour itself was great. However they have signs all over saying "no loud kids" and to remove yourself if your kids begin to act up. our tour had one family that was disruptive to the point we could not hear what our tour guide was saying. Nobody intervened and the other 15-20 people wanting the tour missed out on a lot. very disappointing. read more

Pretty intriguing tour. I'm a sucker for historical landmarks, especially if it involves a murder mystery. Sarah, the tour guide, was very good. She was very informative and spoke clearly. The tour was $6 each (for adults) and about 30-45 mins long. We visited the wardens section of the jail, the jail cells for men, jail section for the women, the dungeon and the hanging gallows. The top floor, that had the watch tower, was closed off due to the old stairs being a safety hazard. One of the employees said they're trying to raise money for restoration so they can open that up for tours in the future. She also showed us a photo a visitor sent in two weeks ago that was taken last year. It was a photo of the dungeon which caught a strange and very creepy face in the background. She said it may be Fisher, who was the man that left the handprint on the cell wall. I doubt the photo could be messed with since it was developed from film. Creepy! It was an overall informative, cool and slightly creepy tour. I just wished it was longer or at least all sections were opened up. I like that they didn't mess with the original details too much, except for areas that had to be restored. Don't miss this if you're in town. read more

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The experience was OK. I definitely feel like it could have been better.. the tour wasn't spectacular. It started by putting you in a room with hand made posters.. The high schoolers definitely don't want to be there. Its very memorized. Pretty sure they forgot part of the tour itself, (the visiting room) the tour could be updated to make it more exciting.... its interesting to see, but I don't think I'd go back "to jail". Didnt like how alot of the 'facts' were theories....? read more

The Old Jail tour was interesting and quick. Good as an extra piece to tack onto your Jim Thorpe visit, but definitely not a stand-alone reason to visit the town. Tour guides are young and not necessarily good with public speaking, but have interesting information to share and can be understood. On my visit we heard from two tour guides, both of whom spoke a little too fast and stumbled over their words frequently. However they were friendly and humorous and well-versed in the information they shared. Adult prices were $6 each at the time of my visit and my family and I felt it worth the tour. Sadly there was no discount for college students. read more

Old Jail Museum - The gallows within the prison. - Museums Near Me - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

Great tour to see old style corrections. Tour guide, Carson, was very knowledgeable and helpful. Amazing thing is they used it until 1995! read more

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I visited this place over a decade ago, and it left an incredibly lasting impression on me. The tour was so memorable, that years after, when I visited Alcatraz, I was tempted to recommend they took some pointers from the Old Jail Museum. A must visit attraction, that is in light of our recent immigration policies, is especially relevant. read more

Reviews warn that the tour guides are young, but OMG our tour guide was 12 years old! Seriously, not what I paid for. He knew little about the jail except his memorized speech. He was unable to answer questions and guessed at the answers. The tour was disorganized and short. The video before the tour was unclear and difficult to understand. The posters look like a middle school project. This tour was not worth $10 per person. Don't waste your time!! Customer service was rude. I requested a tour by someone with more experience and was denied. I was told "they bought the jail not the jail records". Maybe they should do a little research before they charge for guided tours. So unprofessional. Very disappointed. read more

For a fun experience this was the place for my Dad , sister & I. They are really into these things. The history behind the jail is really interesting. I love everything was kept the same. You can take pics in the dungeon where they held a lot of the people. It's dark and mysterious as you walk with a guide tour. They def deliver on the environment. They really get you in the spooky mood. It was fun and we ended getting a cool shirt at the end as a suvinor saying I was in Jim Thorpe jail. We also took some cool pics in the dungeon and may have seen a ghost!! read more

Creepy fun for teens! Kids enjoyed the tour and tails of attempted escapes and Molly Maquire hangings. Younger kids may be a little scared of solitary confinement down in the dungeon basement as its really dark but our teens loved it! Good way to pass a rainy hour. read more

Old Jail Museum - Gallows - Museums Near Me - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania