Life as a prisoner is not for me. There's a friendly attendant at the entrance to guide you and give info annoy the jail. Very interesting especially for my hubby and his friend. read more

Squirrel Cage Jail - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Council Bluffs, Iowa

This is a one of a kind place worth visiting. It was a revolving prison that was used from 1885 to 1969. It had 3 floors of pie-shaped cells inside a cage. The fourth floor was where the jailer and his family lived. The staff were very nice and knowledgeable about the place. This is not free but your $10 is definitely worth it. Their small gift shop (also were you check in) has shirts, pins, and magnets. This is walking distance from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum which is also another place to see in Council Bluffs. read more

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Chances are that the Squirrel Cage Jail is unlike anything you have seen before... There were only 18 revolving/rotary jailhouses ever built -- and only 3 of them still remain as museums. Additionally, this one in Council Bluffs, Iowa was the only 3-story structure of this type. Built in 1885, it functioned as a county jail until 1969. You will enjoy visiting this unique place! read more

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Found this place in an effort to get out of the cold. It's right next door to the train museum so we got to kill two birds with one stone. We took the self guided tour. They gave us a handout to explain the rooms and history. You can walk into some of the cells and rooms. read more

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We were in Omaha for a wedding this weekend and since we didn't have to be there til the late afternoon we decided to kill some time by coming to check this place out- and I'm totally glad we did! The admission is only ten bucks, and it's a pretty cool old piece of history to check out and learn all about! Plus the staff was super duper friendly, i definitely recommend this place read more

Squirrel Cage Jail - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Council Bluffs, Iowa

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An interesting place to go. We were looking for something to see with the family. We all left talking about it through dinner.

Fun for the family. I think everyone could fine this place interesting. I can't wait to bring friends and family here. The whole experience was great. We went on a weekend. It wasn't very busy. We parked and paid in the courthouse lot. read more

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This was a very interesting site. The jail was the safest jail setup. It did not have an escape the entire time it was in operation. It was a multilevel jail in the heart of downtown Council Bluffs. The staff are friendly and the concept of a squirrel cage design was very progressive. The cost to tour is $7 per person and it was interesting enough to give it a try... read more

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I was very interested in scoping out the history of this type of jail and getting a feel for how the prisoners lived. You can move in and out of the jail cells and read all about the cases that put the most notorious criminals behind bars, along with their pictures- some of which are really creepy. I had hoped to sense something in the air from a disembodied spirit... and while exploring the 2nd floor and walking very slowly, I did feel my legs wobble a bit, like they were unsteady. The two docents really made this place special by making sure I got my fill of interesting historical tidbits and making sure I was enjoying myself. -Stef in L.A. read more

THIS IS A MUST STOP. If you are ever close to Omaha, NE, you have to try to come and see this jail. If you like unusual buildings and architecture, this is worth a dedicated trip to see. Officially it is called the Pottawattamie County Jail built in 1885. they say 18 were built and only 3 remain in the world. It cost $30,000 then which is about $650,000 today. It is a rotary jail. The entire jail is on a turntable. A jailer turns the squirrel cage where all the prisoners are by a hand crank. It takes 5 min to rotate the whole cage one revolution. There is only one opening out of the cage so the prisoners can only come out one at a time at each of 3 levels. Its like a toothpick dispenser with a hole. They put up to 6 people in an area no larger than a small walk in closet. Totally fascinating and its a very "dark "place to visit. You can feel the gloom and depression that must have been rampant there. No wonder it's popular at Halloween. read more

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We went to visit the squirrel cage prison today and found it very interesting. It is one of four remaining in the US. It's fascinating as we learned the design was intended, so that a single person could operate the prison. The prison could house up to 2 people. As for the facility, it can become cramped with smaller passages, so I would not suggest it if you were claustrophobic. Today there was a docent staff of 4 people and the woman who gave us the tour was very nice. She was knowledgable and made the trip enjoyable. The cover charger was $7 per adult which goes toward the preservation and maintenance of the facility. For me, one of the interesting highlights was the solitary confinement cell. It is basically closet space with bars. The prisoner was forced to stand up the entire time when in solitary. read more

So unique!! We went during a haunted tour and our guide was so knowledgeable about the history. I want to go back in the daytime and read the articles posted around the jail. If you get the show ghost adventures you may want to watch their episode about this jail before going!! If you aren't a laid back museum goer this may not be thrilling enough of a place for you. read more

This place was so much fun! I love learning about true crime so this was right up my alley. Our guide was a retired cop who had great stories to tell us. The tour was awesome, getting to see the original writings from criminals in their cells was so cool. It was pretty creepy and scary too. I truly enjoyed my experience and would recommend it to anyone! read more

Yes this is a major attraction for our small town here. It is located next to the city police offices and courts in downtown CB, The city just has also updated the park a block away for a real nice afternoon stroll once you visit the jail. read more

This jail is amazing to check out, I cannot believe human beings could do that to other human beings! It's really something everyone should go see at least once. read more

This was $14 for two to tour. Very interesting concept (rotary jail). Tight quarters and you need to go up and down very narrow metal staircases. The speaking portion of the tour is very short and then you proceed on your own. You can read about some of the people who were jailed there. The jailer quarters are small and near to the prisoners, so I imagine it was very noisy for him. What we noticed was a strong, lingering scent of urine from years gone by...probably from poor sanitation and whatever the prisoners did to annoy the staff...ick! Sadly, there is a detention area for minors who had no place to go. read more

I visited the squirrel Cage Jail On October 25, 2013. It was an amazing experience. I can only imagine what the prisoners had to go through back then. It makes you count your blessings each and every day. It was a really creepy place. I took loads of pictures. Some people have found images of people in their photos. I hope I don't find any when I review my pics. I will be visiting Council Bluffs, Iowa again next month and I plan to take my 21 year old nephew on the tour. read more

Went to visit and it was interesting enough to say i was happy i went. Ive enjoyed going to musiums and such but some are just not worth it. this was and i was glad i saw it. It's a part of history that has developed our society. read more

We were lucky enough to get to help out with a fundraiser. I had no idea this place existed before this year. It's an amazing piece of unique history. I recommend it and the near by park to anyone passing through. read more

Great, interesting history right here. Ive spent a number of hours reading history and visiting the place multiple times.