My family loved this!!! Just letting everyone know it is a bit scary. The museum had lots of detail and the staff was nice! Super interactive! 5 stars!!!! My kids went to jail..... JK read more

It was super interesting. The museum portion is very well done. Super informative without too much information to absorb. Loved that they have a quiz you can take to find the answers. Really helped keep my daughter and I engaged in the content. We had a great tour guide who wrote a more in depth book. He was entertaining, kept things moving. The short film is also a good introduction. Even at the end of February, the sun was fierce. Wish we would have brought hats and water. I have forgotten how dry it can be. While it wasn't hot, the sun felt unrelenting. Highly recommend stopping and enjoying the site. A great piece of American history. read more

It's an interesting place to check out. It was 10 bucks to get in which isn't too bad. There is some interesting history. It has nice views of the river. It doesn't take very long to check out the whole place. read more

Yuma Territorial Prison State Historical Park - Train bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Yuma, Arizona

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A fun piece of history and right off the freeway. Just $10 and parking is free. Sits above the Colorado River and the riparian area. Worth a stop. Lots of interesting stories. Housed women and men. Used as a high school and during the depression as well as a lookout during WW2 read more

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Yuma is a nice break back to OC and visiting the Yuma Territorial Prison was a delight! Such an eye-opening experience about prison life and those who endured its effects. The museum has a good collection of artifacts and information on people who were incarcerated. Exploring the grounds gives a frightening glimpse into the life of the prisoners. The visit to this historical park is so worth it! read more

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Visited this place and I like there was a quiz, more like a game where the answer lies within the prison and museums. It think it was a great idea because without it many of us would not learn as much about the prison and it's prisoners. There was a place where you can take a picture of yourself as a prisoner, or go into the cell and see the metal bunk bed, or go into the dark cell or go up to the guard tower to look at the surrounding areas. This place is full of history from the time you enter through the gates . A place to visit while in Yuma. read more

This place was a random stop off while my husband was on a business trip. I'm so glad that I stopped! Museum is very informative and easily accessible. The guard tower isn't ADA accessible but everything else should be just fine. Plenty of things to learn about its history, and admission is only $10 for adults :) read more

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AZ 01-2024 Historical Yuma Territorial Prison - Tony and I just had to visit here! My daddy was such a western maniac that we were raised breathing, eating and living western knowledge so Yuma was a given on my list !!! Tony thinks I'm nuts but I don't care !! The Prison only cost $10 each to do a self guided tour at your own pace. Enter a d exiting via the gift shop. The museum recommends you start with a short 9 minute film that loops, it's very informative! The Prison is only a small percentage of its original size when it closed in 1909. If you're in the area you should definitely go check it out! I highly recommend it. read more

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A very interesting and historical place. I'm very happy they keep this up for all of us to visit and remember. Highly recommended if in the area. read more

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Very educational site. Do take a guided tour if it works for your schedule, well worth it. We arrived about 15 minutes before a tour was to begin, perfect to look at the museum before we set out with the docent. Our tour guide was smartly dressed in a period costume and has an unbelievable memory for names, dates and events (see photo). He had a little amplified speaker with him which helped those of us often in the back of the crowd. He was both interesting and entertaining. Much of the structure is lost, but I really enjoyed seeing what still remains. They've done a great job cleaning the place up, and even have some nice exhibits in a few of the cells (see photo). Do not be afraid of the dark cell, it's worth being in the dark for a few minutes! read more

Yuma Territorial Prison State Historical Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Yuma, Arizona

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This is a great little stop! It offers really interesting information and it's wild to think people stayed out in this heat. It was so cool learning about its history. We were bummed the movie theater wasn't working but the audio was still good to listen to. read more

This place so cool! Everyone that works there is so knowledgeable and friendly. It is hard to imagine how the inmates dealt with the elements because there were only gates as doors. The Museum and video was awesome. It was great to walk among the cells. There is a dark cell where inmates were chained to the floor and there are even bats still living in there. If you like a bit of history this place is a must! read more

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Lots of cool information! We stopped here on our way back from Arizona. It was interesting and there were lots of artifacts to give you a sense of what it was like back when the prison was open. Staff was very nice, and had a good assortment of things at the gift shop. Definitely recommend stopping here if you're in the area! read more

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If you're in Yuma for a couple days, or even if you're just passing thru, it's genuinely a cool spot to check out. Great views, great history. Tag team this with a trip to Lutes Casino and you've got a solid day in town. read more

This was an informative experience and the interactive nature of it was cool. Though it was small there was a lot to look at and the audio from the different cells was interesting. The gift shop was cute too. Definitely stop by if you haven't been before. read more

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Lots of local history to learn here on this self guided tour. Not somewhere to frequent , but definitely worth learning about. There's no elevator for the guard tower, but handicap accessible ground level museum. read more

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Had a little bit of time and this was the perfect way to spend it. You could spend a hour or two there and feel more knowledgeable than you were before. It is a self guided tour but there are staff around that give you additional history. The museum has a cool video about how the prison came to be in Yuma as well as photos, artifacts, and information about the inmates. You also get a cool view of the river and the Ocean to Ocean highway. The staff were friendly and welcoming. If you are driving thru or staying there for a bit, highly recommend you check this out. read more

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This museum and semi-interactive experience is enjoyable and educational. The museum displays giving insight into the lives and crimes of the former incarcerated was backed up by touchscreen displays that delved further into the aspects of the crimes committed, their time in prison, and lives afterwards. Walking through the cell yard you'll get the occasional "hey you" from a cell followed up with a verbal retelling of a prisoner's experience. read more

Very cool historical prison! Pretty interesting to see how inmates were kept back in the day, like three bunkbeds high. And then there's the scary dark room. You can also look on the prison cell walls, or people from the great depression, migrated through there. Quite a fascinating experience, definitely worth your time. read more

Learning about how Yuma was what they call the gate to western civilization was pretty awesome

I was in Yuma for dental work and went here to explore. I found it so interesting but my favorite part was the volunteers there were so kind, knowledgeable and passionate about sharing the history. Thank you! read more

If you're visiting Yuma please check it out. Really cool place to see! The only down side is the heat from Arizona lol but other than that come on take a chance and be a tourist. I was curious how was the prison was and wow it's crazy lol.... it's small but lots to see and you can actually see the cell block and actually go inside one. And the yard not that expensive. And something to do read more

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Friendly staff. Cool quick little stop on a day date with my wife. Not a whole lot to see so doesn't take long to see it all

The old West was no picnic, but imagine being in prison. Imagine sitting under the Arizona sun, in 120f heat in what can only be described as an oven. You don't have to imagine it. You can visit one of America's first prisons. The Yuma Territorial Prison has been preserved beautifully for everyone to enjoy. There, you can learn about some of the worst law breakers in the U.S. history. You can walk inside of the prisons' solitary confinement cell called the Dark Cell, the only light you got was a hole in the ceiling used for ventilation. The cell looks more cave than a cell. The experience is a memorable one, if you enjoy history or law and order, you must visit the Yuma Territorial Prison. read more

Great staff. Knowledgeable volunteers at the museum. Quite entertaining and informative.

This is a great place for kids and adults. The sign says no pets, but if you carry them they are allowed. Allow at least 1 hour to see everything. Lots to read and lots to see. Photo opportunity to get a Mug Shot. read more

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For some reason we love to visit old historical prisons. We've been to Alcatraz in San Francisco and Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. Both were super cool. Yuma Territorial Prison was small but cool as well. It was so different and full of interesting history and peoples lives. We got to see and go inside cells, go up in the guard tower, get great views of the Yuma Ocean to Ocean Hwy bridge and visit the prison cemetery below. Worth an hour or so visit. Give it a try since there's not a lot to do in Yuma. read more

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Such an awesome visit. Well worth spending, even spent as little as one hour. Lots of history and learning opportunities through out the park. The dark room, eery yet intriguing. Look up towards the back, especially the left corner, bats are know to be taking a snooze. Harmless. Very vaccinating place. 8$ per adult to get in. read more

Yuma Territorial Prison State Historical Park - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Yuma, Arizona

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I liked visiting here. I like history and law enforcement so this was up my alley. Interesting history at this place. Plenty to read up on and then try to envision it all, as it was, in the past. We visited the inmate cemetery at the foot of the hill and that was interesting also as it's just piles of stone to mark the graves. The gift shop was quaint. A $10 entrance fee (military discount is available) is worth the price and preservation of this history. read more

Such a great glimpse into the past. Grounds are well maintained. The signs provide a fair amount of information. With as hot as it was the day we went to visit, I cannot even imagine how they dealt with the heat back in the day. If you haven't visited this, I would recommend it. read more

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Great history for the Yuma valley. The past is what put us here and will continue to be a shiney spot for locals.

The COVID-19 pandemic has this park closed at the moment. We walked around the area and visited the old cemetery with no names on the grave sites. Despite the pandemic they should open up the prison and allow only a certain number of people inside at a time. read more

Yuma Territorial Prison State Historical Park - COVID-19 old cemetery was open - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Yuma, Arizona

We were in Yuma for the day and looked up the top things to do and this came in on top. The Yuma Territorial Prison is near Old Yuma-the historical district in downtown. You walk up to the entrance with a nice view of a river and wooded area below. There are bike/walking trails winding along the river with lots of folks enjoying the day. You enter and pay in the gift shop. There are lots of interesting goodies for people to purchase-the expected t-shirts, shot glasses and toys but also fun looking hot sauces and flasks complete with the logo of the prison. They give you a map and show you the basic layout and you are out the back door on your way. The yard is a well kept lawn with large trees and a buckboard under one. You have a great view of the old train bridge from here. There is a timeline of the prison to give you an overview of its history. The next structure is the guard tower that was built over the water tank. The tank was built into the ground to keep the water cooler and the wooden guard tower was built right over it. It doesn't look that high but with the river valley lower than the prison grounds, you get a good view of the area from the tower. In WWII, it was used as a spotter tower. After the guard tower, you pass through the sally port. The sally port is a strong structure with thick metal locks. This is the entrance to the area of the prison where the inmates were kept. Next are the cell blocks. The cells were not large barely fitting two bunk beds with beds stacked 3 high for the 6 inmates that shared a cell. There were numerous cells in the main cell block and then more in the lockdown cells. The yard was fairly small and I couldn't imagine how the inmates could spend their time in it. The prison was toted for being advanced with sanitation, including baths and showers, a ventilation system to keep the inmates cool in the 125 degree days of Yuma's summers and a library. They even had a band. One of the most interesting parts of the museum was the details about the individual inmates-including the many women prisoners housed here. The crimes committed included adultery and something called seduction-which we thought may be a nice way to say prostitution. The Yuma Territorial Prison would take at least a couple hours to really look at all the exhibits. It is an excellent museum and I highly recommend it. read more

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The Territorial Prison was the primary reason why made Yuma a stopover. Guess what, not only was this a very informative exhibit but the Yuma area wasn't too bad either. We stopped by in January and the temperature was in the mid 70s. This park/museum is not the largest by any means but it's nicely curated and there were many interesting prison stories to learn about. I recommend watching their history movie and reading each one of their prisoner profiles. - The Dark Cell still smells like crap. - The Dark Cell is also home to bats. - If you're coming in from California know that there may be a time change. This caused us to miss this place on our first night in town. They close 4:30 Arizona time. - Some of the Jewelry is made by Yuma locals. - Gift shop is pretty affordable for a gift shop. - If you're staying in a local hotel, look for the tourist brochures for this park. There is a dollar off each adult coupon... read more

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This park was awesome. It costs $8 to visit for adults. It's conveniently located near the California and Arizona border, right off the I-8 freeway. There is ample parking onsite. You enter through the gift shop and the staff was very friendly. The place is kind of surreal. All of the original cell doors and block structures that are still there are as they were. You can walk in the solitary confinement "dark room." I honestly got a very weird, weak and jittery feeling in there. There's a lot of history here and they had a lot of original artifacts and even the bunk beds were still in the cells. On the other side of the parking lot was the cemetery, where I think 104/111 of the prisoners that died on the property are buried. There are the dirt mounds with rocks that have been there since the prison was functional. You can walk through the cemetery, but be respectful. Other than the mounds, none of the graves are marked. Overall, I'd even come back here additional times because the history was really neat. Most of it is outdoors and unshaded, and it will be hot in the summer. We stayed for about an hour and, if we slowed down we could have easily spent 2+ hours exploring the grounds and reading about the history here. read more

This place closes at 4p, even though Google and Yelp say 5p. We drove from L.A. for 3.5 hours and got there at 3:30p thinking we'd have 1.5 hours. Turns out it was only 30 mins left. Since we are leaving back to CA early tomorrow, I asked if I could buy tickets anyway, so we have a chance to see it. I explained our situation and the incorrect closing time advertised. Despite my plea, they wouldn't even give us a chance to purchase. It was very disappointing, especially because I can't find anything else to do in Yuma to make our stay worth it. read more

so much history to learn! It was so cool to walk around and learn about not only the people, but historical buildings there!

An easy exit from I-8 and plenty of parking. The entrance is well posted and after a brief description of the area from an employee with a map, I walked the entire property. I enjoyed the self guided tour. The place was free of trash, not crowed given the type of season. Something very cool to write off the small bucket list. read more

Amazing. Had a great time here learning about the history. The staff was super friendly and informational. Got to go in the dark cell and even in the cemetery- very eery feeling in those two spots for sure. The museum has a really well made documentary played on a loop. So glad Yuma came together to keep this place up. It's a must visit if you're in town. read more

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It was a good experience the staff and Tourguides are pretty.cool and they like to crack jokes over a awesome experience . read more