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Location
Parking
Downtown metered parking, County Parking Lot behind train station (off Rt 209, 5 walkable blocks away), church lot across street (when available), small lot reserved for elderly/handicapped/disabled only (up driveway). Street parking on West Broadway by permit only ($50 ticket). Cannot accommodate buses, large vehicles, campers, extended pickups, or vehicles with trailers.
Accessibility
Limited accessibility due to historic nature of 150-year-old building. All entrances require steps. Main cell block and Cell #17 require steps to access. Second floor and dungeon accessible by stairs only. Back entrance available with fewer steps (4 steps total). Staff can hold doors but cannot provide physical assistance. Video presentation available outside on fair weather days for visitors unable to enter.
Best time
Arrive early or visit on weekday mornings to secure a tour spot. Tours are first-come, first-served with no advance reservations and typically sell out by 3pm on weekends, with a maximum of 25-30 guests per tour.
About Old Jail Museum
Historic jailhouse now open for tours. Dating from 1871, this 2-story jailhouse delves into the history of past inmates on its tours.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Historic Jail Museum
- Main Attraction
- Mysterious handprint in Cell #17 that cannot be removed
- Historic Significance
- Site of controversial Molly Maguires trials and executions (1877-1879)
- Admission
- Adults $13, Children (5-12) $7, purchased in person
What visitors say
It is $13 and adult, tour is under an hour. The tour starts out, showing a ten-minute movie, telling the history of the museum. Got to see the handprint on the wall in cell #17, they however don’t allow you to take pictures of the…
My boyfriend and I came here on opening day 2026 and enjoyed the informative tour of the jail and the history behind it. The tour guide was friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the jail, having worked there for six years. The…
I was honestly surprised by how impactful this experience was — I went in expecting something pretty average, but it turned out to be fascinating. The tour begins with a video that has you wondering where it’s going, but by the end,…
From 1,408 Google reviews Read all reviews
Did You Know?
- The Old Jail Museum features Cell #17 with a mysterious handprint on the wall that has become one of the museum's most intriguing attractions, though visitors are not permitted to photograph it
- Dating from 1871, this 2-story jailhouse served as the execution site for the Molly Maguires, a significant event in labor and mining history that is featured prominently in the museum's historical narrative
- The museum preserves 27 original prison cells from its 150-year history, along with basement dungeon cells dedicated to solitary confinement, the warden's quarters, and the original gallows
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