8 abandoned former prisons in the US that you can visit

Here are 8 eerie, abandoned prisons around the US and the stories behind them.

Eastern State Penitentiary — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Prisoners were kept in complete solitude at all times until overcrowding became a problem in 1913. Even when prisoners left their cells, guards would cover their heads so they couldn't see anyone, and no one could see them.

Ohio State Reformatory — Mansfield, Ohio

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One of the mostviolent incidentsthat occurred at the prison was the kidnapping and killing of an employee's wife and daughter, which was carried out by two parolees in 1948. Two years later, the warden's wife was shot dead by a gun that fell on the floor as she was picking up a jewelry case. Years later, the warden himself died of a heart attack in his office. One inmate reportedly killed his cellmate and then stuffed his body under a bunk. The prison now offers tours, and tour guides and visitors alike say they can still hear the warden and his wife having conversations.

Parts of the 1993 movie "The Shawshank Redemption" were filmed on site.

Fort Delaware — Delaware City, Delaware

Fort Delaware was built in 1859 as a Union Fortress during the Civil War, but was used as a prison for captured Confederate soldiers. It held as many as

The fortress was abandoned in 1944 and became a state park in 1951. Ghost tours are available on the isolated island, which is only accessible by ferry.

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Alcatraz Island — San Francisco, California

The US army built a fortress on Alcatraz Island in 1850 for protection during the California Gold Rush and began holding political and military prisoners there in the late 1850s. These prisoners built a new facility from 1909 to 1911 that was taken over by the

West Virginia Penitentiary — Moundsville, West Virginia

West Virginia Penitentiary was built by prisoners in 1866. The cells were five by seven feet, and the facility held 1,000 prisoners during the 1960s. Until the state of West Virginia abolished capital punishment in 1965, 85 inmates were hanged and nine were executed by electric chair, which the prisoners called "Old Sparky."

The prison was closed by a court order in 1995 due to inhumane conditions and is open to visitors today. Various movies, television shows, and documentaries have filmed on location.

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Pottawattamie County Jail — Council Bluffs, Iowa

Wyoming Territorial Prison — Laramie, Wyoming

Built in 1872, Wyoming Territorial Prison held hardened criminals of the wild west including Butch Cassidy during its operation. It began as a federal prison when it first opened, then became

Penitentiary of New Mexico — Santa Fe, New Mexico

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