Visitor Guide

Missouri State Penitentiary

- Explore the oldest prison west of the Mississippi River -

Decommissioned in 2004, the Missouri State Penitentiary was the oldest continually operating prison west of the Mississippi. When the prison opened its doors in 1836, the Battle of the Alamo was occurring in Texas, and Andrew Jackson was in the second term of his presidency. Governor John Miller's recommendation to build a state prison was the reason Jefferson City remained Missouri's capital, and it played an instrumental role in both the city and state's development. The prison was nearly 100 years old by the time Alcatraz began taking inmates. The MSP operated for 168 years before decommissioning in 2004. Today, educational history and paranormal tours showcase the prison’s grisly past and the evolution of the state's penal system. Explore historic housing units, cells of the prison's most infamous inmates, and the gas chamber where 39 men and one woman were executed. Voted the #1 Jefferson City activity on TripAdvisor, this historic site is worth the tour!

The History of the Missouri State Penitentiary

Free with your tour admission!

Missouri State Penitentiary Museum

Missouri State Penitentiary Museum

In conjunction with the Missouri State Penitentiary tours, the museum provides additional historical information about the famous prison that operated for 168 years. The museum houses MSP memorabilia and a replica cell that demonstrates the living conditions at the prison. 

The museum is located in the lower level of the Col. Darwin W. Marmaduke House at 700 E. Capitol Avenue.

Admission is $2 per person (or free with the purchase of a prison tour).

Museum Hours of Operation:
Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

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