For just $8 the Old Idaho State Penitentiary offers guided and self-guided tours for visitors and school field trips. If you lived in Idaho during Elementary School, you probably remember those rows of haunting prison cells. Horror stories are told about the living conditions and treatment these inmates had to undergo. Plagued by years of history, this prison has been around since it was built in 1870 and was closed to inmates in 1973. With over 100 deaths, ten being executions, it is easy to see why this place would seem haunted.
So, that then begs the question, what are the places that make this penitentiary haunted? According to the official website of the Old Idaho State penitentiary, Cell Block 5 and their Solitary Confinement Block are their more active buildings. Prisoners used to call Solitary Confinement “Siberia” possibly referencing when Russia would exile people to Siberia. Both visitors and guides report feelings of dread, have heard footsteps in empty rooms, and even seen full body apparitions at the old penitentiary.
Hailey Corgiat, Freshman and regular visitor to the Old State Penitentiary said, “I think the old penitentiary is cool and interesting. They have a whole room dedicated to history that is probably the size of a classroom. And if you walk around, you will get even more history.” Hailey also thinks that the old prison is haunted and explains a theory where a cat that used to live with the prisoners died and still haunts the property.
Freshman Kabella Riddle talks about her theories around the Old Idaho State Penitentiary, Riddle said, “One of my theories is that with the number of deaths in the penitentiary it is most likely there are going to be residual energies in the building. I personally haven’t been there yet, but I really think it’s haunted because I’ve researched and they said they have had around 129 deaths at the old penitentiary and it’s a very high possibility that it is haunted, in my opinion.”
The old penitentiary has a history of fire which burns the walls of this prison. In 1973 a riot broke out and burned most of the lunchroom in the old penitentiary. Now, cables are seen holding the walls of this historic building together. Freshman Parker Myler shares his theories on the fire, “I think that the guards treated the prisoners very poorly because they made them do lots of work, and the prisoners revolted. The guards must have been very bad to make the prisoners burn the place on fire.” Parker then admitted to being fascinated by the history of the penitentiary ever since his first visit when he was little.
What was once a feared state prison, is now a home to history and maybe even ghosts. Do all those people who died still haunt this penitentiary, forever trapped for their crimes? Or maybe just a museum with a tragic history scorched in its walls. However, the fact of it being haunted or not is up to you.
