Missouri State Penitentiary

Missouri State Penitentiary

Missouri State Penitentiary
5
About
The Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) opened in 1836 along the banks of the Missouri River in Jefferson City, Missouri, the state capital. The prison housed inmates for 168 years and was the oldest continually operating prison west of the Mississippi until it was decommissioned in 2004. The prison was already 100 years old when Alcatraz began taking inmates.The Jefferson City Convention & Visitors Bureau now offers a wide variety of tours at the site, once named the "The bloodiest 47 acres in America" by Time magazine. Visitors can choose to take a History or Ghost Tour, among others, and will walk through several incredibly historic housing units, the vast upper yard of the property and the gas chamber, where 40 men and women were executed. The tour also showcases cells of infamous inmates such as Sonny Liston, and James Earl Ray, who escaped from MSP before assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. Tour Season runs March - November each year. Tour Season: March - November
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
The area
Address
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Marie S
    O'Fallon, Missouri1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressive tour of MSP
    Our guided tour, headed by Mike, was exceptional. During our 2 hour tour, Mike gave us an impressive amount of information and insight into the history of Missouri’s penitentiary and penal system. The physical structure is decaying, but still a stark reminder of what the prison population endured until 2004. The day of our tour was unseasonably FREEZING, so Mike tried to keep us out of the wind as much as possible. But this is a concrete and metal building with multiple broken windows and No Heat. Dress accordingly!
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 20 March 2023
  • Laura T
    Saint Louis, Missouri2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great historical tour
    My daughter and I took the two hour tour. It was well lead and informative. The tour started in the building that used to hold the women's unit, then we went to one of the older buildings followed by the unit where the 1954 riot occurred. It was an amazing tour because the guides, Kathy and James were both former guards and really knew the history of the buildings and could answer questions.
    Visited March 2023
    Written 25 March 2023
  • krislori99
    Springfield, Missouri84 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must See-Tons of History
    Our tour guide, Michael, was entertaining and knowledgeable. He had a wealth of stories about all the aspects of the prison. He was funny, engaging, and he knew how to keep us listening. He gave us time to explore, too. I highly recommend this attraction! It’s chilly, so bring a jacket —even in the summer.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 1 April 2023
  • Sue J
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Missouri State Penitentiary Tour
    That tour was one of the most memorable tours I have ever taken. To see prison life from the 1830's to when it closed is remarkable. It was well worth my time. Our tour guide, Kathy and Nadine presented prison life as it was "back in that day" They were awsome!
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 1 April 2023
  • Kasey E
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Don’t think about going, just go!
    From my 11 and 7 year old “ Randy was the best tour guide ever and thank you for making sure we had fun”. My kids talked about this our entire 2 hour ride home. They were never bored and loved every second of the tour. I never knew my kids had such interest in history. They wanted to look up the inmates as soon as we got home. We can’t wait to go back for the 3 hour tour with my husband.
    Visited April 2023
    Written 8 April 2023
  • Nicole M
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Do the ghost hunt!
    Do the ghost hunt and the history tour! I’ve been here several times and done all the tours except the full overnight one. They are all amazing! The guides know everything about the prison and truly love the place.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 9 April 2023
  • Keisha B
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome
    This is an amazing place. Lots of things to see. We had great tour guides. Larry and Randy were exceptional. The answered all of our questions. Larry worked in the prision when it was up and running. And told many stories of things that happened behind the walls. If you have not taken this tour you need to do so. We probably would have thanken the 3 hour tour if available. It consist of death row, womens facilities and isolated cells that were no bigger than arms length.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 April 2023
  • San D
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Imagine lunch for 5,000 inmates!
    What an institution that housed notorious, well-known criminals. Learned daily routines, the inmate culture, along with the Correction Officer culture. See how 5,000 men (and women) were jamb packed into an old, block building. See the "dungeon" where offenders were placed for days, weeks, months, years where it was pitch dark, and given bread & water. Finally, witness for yourself the 2-seat "gas Chamber", a small 25 x 25 block building where the inmate would be walked in 1 door and strapped to the chair, and the other door was for witnesses to watch.
    Visited April 2023
    Written 19 April 2023
  • Janet R
    Kansas City, Kansas1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful experience
    My husband and I did the two hour tour yesterday (April 21). It was informative, interesting, and so worthwhile! Our tour guide was Green, who has in the past been a guard there at the prison. He was humorous, and very knowledgeable! Would love to take our two oldest grandkids there.
    Visited April 2023
    Written 22 April 2023
  • Kathryn R
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Two Hour History Tour with Bill
    April 23, 2023; 3:30pm Historical Tour; Thank you, Mr. Bill Green, for a most amazing experience! You, dear sir. are as much a historical treasure as the penitentiary itself. Thank you for your loyal service to the great state of Missouri and for a truly fantastic afternoon adventure.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 April 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles1,396 reviews
Excellent
1,197
Very good
144
Average
26
Poor
15
Terrible
14

Margie N
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
Had a great tour with Kathy, she had alot of information about the prison. Very cool seeing all the old buildings. We would go again.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cindy K
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
Kathy and Lily were great tour guides. Kathy has a wealth of knowledge and experience. This tour exceeded our expectations.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Beth W
30 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Business
Very good historical tour. Kathy was an excellent guide and very informative. I would do the tour again, but I would go during the day so to have better lighting, and during warmer months as the tour was cold. Other than that I would go back, and recommend to others.
Written 6 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

K C
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
Amazing tour. Guides Larry & Fred were great! Larry had first hand knowledge & Fred's story was inspiring. Both very personable. Great stories & details. Gave us plenty of time to explore on our own & experience the cells & other areas. This tour was worth every penny & is a must do.
Written 6 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christi D
Lake Saint Louis, MO40 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Friends
The three hour history tour did not disappoint! I have been two other times for the ghost overnight but I was really wanting to learn about the history of people and the spaces we were allowed to walk through. I definitely recommend this for all! I learned a lot and had a ton of fun.
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Storyteller307797
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
So neat to see and learn about the history here! The tour guides were so informative and answered all questions along the way!! One was even a guard when the prison was operational!
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Henry Z
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
My wife and I and daughter spent several hours touring this place! Those providing the tour were very knowledgeable and one was a former guard at the prison. Any question asked, an immediate answer was provided in detail describing thing around the questions. I do want to go back to this part of penal history in the United States before more of it disappears and is repurposed by the state. Missouri residents and others are missing a real opportunity to see the prison life that existed all the way back to 1836! Take lots of pictures, the cell conditions are not maintained and things look unkempt but the tour and tour leader provide a great verbal picture of the operation of this institution! And the tour guide apologized as the tour time kind of got extended due to questions and just plain time spent learning more and more! There were some really infamous people kept at this prison and many of the stories by the tour guides really added details just not found any place else!
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melissa C
Jacksonville, FL1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
The tour was great. Our guides, Green and Fred were awesome. The best of both worlds. Heard stories from the perspective of a guard as well as a former inmate. Could not ask for better inside information. Both were passionate abt the grounds and the different experiences they each had. A MUST do if you visit Jefferson City.
Written 18 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nancy E
Columbia, MO1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Friends
Very informative tour about the history of the prison. I hope they preserve what is left for historical purposes and dont tear fown for hotels.
Written 18 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shelby R
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Friends
Did the 3 Hour Paranormal Tour and I am anxiously waiting to go again when tours start back up. Would definitely say the most acitivity I experienced was in the Dungeon (Building 4) and Death Row (Basement of Building 2 I believe). The staff was BEYOND excellent and very knowledgeable and were kind enough to give little insider tips about what they have experienced and where. 10/10 would recommend.
Written 17 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 1,389
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

MISSOURI STATE PENITENTIARY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Missouri State Penitentiary