Missouri State Penitentiary

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Jefferson City, MO
Missouri State Penitentiary

Decommissioned in 2004, MSP was the oldest operating prison west of the Mississippi. Tours Mar-Nov. All of our tour types can be adapted for student groups!
(1761)

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. Visitors can choose to take a history, ghost, or photography tour, and will walk through several incredibly hist

oric housing units, the vast upper yard of the property and the gas chamber, where 40 men and women were executed. Have a group of students looking for an unforgettable learning experience? Visit MissouriPenTours.com for a list and description of available tours. Advanced reservations are required and can be made online or by calling 866.998.6998. Tour season runs March - November, weather permitting. Have you taken a ghost tour at MSP? Click here for your group mugshot: https://bit.ly/3hsfPxK. Album will be updated on Mondays.

06/17/2026

Needing plans for the weekend? Book a tour at MSP! Spend your Saturday or Sunday on a history or ghost tour! Or why not both?

🎟️: MissouriPenTours.com

06/11/2026

There's still time to reserve your spot on this month's tours with a former inmate! Beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th and 27th, this three-hour tour sheds light on what life was like behind the walls of MSP.

🎟️: MissouriPenTours.com

06/09/2026

In May of 1842, the first female convict was sent to the Penitentiary. Amelia Eddy from St. Louis County was given a two-year sentence for grand larceny. However, she would not serve her sentence. Within only a few days of arriving, she was pardoned and released because of the lack of adequate facilities for her.

To this point, no real effort had been made to arrange for the housing of women convicted of crimes. Prior to 1861, a separate facility housed female prisoners. The stone structure rose two stories: the first serving as a warehouse, and the upper floor holding seven rooms suitable for four prisoners each, a dining hall, matron’s room, hospital and workroom. By 1864, these quarters grew insufficient for the number of women then confined, and the warden suggested building a new cellblock suitable for 50 female prisoners. He also felt that the best action was to completely remove the female prisoners to a separate location.

06/06/2026

Happy Friday from MSP! Spend your weekend right and come take a tour! 🗝️

🎟️ : MissouriPenTours.com

06/04/2026

Have you booked your 2026 tour yet? Visit our website for the full schedule! 🗝️

🎟️: MissouriPenTours.com

06/02/2026

05/27/2026

Attention ghost hunters! There is still time to join These Walls Still Talk, happening this Saturday night at 8 p.m. Explore MSP after dark with the MSP staff. You won't want to miss it!

🎟️: https://missouripentours.com/product/overnight-investigation-with-msp-staff/

05/22/2026

J.B. “Firebug” Johnson was confined to the Dungeon cells from February 26, 1883 until July 1, 1900.

🎟️ Come see the Dungeon cells for yourself and book your tour at MissouriPenTours.com

05/20/2026

Book a ghost tour or ghost hunt for this weekend at MSP! Buy tickets now and get ready for spooky fun!

⛓MissouriPenTours.com
📸 Guthrie Shipp Photography

Address

115 Lafayette Street
Jefferson City, MO
65101

Telephone

+15736323999

Website

http://missouripentours.com/

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