Some call it dark tourism, others a reminder of history

Some call it dark tourism, others a reminder of history. As an avid traveller, I tend to seek out these macabre spots: cemeteries, abandoned (haunted) buildings, and jails. Besides being architecturally stunning, there’s history to be found here too — of the country and its people, its political climate, its laws, and how they view punishment and justice.

Often, these history lessons are grim. My first such experience was at Auschwitz concentration camp. It was a harrowing experience. The bleak landscape, the brick walls, the small rooms, some containing relics of the prisoners like hair collected from the gas chambers – all a dreary reminder of how humans can turn against humans.

The largest Nazi concentration camp is definitely a place every traveller should visit. And, there are many prisons across the world that offer sobering insights into the history of a country. Here are some prisons that are open to visitors.

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay

Alcatraz Island or ‘The Rock’ is easily one of the most notorious prisons in the USA. The island once housed a lighthouse, and served as a military prison, and armoury, before becoming a maximum security federal prison (the world’s most secure prisons, some thought) in 1934. Many prisoners requested a transfer to Alcatraz because of the better quality food; prisoners also had a baseball team, a music band and access to a large library. Famous prisoners include gangster Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and Robert Stroud aka The Birdman of Alcatraz. 

It closed in 1963 because of its high maintenance cost. Today, Alcatraz is a landmark in the National Park Service, and open to tours.

Château d’If, France

Off the shore of Marseille lies Château d’If, a fortress, and former prison once called France’s answer to Alcatraz. Built in 1524 on the orders of King Francis I, the three-storey building on an islet, soon became a dumping ground for political and religious prisoners among others. Retribution, not rehabilitation was the focus and many prisoners died of neglect. Escape was impossible because of the location and strong currents. Interestingly, its most famous prisoner is fictional — Edmond Dantès from Alexandre Dumas’ popular, The Count of Monte Cristo (published in 1844). The prison was demilitarised in 1890 and opened to the public; Mark Twain was one of its earliest visitors. Today, the prison is open to tours, and a walk around the complex offers a great view of Marseilles.

Robben Island, South Africa

pic: linkedin

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, Robben Island in Cape Town's Table Bay is most famous for being the place Nelson Mandela served an 18 year-sentence. It once housed a leper colony, had a lighthouse, and served as a military base before being used as a prison for political prisoners between 1961 to 1996. It is now a museum and you can tour the space and learn about its former inmates and political prisoners, and see Mandela’s tiny cement cell; some tours are conducted by former prisoners.

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia

Built on a cherry orchard just outside of Philadelphia in 1829, this prison was known for its system of separate incarceration, focussed on penitence. Dr Benjamin Rush had the idea of creating a place of repentance for prisoners —places which came to be called penitentiaries. British-born architect John Haviland designed the prison, with seven wings radiating from a central zone. Each cell had a skylight and a gate leading to an exercise yard. The prison had a flushing system that wasn’t even there in the White House. It was a revolutionary design for its time. Today, you can walk through the prison on a self-guided tour, and see the cell of the prison’s most notorious inmate, gangster Al Capone — it was purportedly fancier than the rest, with paintings, a study table, rugs and a radio.

Tower of London, UK

pic: wikimedia

The historic castle on the banks of the River Thames has certainly played a significant role in English history. Originally, the White Tower with its Normal military architecture was designed as a fortress, then used as a residence for monarchs and finally, a prison. The Tower of London has held many prisoners in its 800 years, and its rap sheet reads like the who’s who of British history: Elizabeth I, Guy Fawkes, Thomas Cromwell, Samuel Pepys, and Anne Boleyn (who was executed within its walls). They often shared space with common thieves. Interestingly, the British crown jewels were stored here, until 1994 (underground, of course). Today, The UNESCO heritage site is one of the city’s major attractions and open to tours.

Old Melbourne Gaol, Australia

Australia's oldest prison once dominated Melbourne’s skyline. Between 1842 and 1924, the bluestone prison held criminals, petty offenders, the mentally ill and even homeless people. The gaol was once much bigger, and contained exercise yards, a hospital, and a chapel. The gaol was the scene of over 100 hangings including Australia’s most infamous citizen, bushranger Ned Kelly. Today, you can tour (part of) the prison complex, see the gallows, and death masks, and learn about the men, women and children incarcerated here. There are special night tours, and a Police Watch House experience where you get to be a prisoner and thrown into jail. 

Bodmin Jail, UK

It is considered to be one of the country’s most haunted places. Bodmin Jail in Cornwall was built in 1779 and was the first jail to hold its inmates in individual cells, and home to the UK’s only execution pit. At least 50 prisoners were executed within the walls. It’s not just men who were executed here, but women too — some of them for murdering their own children. Today, Bodmin is open for tours — ghost-hunting expeditions, a heritage tour, after-dark tour, and an immersive ‘dark walk’ visual experience. If ghosts aren’t your thing, part of the prison is a luxury hotel.