Top Prison Museums in the World
Would you ever think a prison would turn into a museum for anybody to view? That is what happened to several old and outdated prisons around the world. The top five prison museums in the world are: Alcatraz, Port Arthur Penitentiary, Cork Gaol, Inveraray Jail, and Kilmainham Jail.
Alcatraz is on an island all by itself in the ocean across from San Francisco, California, U.S.A. This is the prison where Al “Scarface” Capone and “Birdman” Robert Stroud both did time. When people visit this prison, they can actually hear the voices of correctional guards and prisoners who have died at it. If you wanted to see Alcatraz in person, experience the bird man and Al Capone’s cell, there are a lot of different San Francisco vacation rentals to choose from.
Port Arthur Penitentiary is located in Tasmania, Australia. This prison was made of sandstone. A short distance away from this prison is a cemetery where the prisoners were buried. There is also a boy’s prison not too far from the main prison which housed male convicts.
Cork Goal is in Ireland. It was operational from 1823 to 1923, only 100 years. When it was being used, the prisoners weren’t treated very well at all. Even though the prisoners were treated awful, during the famine, 1846 to 1849, people would commit a crime just so they could go to jail and eat.
Inveraray Jail is located in Argyll, United Kingdom. This jail only had eight cells. It housed both prisoners and those people considered to be insane. Inveraray Jail was used during the 1820′s, and then it closed down.
Kilmainham Jail is in Dublin, Ireland. In Europe, this jail is one of the few largest and unoccupied ones. It was used between 1796 to 1924. Visitors here can get a tour of the building and see what went on. When traveling to Kilmainham in Ireland be sure to shop around for airline tickets as you can find great last minute deals at cheapoair.com
It is hard to believe that old, unoccupied jails and prisons are now being used as museums. In a way, it would be neat to see the inside of a jail or prison. In other ways, it would be frightening to hear the voices of anybody who had died there. If some younger people visited these jails and prison museums, maybe it would deter them from committing crimes and ending up in a place like it. All in all, prison museums around the world are in place for a reason and always will be.
The Louvre in France is one of the most twenty interesting museums in the world. The twelfth century museum holds over thirty five thousand works of art. While in France, the Musee d’Orsay, formerly the Orsay Rail Road Station is a fine place to visit.
The Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art, in New York has art exhibits from around the world. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. is known for sculpture gardens.
California has the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, while San Jose is home to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum famous for its Egyptian exhibits.
Central to the United States is the Art Institute of Chicago. This museum was founded in 1879 as the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts.
New York’s American Museum of Natural History has wonderful dinosaur exhibits. Out west in Wyoming is the Wyoming Dinosaur Center.
Certain museums specialize in one collection. Such is the case of the Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is dedicated to the earliest forms of money to modern coin.
The Henry Ford Museum is a specialty place in Deerfield Village, Michigan. The building is dedicated to early transportation. Another form of transportation was ships. A museum in Fenwick Island, Delaware is the home of hundreds of artifacts to wrecked ships. It is the DiscoverSea Ship Wreck Museum.
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There is a museum in Salem Massachusetts called the Salem Witch Trials Museum. It is devoted to the witch trials of early America.
Rome has the Vatican Museum. Located in Vatican, Rome there are nine miles of exhibits to see. Michelangelo’s work is displayed in the Sistine Chapel along with work by Raphael in the Raphael’s Rooms.
Located in Florence, Italy the Uffizi Gallery has the distinction of being one of the oldest museums in the Western World.
The Tate Modern in England is among the twenty most interesting museums in the world. While in England the British Museum in London houses the Rosetta Stone. Great Britain is the home of the British Lawn Mover Museum. There are over two hundred early lawn mowers on display.
Tutankhamen’s gold mask is found in the Cairo Museum. The Royal Jewelry Museum in Egypt houses 19th century jewelry.
Once you visit a museum and find the one you absolutely fell in love with, make sure to stop at the gift shop for some souvenirs including snow globes, replica art work, custom pens, calendars or anything that you might find interesting.
