Most Popular PlacesRandom PlaceListsItinerariesAdd a PlaceDownload the App Alton Military Prison Site Macedonian Tomb of Agios Athanasios Statue of Žorik Wood Street Steps Atlas Obscura’s Guide to America’s Most Haunted Cemeteries 3 days ago The Best Haunted Hotels to Book for a Spooky Getaway 12 days ago Is Alton, Illinois America’s Most Haunted Small Town? 16 days ago All the United States Illinois Alton Alton Military Prison Site The ruins of Illinois's first state penitentiary, and former Federal Military Prison, from 1833. Alton, Illinois's State Penitentiary officially opened in 1833, making it the first state prison in Illinois. It was used to incarcerate convicted criminals from across the state and later served as a military prison.
During the Civil War, the facility became the Alton Military Prison and was used to hold Confederate prisoners of war. More than 11,000 Confederate soldiers were held there before the prison closed. Prison reform efforts led by Dorothea Dix focused on improving oversight and addressing concerns about harsh conditions and the management of inmate labor.
Her criticism of the prison prompted reforms within Illinois's correctional system and contributed to the construction of a more humane prison in Joliet, Illinois, which opened in 1858. Most of the prison was demolished in the early 1870s, with a pair of walls left standing as a memorial to Alton's contributions to the Civil War and the cause of social justice. Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.
Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. This abandoned building with a murky history has been both a school and a prison. This abandoned prison was so notorious that its name has become a metaphor throughout Albania.
Once the central jail for Los Angeles, this building housed inmates like Al Capone, those arrested from the Zoot Suit and Watts Riots, and individuals imprisoned for their sexuality. Standing for over 200 years, the abandoned home of a Revolutionary War hero and later a succession of prison superintendents. This World War I fortress is the perfect place to catch a Montenegrin sunset.
This abandoned nitrate town was repurposed as a dictator's prison. This Old West prison built into the side of a cliff was said to be inescapable. ## Become an Atlas Obscura Member * * * Join our community of curious explorers. Become a Member Atlas Obscura uses cookies on its websites to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic.View Cookie Policy When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies.
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