Tonight we took the haunted tour at the old Joliet State Prison. Our tour guide was very good at her job and she was very informative and it was pretty cool how she had all the stories memorized. It was quite interesting to hear the stories of have prisoners that lived there at the prison. She said that we were the first group to be able to view the cells because they were awaiting all the test results to make sure the building was cleared so that we could go in and be safe. Im so glad that we were able to go in because that was one of the coolest parts of the whole tour. The cells were so small its crazy to imagine two people living in them. Then we saw the sample of the original cell sitting outside solitary confinement. Couldnt even imagine saying in such a small area thats just a mere 7x7 Square Room, it was So small! Was cool to also hear about the certain TV shows and movies that had actually taken place there like Prison Break, Blues Brothers, Ghost Adventures and Natural Born Killers. It was $40 each from my husband and I to get in and worth the price. Although I am curious what the tour would be like if past employees led the tour instead I might consider going back if there are different stories. Anyway its worth the money go check it out its pretty cool!

This prison was absolutely fascinating. The architecture is so spooky but beautiful at the same time. It take you back in time and makes you think about the prisoners that were held there. I would definitely recommend stopping by and taking pictures. Do not trespass! They have cameras monitoring the facility. They also do tours but I am not sure of in the year 2020 because of Covid-19.

Holy cow! What a beautiful place. The history here is unbelievable and I couldnt ask for a better way to spend my day. I was lucky enough to play a disc golf tournament here and I had so much fun! The grounds are beautiful, well maintained, and full of facts about the past.

Went and seen the Blues Brithers here. What a cool event. I hope they are able to raise the funds they need and make this place museum quality and nice. Its a cool landmark. The crystal head cocktails were great. I think they called it the electric Elwood. It was priced reasonably and went down smoothly. I would do more events here.

Recommend going on one of the tours that allows to go inside. Interesting as is, but more so if into movies/TV shows that were filmed there. Priced a bit higher than I’d like, but that’s about it. Guided Tour lasted around 1.5 hours. Would probably suggest Night Tour or Guard Tour as it left me wanting more stories.

Really cool. Looking forward to going back when we can tour the grounds. Still closed as of late November.

Great to visit, specially if youre doing the self guided tour. Nice plan to do (specially if you are a Prison Break lover!!!)

I drove down there and saw a sign saying I needed to make a reservation, which I didn’t notice when I checked the website before I came. I didn’t see anywhere to go talk to someone so I just walked around the outside. It’s a cool place. I’ll have to come back when they’re fully open.

Tour was amazing, better than what I expected and we were able to go into a few buildings

Our tour guide was great and very informative! Had a great time, love the history of this place

I did the historical tour this past weekend. It was really informational and interesting. There was a lot of opportunities to take photos and walk around some of the areas.

This place should be restored and preserved as a historical site and every Illinois school child should have to go see it.

Wonderful experience to walk through the areas that known criminals walked through and come into contact with many of those souls.

Its a historical site with a lot of history. By appearance it is quite a frightening and haunting location. I love it!

Pretty cool but its pretty expensive for a family to all go on the good tour. I was neat to see tho. We did not go on the paid tours.

Good Tour. Lots of history and knowledgeable docent. Too bad it wasnt protected from the vandalism that caused so much damage and the loss of historical records. Best of luck on continuing cleanup.

Amazing history, to bad the vandalism was there... Sad situation a person breaks into a prison and is not sent to prison.....hope the City is able to aquire it and restore the property.....

This is an incredible tour. Very fascinating to learn the history, see the cell blocks, and hear the stories. This was NOT the place you would ever want to be if convicted of a crime, especially before the 1950s when there was no plumbing, just two buckets. If you go, watch the first scene of the Blues Brother after the tour. Youll see some great shots of the prison when it was maintained like the cell block when it was shiny & clean whereas today, everything is rusted, paint peeling and debris everywhere. Its incredible how much the prison has changed since being abandoned in 2002. The tour was well done, especially for a group that just started the tours this year.

I need to go back for a tour!! Unbelievable architecture! I wish I was able to get in here during my urban exploring days. The history behind here is sooo intriguing. I need to make a splurge for this venture for sure. My daughter was even up for going inside. I could feel the spooky energies for sure. Beautiful on a rainy day.

Really great place. There is a lot to see and learn about. Definitely worth the time.

Attended the showing of The Blues Brothers and had a great time. Its so cool to see a bit of history from over 160 years ago!

Although the structure of that building has been compromised? The craftsmanship and the design of that building and the buildings that surround it?? just simply historic and beautiful.!! This is something folks I would totally suggest that you go in to see. I know some will say well theres a lot of evil that was in there and you may be right but the evil is gone and the structure still stands and that building served as a form of protection for the community that it surrounds near and far. This is a piece of history and when you walk in and onto the grounds it is breathtaking to look at how these structures have stood the test of time. These buildings really need the support of the community!!!! To save a piece of History. I cannot wait till they have the prison breaking again next year it is simply amazing and truly a wonderful time. Security staff is on point friendly accommodating the police officers are doing a wonderful job and there are so many food vendors :-) the merch table has got anything you need and dont forget to visit the artist table as they have captured the inside of that prison in a very unusual way. They are supposed to be having some type of auction to benefit the prisons Museum and I would strongly suggest that you go on the website and totally support that as well

Did the mini tour here a year or so back. Very cool. Recommend.

Very interesting tour! Its only going to get better. There is a lot of extensive refurbishment happening, and I cannot WAIT to see it.If you like history, or even the macabre, this is the tour for you!

A very educational place to let people think deeply.

Creapy and educational. Would like to take a day tour sometime.

Love it cant get enough been twice in a week.

Wanted to do the Blues Brothers photo but too much traffic. They must have closed the street for the movie shot.

Took a tour during the Route 66 Red Carpet tour. They were not offering full tours during this but it was a quick tour and still very interesting. They are in the process of cleaning and restoring other areas for full tours.

I have been wanting to check this place out since I found out about it. They Joliet museum has arranged to giving tours and its totally worth it. The people in charge are very nice and very informative. Cant wait to go back to prison. Lol.

We love visiting these old prisons!We didnt take the inside tour but there is a lot to see on the outside with plenty of photo ops!Lots of history here!We may be back for the inside tour at a later date.

This place..... changed me, this place is haunted, theres no getting around that. I spent 2 days here, and after I was constantly reminded of the energy this place contains. If youre going to come here understand there are things here you cant see, and cant touch, but those things can touch you, and can latch themselves on to you. Say a prayer before you enter, tell whatever is there that it cant come home with you and say another prayer, and just expect that it probably wont listen and the prayers wont work, because they didnt for me.

Amazing place and awesome tour dude. He was honest and answered my questions about the prison. Will be going back. :-)

Such a good time.. educational and creepy experience!!

Had a great time on the haunted history tour.

The history was amazing. And it looks haunting.

Eerie and astonishing at the same time

This is an extremely cool and historic place to check out. It only takes about 20 to 30 minutes to check out all of the signs decribing the prisons history and to look at all of the parts that you can legally check out (and peek through the windows at the signs of those who explored a bit further i.e. graffiti, broken bottles). Because of this, its probably a good idea to stop by while on the way to another destination.

I cant wait to see the inside. It was closed the day I went.

Had a nice walk around the perimeter of the prison that was accessible. The place definitely has some history to it. Parking was open in front of the prison, drive under the arch way at the traffic light. As well as across the street from the large gate, where the blues brothers scene takes place.

Saturday, August 25, 2018, we attended the Joliet Prison Museum fundraiser. What an experience that should be had by all! We hope they do it every year!So eerie yet cool to tour the inside of the prison buildings!! Quite a sight to see! My understanding is that tours will be open to the public, maybe already happening, and I cannot wait to go back to tour it again!!

Wanted to get my Blues Brothers photo opp. It almost came out like I wanted. The place only offers tours and there is No trespassing signs everywhere. I did have security ask what we was doing I told her just taking my photo and was leaving. Very nice lady

If youre a Blues Brothers fan or a fan of the Prison Break series this must be a stop for you. Its a very eerie place and strangely accessible if youre that way inclined. You can feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up just looking up at the windows.

Very interesting place. But not fully open yet

Fantastic work by Greg Peerbolt and phenomenal history. What a grand event The Great Prison Break In.

Great Place, Very historical, lots of interesting little spots. Someday in the near future will be open as a tourist a spot. This was the Inaugural Opening. Lots of people came out and I think it was a great success.

Absolutely beautiful place. Just wish you could actually go inside and see everything. It is still worth the almost 4 hour drive to walk around outside of it though.

Got to play in the Inparcerated disc golf tournament here today, it was incredible to get to see the history here. Definitely want to come back and tour the place when the restoration is complete.

Needs a little work yet, but this was a very interesting tour. Very helpful and knowledgeable guides. Looking forward to when some more areas open up.

Pretty cool to see, especially if youre a fan of the Blues Brothers. However, unless they start offering tours, I wouldnt drive too terribly far out of your way to see it.

Neat looking old prison! Wife now wants to go on a tour!

Really neat experience. Excited to hear they may be opening up for tours soon!

It is a very nice old place

Really enjoyed the tour and the efforts put in to rehab this gem.

Wonderful! Great job and lots of kudos to the Joliet Historical Museum and a huge shout out to all of the extremely talented artists!!!

Saw a concert there, how cool is that. Was awesome to walk the grounds and see the place.

Wish more buildings were accessible for the self-guided tour . We also had a difficult time finding the entrance the website and the signs are kind of insufficient.the entrance is a little blacktop road that winds around the backside of the prison

Historic...has self tours..lots to see!

Built is the mid 1800s and abandon by the State of Illinois in 2002, the City of Joliet began to lease the prison and open it for tours in 2018. 16 years of vandalism and break-ins have taken a harsh toll on the prison. The Joliet Area Historical Museum will operate it as a preserved ruin. Donations will help stabilize the structures and lead to having more buildings open for tour. There are several buildings to see within the walls. Truly amazing and rich in history. At this point, you need to schedule ahead for tours. (Joliermuseum.org) $20 I highly recommend this site, it will be an educational and a memorable experience. Support this historical site, and help preserve history.

Stopped by just to have a peek. There are informational signs in the parking lot about the prison. You cant access the grounds, but can get some great pictures. Would love to see them do tours at some point.

Its a Five Star Prison Experience!

Was a great experience, worth going to your!.

The architecture is beautiful, but you can only visit the outside, I wish it were possible to tour the inside. There are some plackards in the parking lot with some interesting information. But they are faded and weather worn and hard to read. If you are a Blues Brothers fan you should make the visit if you are in the area. I would be disappointed if I drove a long way to see it though.

Really fun spot to take pictures and tour

The city has such great plans for the place. One group wants to turn it into a shopping/business area. Another a museum. Another a private golf course. Some want to tear it down. These city factions are constantly at odds with each other. The museum is slowly restoring the interior. Its interesting to watch clueless teenage volunteers scrape decades of lead based paint of the walls and under stairs, breathing in those little pieces of lead dust thats coating their hair, faces and clothes. But the city does provide protection - those little face-napkin things that keep the flu at bay. Works on the flu, so it will work on lead and asbestos, right?The museum has stated that much of the location is dangerous. Apparently OSHA and the EPA got involved as well - but those kids are still cleaning up.... Anyway, the city must not have been CCd because they are using the location for disc golf. And massive parties with thousands of people. Yep - everyone was warned that the tunnels that are located beneath the yard are in danger of collapse. Yet a thousand people walking around on top of those tunnels at a concert is fine. Maybe its a stress test? One group was warned that the chimney for the old power plant is in danger of collapse. Oopsie - someone did not get the message. Parties and disc golf right under the chimney.If we ignore the obvious safety concerns, environmental issues and literal toxic environment, the place is fun. In a Pripyat kind of way. The few times when I visited I had hair covering, extra clothes, extra boots, a commercial grade particle mask. Id change and clean the clothes, jacket and boots later on. Unlike the many volunteers who would just get picked up or climb in their vehicles and track all that toxic crud home with them. So IF you do visit, be prepared. Mask rated for asbestos and lead dust. Extra shoes. Ideally overalls you can remove. The tour guides wont tell you any of this because it may cut back on business.Walk around the outside, check out all the details and wonder how anyone fit in some of the really narrow guard house doors! The prison is leased by the city of Joliet - that means thats a multi-use venue! Concerts, disc golf, tours and more. The grass in the yard is mowed, all the points of entry have been secured, and theres a 24/7 police presence. The city offers seasonal walking tours and photo tours. Unfortunately much of the prison is now off-limits due to safety concerns. This includes the administration building, cell blocks and anything over the 1st floor in any building. You can still walk through parts of the building and spread around that asbestos and lead dust though.

This Behind the Bars nightime tour was awesome! We loved the reenactments that told the history of the prison. It was so cool to finally be able to see the inside of the prison

A monument to cruel and unusual punishment. Looking forward to taking the self guided tour.

Nice Place, But they charge people to see it

A very unique look at a old prison, hard to believe how crammed inmates used to be .

Was there for a disc golf tournament. The history here is beyond amazing. Gives you chills in locations and in cells. So glad we got to look around and see some of the inner workings of the prison. I would love to just spend more time looking around n make sure I bring a better camera or camcorder.

Nice place to take pictures

Christmas Day, enjoyed a stop and the boards were all legible but needed some updating. The place was a true relic. There was aFriendly Joliet police officer who even took myFather and I photo & asked about our trip! Like someone had suggested-I grabbed a tiny stone as a memento of our adventure!

Cool place and unique history

Great seeing all of the history! Very friendly staff!!!

Very interesting tour.

We went to the haunted tour last night- our tour guide, Jasmine, was great and very nice. It was not a paranormal tour if that is what you are looking for but you learn about the mental torment the prisoners went through while in incarceration. Bring your own bright flashlight as it is very dark there at night. I would definently go back in the spring for a day time stroll through the grounds to see the architecture.

We were the second group to ever do a public tour.. and it was amazing!! Its gonna be so kool when its all done!!

Was not really able to get inside but the architecture of a prison like this is remarkable since it looks more like a castle than a prison. And I guess it was built on 1896.

I used to live in Joliet for 11 years and me came back visit fee months ago and i had the chance to take pics and make video .

What a place to visit!!

I only saw the outside but will go back again.

Best tour I ever been on. They tell you so much information about the jail. And you get to go into a ton of the buildings. Plus we got the tickets for the museum included and it was awesome. The museum is so cool. You must check out both if you in Joliet!

Nice place. Was closed

The work that is being done to restore this area is fantastic. However, we paid $30/person for a HAUNTED tour which featured exactly zero paranormal stories, background, etc. We purchased these tickets because we are interested in the paranormal. We did enjoy the historical experience, but we were deeply disappointed in not receiving what we paid for on this tour.

Cool cool venue for the Prison Break in. The crowd was older due to the main band playing. Good beer from Elder Brewery of Joliet. Good food from various places including Chucks. I would go again.

Awesome.Come see for yourself...

Had to add another review to ruin the 666 total reviews number. It’s cool how they’re giving tours now

Omg this place was so fun and creepy! I just noticed it has 666 reviews too O_o. I sort of trespassed, but a whole group of people did so as well so I was kind of peer pressured lol

Really cool place to explore. Was at an airsoft event so I dont know about tours but the facility is really cool to look through. Worth it if you are on the area.

Spooky! Exciting place of history!

A great experience! This is our second year attending. They made significant progress in renovations and opened a lot more viewing opportunities. Cant wait until Ghost Adventures airs their episode in Octoberish.

This place is an interesting part of local history. The joliet prison has plenty of important historic moments. Along with the historic moments, many of great movies and tv shows were formed there. Some of them include The Blues Brothers movie and Prison Break. Though you cannot enter the prison and there is a fence surrounding it, there are plenty of historic markers that explain the history. This is a great place to visit but youll only be there about 10 minutes.

Once this is fully restored it will be an awesome stop on the Rt 66 trip

Indoor disc golf course is so much fun! Yes an indoor disc golf course inside the old Joliet prisons!

Prison break i love it

Great to see. Shame it’s so rundown outside and didn’t seem to accept visitors

A fantastic place to photograph!

Went on a tour of the Old Joliet Prison and it was really cool! It was very affordable at $20 for a 1.5 hour tour ($15 for Joliet residents). Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the prison and made things very interesting. My only complaint is that some of the buildings were off limits, but that was understandable due to the fact that there were safety issues involved.

Accommodations were not so great, but I enjoyed my time here singing the blues

Hard to criticize something which is free to visit. But... I sure wouldnt want to be a taxpayer shelling out my money to support it (unless there is an incoming revenue stream Im not aware of).