this was classified as a maximum
security penitentiary
welcome to watch mojo and today we're
counting down our picks for the top 10
creepy abandoned prisons
you look around now there's peeling
paint and graffiti everywhere
the idea was one warden could watch all
the prisoners
the only way out was if he turned the
rotary jail so your cell door spun to
the exit
they called this place one of the worst
prisons in the continental u.s
and just looking at it from walking in i
can see why for this list
we're looking at the creepiest prisons
that are no longer housing inmates
however they can be active as tourist
destinations
have you ever explored an abandoned
prison let us know in the comments below
[Music]
number 10 garcia moreno prison quito
ecuador
with most abandoned prisons all
artifacts have been removed
leaving behind a dusty decrepit shell of
a once active place
but with garcia moreno it's like the
inmates just walked out one day and
never returned
located in the san roque neighborhood of
ecuador garcia moreno was built in the
1870s and
closed in 2014 due to overcrowding it
housed
numerous murderers including serial
killer juan fernando hermosa
today it looks much as it did with
inmates complete with old magazines
a kung fu panda drawing pinup girls
watches
shoes and even a guitar if you want
strong chernobyl vibes
then garcia moreno is your place number
nine
j ward victoria australia criminally
insane means a prisoner who has become
mentally ill whilst in the prison system
with australia's jayward
people get two for the price of one
those two being a prison
and an insane asylum originally called
the ararat county jail
jayward opened in 1861 and held just
21 prisoners three executions took place
in the prison
those of killers and revere henry morgan
and robert francis burns
who's believed to have killed eight
people the prison was converted in 1887
into part of the ararat lunatic asylum
it ran as such until
1991. the building is now open for tours
and people report hearing shrieks and
footsteps in its otherwise silent halls
two's births have identified
in the old kitchen joe ward one's a
german cook
one's a little boy about 12 years old i
think his name is stuart
visitors can also gaze at the prisoner's
artwork that still
adorns the walls number 8. pottawattamie
county jail
council bluffs iowa located in council
bluffs iowa
this is a rather unique jail most
commonly known as squirrel cage jail
potawatomi is the most famous example of
a rotary style prison
the idea was one warden could watch all
the prisoners
the only way out was if he turned the
rotary jail so your cell door spun to
the exit
up to 18 rotaries were built in the
midwestern united states
and most opened in a very narrow window
in the late 19th century
instead of traditional cell wings rotary
jails contain a spinning platform
that allows only one cell to be accessed
at a time there's a hand crank on each
floor and the jailer could turn that
hand crank
there was only one way in and one way
out of each floor
that way you could only let one inmate
in and out so one unarmed jailer could
manage all 60 guys with no issues
however this design proved incredibly
dangerous
as many inmates lost limbs in the
spinning contraption
potawatomi was built in 1885 and closed
as a jail in 1969
in 1972 it was made part of the national
register of historic places
for the time this was a state of the art
establishment and then you start
thinking about all the amenities that
they have now and you can see how far
we've come not only as
council bluffs but the whole united
states in general
number seven old essex county jail
newark new jersey
originally built in the 1830s new
jersey's old essex county jail
is another member of the national
register of historic places this is
mainly due to its architectural history
because the structure was added to
throughout the preceding century
the old essex represents the evolution
of prison design in america
but despite being a part of the register
the prison is in ruins
it certainly makes for a creepy visit
should you decide to brave the
overgrowth and decay you look around now
there's peeling paint and graffiti
everywhere many of the oldest buildings
have collapsed into rubble
and parts of the jail were destroyed in
a fire urban exploring doesn't get
scarier than this
or more dangerous in a startling find
just lying on the floor prisoner records
crime
larceny of a motor vehicle 12 months
sentenced uh october 1949.
number six cenop fortress xenopt turkey
as old as old essex county jail is it's
nothing compared to turkey's cenop
fortress located on the very northern
tip
of turkey on the coast of the black sea
cenop fortress is dated to the 7th
century bc
located within the inner fortress of the
castle is cenap fortress prison
erected in 1887 and abandoned in 1997
it housed many dangerous inmates owing
to its reputation as an inescapable
maximum security prison
being built in a castle will do that the
prison was also notable for its
incredibly
damp conditions and it's said that
prisoners couldn't even light matches
owing to the moisture in the air
the old prison is currently open for
tours should you be brave enough to
venture inside
number 5. atlanta prison farm atlanta
georgia
much like old essex the atlanta prison
farm is now totally in ruin the concept
of this prison was that low-risk
convicts could work off their sentences
through manual labor
typically construction and agricultural
work the prison shuttered in 1995
however and suffered a devastating fire
in 2009 that destroyed
most of the building it became a
location for vagrancy
urban exploring intricate graffiti and
illegal dumping
however the county is quite serious
about its security and has installed
fences
cameras and motion detectors to deter
explorers
those who breach the property risk
significant trespassing fines
number four west virginia penitentiary
moundsville west virginia
easily one of the most gorgeous prisons
in the united states
west virginia penitentiary is a massive
gothic-style prison located in
moundsville
it's built much in the style of a castle
complete with large battlements and
turrets
the prison opened in 1876 and operated
until 1995.
when it closed down it was still the
home for about 650
of the state's worst inmates this was
classified as a maximum security
penitentiary
aside from its gothic architecture the
prison is also notable for its 94
executions
and for housing an antique electric
chair named old sparky
the prison is open for tours and has
become a hot spot of supernatural
sightings
it's considered a gold mine for
paranormal investigators
and is thought to be one of the most
haunted buildings in america
they call this place one of the worst
prisons in the continental u.s
and just looking at it from walking in i
can see why number three
goalie otaku primordia gorski kotar
county
croatia located off the coast of croatia
in the midst of the adriatic sea
lies a very unique prison by the name of
guli otak
goli otak means baron island in croatia
and
the name derives from the site's lack of
vegetation owing to the strong borah
winds
known as croatian alcatraz koliotak once
served as a top secret political prison
and brutal labor camp
housing russian prisoners of war and
stalinists
politics
the prison was run by the inmates
resulting in a brutal hierarchical
system that often involves beatings
[Music]
it was finally shuttered in 1988 and is
now
completely abandoned the prison's
distinctive location and violent history
helped make it one of the creepiest in
the world
number 2. bodman jail bodman cornwall
this decrepit prison lies inside of
cornwall's bodman moor
it opened in 1779 and garnered instant
recognition for housing its convicts in
individual cells a first in british
history
the prison played host to roughly 50
public hangings in its lifetime
and operated for a century and a half
before closing for good in 1927.
there were 55 executions here and they
were a great public attraction
in april 1840 more than 20 000
people came to see the hanging of
william and james lightfoot
only parts of the prison remain open to
the public as much of the complex has
fallen into a state of disrepair
the site is well known for its supposed
paranormal activity and
remains a popular destination for
paranormal researchers
and investigators this building was once
dark damp
rat infested full of misery pain and
death
and it's said that many of the souls
that died here still remain
before we unveil our top pick here are
some honorable mentions
palazzo davalos prochira italy a creepy
but beautiful prison on the terra morata
cliffs
[Music]
her majesty's prison pentridge victoria
australia
a castle-style prison in australia
housing numerous gravesites
eastern state penitentiary philadelphia
pennsylvania
a massive prison in philadelphia world
famous for its ghosts
today this massive structure stands as a
terrifying monument to one of man's
first attempts
at the humane punishment of criminals
old charleston jail
charleston south carolina this old
prison in south carolina was opened in
1802
wyoming territorial penitentiary laramie
wyoming
built in 1872 wyoming territorial is
among the oldest buildings in the state
there are 42 cells in this cell block
4 21 on each side and there are many
times when there would have been two
prisoners
in each one of these cells very very
tight quarters
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number one alcatraz san francisco
california
perhaps the most famous prison in the
entire world
alcatraz did not mess around 12 barren
acres in the middle of san francisco bay
in 1934 it seemed the perfect place for
an escape-proof prison for america's
worst criminals
nicknamed the rock for its unique
position alcatraz was built on a small
island
just off the coast of san francisco and
served as a maximum security prison
it housed the likes of al capone machine
gun kelly whitey bulger and
frank morris who famously spearheaded
the iconic 1962 escape
they crawled out of their cells up on
the roof and escaped into the san
francisco bay
and that you got to give it to them they
broke the system the prison lasted less
than 30 years
opening in 1934 and closing in 1963.
despite being regularly maintained
alcatraz
is incredibly creepy the prison's dark
and violent past
isolated location imposing structure and
notable prisoners lend it an unsettling
heir
and the prison has a notable reputation
for being
haunted both guards and inmates reported
feeling sudden cold spots
some even claim to see apparitions
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