Missouri State Petitionary

 Our downstairs neighbors arrived - in the middle of the night with a lot of slamming doors... Thankfully it ended soon and otherwise slept fairly well. Still awake at 6:00...

This morning was a chocolate croissant at the High Rise Bakery again. It was easy and right on the way to today's destination! Kurt had a cinnamon roll again. The croissant was SOOO good! I actually think I preferred the chocolate hazelnut - the plain chocolate was almost too sweet. But still delicious! So buttery and lamination to make Paul and Prue proud!

 

Our destination for today was the Missouri State Penitentiary. We had actually planned to come here in 2019 when we took a Missouri trip with Chase but there had been a tornado a couple weeks before we went that damaged the prison so it was closed to tours.

The prison first opened in 1836 and didn't close until 2004. When it closed it was the oldest operating penal facility west of the Mississippi - it was actually the first prison west of the Mississippi. It was a great tour! At one time it was called "The Bloodiest 47 Acres in the US". We saw a couple cell blocks, some underground cells that they believe to be some of the first on the property (pre Civil War), and the gas chamber. Our tour guide was excellent! They have a tour that is actually led by a past inmate - Kurt and I both said we would like to come back for that one! 

At the beginning of the tour they asked for volunteers and of course no one volunteered so our tour guide picked me. It was a lucky thing - I got to go in the bubble with him and see the control panel for all the doors. I actually got to push the button to close the gate coming in to the prison. 

Typically these were two person cells. With overcrowding there were times there would be eight inmates, six on the bunks with cushions you pulled out and two inmates had to sleep on the floor.

It is crazy how quickly things erode. Our tour guide said within 10 years the paint and tiles were peeling and falling.

This was called the Honor Block. You had to apply to be housed here and had to have two years infraction free. The cells were unlocked all day and inmates could come and go. There were pool tables, phones, showers, even a fish tank. They showed movies from a screen hung from the catwalk. They say when it was in use the building was immaculate as the inmates kept it very clean.

In the basement of this building were the old solitary confinement cells. They are completely dark once the door is closed. I declined going for that experience but Kurt did. He said it was eerie. I guess there were up to 30 people in a cell and the average sentence was 10 days. He said with 30 people they would have shoulder to shoulder in complete darkness.

 

Don't see these anymore!

This was a new building. It was state of the art when it opened.

The whole prison was self-funded. There were numerous industries on the ground staffed by inmates - shoe makers, hat makers, brick makers, and many many others I can't remember. All the stone and brick used to make the buildings both on the grounds and many in town were either quarried on the grounds by inmates or made by them.

Underground cells that had been buried. They believe them to be some of the first cells on the grounds. 

The gas chamber

Kurt wasn't sure about sitting and having our picture taken inside. It did make you pause when you think 40 people lost their lives in the chair you are sitting in. 

The warden's home. In the basement is a museum on the prison. It was very interesting, had many artifacts from confiscated weapons to goods made at the prison to information on infamous inmates. 

After the prison we went to Prison Brews of course for some lunch. I had some cream of broccoli soup (it was okay) and pretzel with cheese (delicious!).

 

After lunch it was time to head out of town - next stop St Joseph. Making our way back north... We chose to avoid the interstate so it did add almost an hour to the trip but was a pretty hilly, winding two lane highway. Frustrating at times when you get stuck behind slow moving cars but a nice drive. Definitely preferable to 3 hours on the interstate! We arrived just as it was getting dark which was perfect as I don't really like driving in the dark. 

Checked in the Fairfield Inn. I believe it was a newer hotel, nice room. We decided for a quiet early night so decided to just go for a bite to eat and back to the hotel. Ended up not the earliest as the pizza place was super busy but that was fine. We had some type of pepperoni with housemade hot honey and some other sauce. It is cooked in a wood-fired oven. I don't usually like these as I think they just taste burnt but I really liked this one!

After pizza back to the hotel for blogging, a little reading, and a movie. Long day, ready for bed!