In 1858 a prison opened in a small suburb of the US city of Chicago, which is now known only as the Old Joliet Prison.
he conditions of imprisonment here were appalling, especially in the early days. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the horror jail was a tourist attraction from the start. And Hollywood also loves the old walls.
Old Joliet Prison – the horror prison that Hollywood loves
In Joliet, a small suburb of the US city of Chicago, in the state of Illinois, stands a masonry of menacing imposingness. If its walls could speak, they would probably tell many a true horror story. It’s a bit like a fortress – a fortress from which there was no escape. Because the Old Joliet Prison, as the building is called, was one of the most notorious prisons in the USA for a long time.
As reported by the official site of the place, the Old Joliet Prison was opened in 1858. And that’s just six years after the founding of Joliet itself. The history of the place is so connected to the horror jail that it is still sometimes referred to as “Prison City” – the prison city. Another correctional facility had previously existed in Illinois, but it descended into chaos and atrocious prison conditions shortly after it opened in 1831. Eventually, the state gave permission to build the Old Joliet Prison.
The prisoners built their prison themselves
The architect W. W. Boyington was hired for the building, who had “his” prison built in the Gothic style, which in fact to this day is inevitably reminiscent of a castle. So on May 22, 1858, the first 53 inmates moved into the Old Joliet Prison – and in the years that followed built a veritable limestone prison fortress. To do this, they toiled in nearby quarries, successively erecting the complex, which now consists of more than 20 buildings. The renowned newspaper “Chicago Tribune” wrote a hymn of praise at the opening, describing the Old Joliet Prison as a beacon of hope for the pride of an entire state.
Already 20 years later, however, there was no longer any trace of this hope. On the contrary, the Old Joliet Prison was hopelessly overcrowded with around 2,000 inmates, and the sanitary conditions were a disaster. According to the already mentioned “Chicago Tribune”, it was not uncommon for several inmates to fit a cell that would have accommodated just one person. In addition, there were no separate toilets in the cells until 1950. Ventilation was inadequate, and many of the rooms never received a ray of sunlight. Most of the criminals here were petty crooks like thieves, and the inmates were sometimes as young as 10 years old.
Bank robbers and serial killers
The worst of the worst were held in a building at the heart of the complex, where executions also took place. For example, notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy met his end in the electric chair here in 1994 after raping, torturing and murdering at least 33 boys. Baby Face Nelson, partner of legendary bank robber John Dillinger, was also imprisoned in Old Joliet Prison. As early as 1905, there were public calls for the horror prison to be closed because of the unacceptable prison conditions. But until then it would actually take almost a whole century.
Right from the start, the Old Joliet Prison was not only a prison, but also a tourist attraction. In the first decades after it opened, visitors were able to book tours there and buy prison souvenirs for 25 cents at the time. Upon entering, visitors received a card with rules of conduct – for example, it was strictly forbidden to speak to or point to the inmates. The Joliet City History Museum now also houses various items from Horror Prison.
Hollywood prison
It was not until 2002 that the Old Joliet Prison finally came to an end when it was closed. At that time, 1,300 prisoners were still living here, all of whom were transferred to other institutions. In the years that followed, the creepy prison fell into disrepair and repeatedly became the target of vandalism and arson. According to the official website, first attempts to exploit the tourist potential of the place failed in 2008 due to the international financial crisis. In 2017, the city of Joliet took over management of the building from the state of Illinois. Since August 2018 there have been guided tours here again, at a steep price of 20 dollars per person.
But the Old Joliet Prison was also a popular place long before it closed. Namely for Hollywood, which, for example, filmed scenes from the legendary film “Blues Brothers” here. A two-day Blues Brothers Festival is still held here annually to commemorate the strip and the prison’s role in it. The main actors Dan Aykroyd and James Belushi will also be there in 2022. The prison was also used as a backdrop for scenes from the popular series “Prison Break”. Jail also has guest appearances in various other US series and films. And of course various ghost hunters were already here, because it is not surprising that the old walls are haunted.
On the Tripadvisor portal, users are enthusiastic about the tours through the former horror prison. “I highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to see a historical gem,” writes one. A second commented, “I’m impressed with what we were able to see.” A third added, “The prison tour is well done and very informative.” However, visitors should be aware that only a small part of the Old Joliet remains visit the prison. Large areas of the complex have not yet been released for tourism due to years of vandalism. According to the official website, about 200,000 dollars have been donated for the reconstruction so far. And maybe Joliet can proudly bear the nickname Prison City in the future.
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