Old Idaho Penitentiary

April 13 and 15, 2011: The Old Idaho Penitentiary State Historical Site was a functioning prison for 101 years. In order to obtain statehood in the Union, Idaho needed a prison, a place to hold the dregs of society and reform others. It was built in 1870, and the first prisoners were brought in 1872. As part of their penance, the prisoners mined nearby rock quarries to build the very walls that would hold them captive. The Old Idaho Penitentiary grew from a single cell house into a complex of several buildings holding Idaho's most notorious criminals. The Old Pen received over 13,000 inmates with a maximum population of 603 inmates. There were 222 women inmates (including repeat offenders.) In 1872, the Idaho Territorial Prison opened its doors to some of the most desperate and mean criminals the West could offer. In 1973 the Idaho State Penitentiary closed to inmates. Now, the doors are open for visitors to explore over 100 years of Idaho's unique prison history. Open year-round, visitors of the Old Idaho Penitentiary can walk through solitary confinement, cell blocks, and the gallows.