Overview

The Old Idaho Penitentiary operated from 1872 to 1973, housing every category of criminal offender in a facility that grew from a single building to a forty-acre complex. Three executions by hanging were carried out on the property, and a prison riot in 1973 resulted in significant damage that contributed to the penitentiary's eventual closure. Staff conducting evening tours report consistent cold spots in the women's ward and the gallows room, and multiple visitors have described the apparition of a man in prison clothing near the original 1872 cellblock.

Attributed paranormal accounts

These are reported experiences and local accounts, not independently verified events.

Staff and visitors report cold spots, unexplained footsteps and sightings of a man in prison clothing, particularly near the original 1872 cellblock, women's ward and gallows room.

History & background

The Old Idaho Penitentiary operated from 1872 to 1973, expanding from a single cellblock into a large prison complex. Three executions took place on the site, and a major riot in 1973 contributed to the prison's closure later that year.

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