Cell Block 7
Cell Block 7
4.5
This location was reported permanently closed
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
80 reviews
Excellent
45
Very good
26
Average
6
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Karen C
Jackson, MI
Jan 2019 • Solo
I worked in this block for 15 years
In that time I met many infamous felons, including Dr. JACK. I seen 2 jumpers, several self mutilators and many return visitors. Sometimes 2 generations would be locked at the same time. My gallery was 3 and I cannot even count how many miles I put on my feet as I pounded the "rock ". I Worked with many great Officers in my tenure and some of them have passed. This occupation, was by far, the most challenging and sacrificing.
The block was actually painted this bright yellow color a few years prior to closing. It was not, as many believe, painted for show. It was indeed done by inmates, as was the mural painted in the CONTROL CENTER metal roof. I really miss this place. The noise, the chaos, the stories, the lessons and most of all , my co-workers who were considered family, inside the wall
In that time I met many infamous felons, including Dr. JACK. I seen 2 jumpers, several self mutilators and many return visitors. Sometimes 2 generations would be locked at the same time. My gallery was 3 and I cannot even count how many miles I put on my feet as I pounded the "rock ". I Worked with many great Officers in my tenure and some of them have passed. This occupation, was by far, the most challenging and sacrificing.
The block was actually painted this bright yellow color a few years prior to closing. It was not, as many believe, painted for show. It was indeed done by inmates, as was the mural painted in the CONTROL CENTER metal roof. I really miss this place. The noise, the chaos, the stories, the lessons and most of all , my co-workers who were considered family, inside the wall
Written January 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
diverdoris
Vista, CA
Jul 2014 • Family
A eye opening visit into life in Jackson Prison, someplace I would never want to live. Visit the museum dedicated to the history and process of the Michigan Department of Corrections at this unique site located within an active working prison.
I am sure as time passes it will become an even better exhibit. Worth the time to visit, and bring the family. Involves walking and steps, but there are many places to sit and rest. The gift shop has a few things now, but I am sure in time they will have even more interesting items for souvenirs.
Cell Block 7 is an active representation of current life as an incarcerated inmate at what was once the largest walled-prison in the world. Located adjacent to working cell-blocks on the grounds of the active Southern Regional Prison, Cell Block 7 is designed to give attendees both the history and current state of corrections in Michigan. Admission can be combined with a ticket to the Ella Sharp Museum, also located in Jackson.
Hours of Operations:
Summer season - June through Sept:
Monday - Tuesday - Tour Groups By Appointment
Wednesday - Sunday - 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tickets:
Adults - $15
Children 5-12 - $8
Under 5 - Free
Military, Seniors, Ella Sharp Museum Members - $10
I am sure as time passes it will become an even better exhibit. Worth the time to visit, and bring the family. Involves walking and steps, but there are many places to sit and rest. The gift shop has a few things now, but I am sure in time they will have even more interesting items for souvenirs.
Cell Block 7 is an active representation of current life as an incarcerated inmate at what was once the largest walled-prison in the world. Located adjacent to working cell-blocks on the grounds of the active Southern Regional Prison, Cell Block 7 is designed to give attendees both the history and current state of corrections in Michigan. Admission can be combined with a ticket to the Ella Sharp Museum, also located in Jackson.
Hours of Operations:
Summer season - June through Sept:
Monday - Tuesday - Tour Groups By Appointment
Wednesday - Sunday - 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tickets:
Adults - $15
Children 5-12 - $8
Under 5 - Free
Military, Seniors, Ella Sharp Museum Members - $10
Written August 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
runaway2travel
Kalamazoo, MI
Jul 2018 • Couples
$10/adult. Free parking. They offer guided Tours @ 10:30a & 2p, no additional charge. They DO offer discounted pricing for a large range of people (correction officers, veterans, seniors, etc). I would call them if you think you may qualify for a discount, or check their website.
This is a closed cellblock at a live prison. There are no cameras or cellphones permitted! It tells you as much on the website, but you will have reminders in the parking lot and front desk, so leave them in your car. There is fairly comprehensive history provided throughout the cell block for you to read through. I did not know so many recent movies had been filmed there! That was definately something of a surprise!
You must sign a waiver when you first arrive, as there are stairs and uneven ground at points. You pass through the first set of doors, the same as a prisoner used to when entering the Michigan prison system. It walks you through the steps all new prisoners would have to go through. After that first processing, you would walk down the ramp into the cell block where new prisoners were housed for a couple of months before getting shipped off to their final prison if not staying at Jackson.
There is a lot of reading about the prison, the history of the state and prisons, and the development of the current facility ove time as Michigan's prison needs changed. They also had some of the bunks set up for different decades and what you might find in a prisoner's cell during that time period, which was interesting. Down the main corridor in the cell block, they provided information on the movies that had been filmed there, and you could see the prison cells and decor that matched. My girlfriend loves that behind the scenes kind of thing. It was definately unexpected, and a nice treat.
You can climb up the stairways on both sides, and they do have a little additional reading if you go all of the way to the top on the far end, not so much on the other closer to the exit door. It was mainly the guard oversight or desk area on the 2nd floor we found most interesting. The bulk of the reading material is in the main cell block on the ground floor.
If you like to read, and enjoy this kind of thing, it was probably 1-2 hours roughly of amusement for your $10/person. We found this very interesting. The girl at the front desk mentioned they are continuing to add on to the attraction and have some other things planned in the future, as the museum was only 4-5 years old I believe she had said. However, we appreciated this place and it was a nice find. I had posted it on my FB, and a few friends are planning to go in the next few weekends. They, like me, never knew this was here!
Recommended!
This is a closed cellblock at a live prison. There are no cameras or cellphones permitted! It tells you as much on the website, but you will have reminders in the parking lot and front desk, so leave them in your car. There is fairly comprehensive history provided throughout the cell block for you to read through. I did not know so many recent movies had been filmed there! That was definately something of a surprise!
You must sign a waiver when you first arrive, as there are stairs and uneven ground at points. You pass through the first set of doors, the same as a prisoner used to when entering the Michigan prison system. It walks you through the steps all new prisoners would have to go through. After that first processing, you would walk down the ramp into the cell block where new prisoners were housed for a couple of months before getting shipped off to their final prison if not staying at Jackson.
There is a lot of reading about the prison, the history of the state and prisons, and the development of the current facility ove time as Michigan's prison needs changed. They also had some of the bunks set up for different decades and what you might find in a prisoner's cell during that time period, which was interesting. Down the main corridor in the cell block, they provided information on the movies that had been filmed there, and you could see the prison cells and decor that matched. My girlfriend loves that behind the scenes kind of thing. It was definately unexpected, and a nice treat.
You can climb up the stairways on both sides, and they do have a little additional reading if you go all of the way to the top on the far end, not so much on the other closer to the exit door. It was mainly the guard oversight or desk area on the 2nd floor we found most interesting. The bulk of the reading material is in the main cell block on the ground floor.
If you like to read, and enjoy this kind of thing, it was probably 1-2 hours roughly of amusement for your $10/person. We found this very interesting. The girl at the front desk mentioned they are continuing to add on to the attraction and have some other things planned in the future, as the museum was only 4-5 years old I believe she had said. However, we appreciated this place and it was a nice find. I had posted it on my FB, and a few friends are planning to go in the next few weekends. They, like me, never knew this was here!
Recommended!
Written July 18, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen C
Jackson, MI
Oct 2019 • Solo
I would love to give tours of this cellblock as I was a part of its history for 13 years. Not sure if one can traverse the galleries or gun towers but those are amazing. I used to man the one that oversees the cellblock. The gallery I worked was mainly third. The cellblock was painted yellow just a few years prior to closing. I miss the block and my fellow officers. The picture below is me sitting at the count desk which was across from the Lts. Both desks are still on the gallery I believe
Written October 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anne C
Lansing, MI
Nov 2017 • Family
Touring Cell Block 7 was the 2nd part of a guided tour that we took. This tour of a modern cell block was down-right emotional and eye-opening. Being able to enter an actual prison cell, see and hear groups of cells being opened and closed, and absorbing all of the nuances of "prison life" left us with a distinct impression of sadness, that had me in tears and my stomach in knots. We had our 14-year old son with us, and I think all 14-year old kids should take this tour to witness first hand, an experience that they never want to go through. If this doesn't make them think twice about committing a crime, I don't know what would.
Written November 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carrie S
Spring City, TN
Apr 2017 • Couples
My husband is a former resident of another cell block on the same property as Cell Block 7. He has been out 25 years and we visited on our vacation to visit our extended family this year. I cannot express the gratitude I have for the employees the day we visited. They went well over their jobs to make our visit exceptional. I would recommend everyone visiting and helping them keep this terrific, educational, museum open and operational. We need more real eye opening attractions like this one to visit. They have done a wonderful job bringing reality to the general public and the employees are knowledgeable and know their jobs. Thank you Cell Block 7. We will visit again.
Written April 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anne Marie P
Hales Corners, WI
Sep 2015 • Friends
On a road trip with stops that included the Rock & Roll H.O.F, Falling Water, the Flight 93 Memorial and many more sights, we took a detour in Toledo, OH and headed North just to see Cell Block 7. It was hands down the most unique stop of our entire trip. The fact that the museum is located within a fully operating prison is part of what makes this experience so different from any other tour. A climb to the 5th floor of the cell block is a must!
Written September 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are so glad that you enjoyed your visit to Cell Block 7. We especially appreciate you making such a big detour to come visit the museum!
Written September 22, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lisa P
Jackson, MI
Jun 2015
Something different to do in Jackson. $22/ two people.
Lots of reading of historical information. The cell block area itself was overwhelming. It's sad but realistic.
Children under 12 are not permitted in the main areas. It's not safe as the rails are not child friendly obviously since this is an actual
Prison.
Something you'd do once but not really need to go again.
Lots of reading of historical information. The cell block area itself was overwhelming. It's sad but realistic.
Children under 12 are not permitted in the main areas. It's not safe as the rails are not child friendly obviously since this is an actual
Prison.
Something you'd do once but not really need to go again.
Written June 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gallaghera416
Las Vegas, NV
Apr 2015 • Family
I was looking for something to do with my grandchildren on a Sunday afternoon visit. We found the museum (attached to the current prison) and saw a sample of 4 tier actual prison cells ( that were in a couple of current movies) . The kids got to get their finger prints and sample a visitor to prison cell. Overall I rally liked it. It was $9 for a self guided tour and took as long as we wanted ( about 45 min). The only down side was no cell phones or camera are allowed inside.
Written April 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
acaligiuri7
Ann Arbor, MI
Jan 2015 • Couples
Walking into the holding area you stand where prisoners were stripped down and searched before entering into their new home at cell block 7. Its cold and fluorescently lit. I felt it really set the scene for stepping into the large prison section. Cells built up four levels with a large echoed common area below. Each prisoner got a cot, a locker, a toilet, and a sink. You can walk in and sit in a cell to get a feel for how life would be like in a prison setting. There are no windows to see out of, an ominous buzzing sound from the lighting, and you can imagine how loud it would be inside full of prisoners. Each stairwell has stories, photos, and historical artifacts of prison life, the history of Jackson, and some of the famous escapees. Its well worth a stop, plan on about 2 hours to visit.
Written February 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
One member of our group has back problems. Are there places to sit as you go through the prison?
Written June 25, 2018
Fervis
Land O Lakes, Florida
There are places to sit in the cell block area. I saw a wheelchair where
we bought our tickets.
Written June 27, 2018
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