Richmond Gaol
Richmond Gaol
4.5
Speciality MuseumsHistoric SitesArchitectural Buildings
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Richmond Gaol is the oldest fully intact convict Gaol in Australia. It was built 5 years before Port Arthur. It is rare in that it housed both male and female convicts. The cost is $12 per adult $6 per child and $30 per family. Discount for group bookings on request. Ph03 62602127
Duration: < 1 hour
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Top ways to experience Richmond Gaol and nearby attractions

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.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles654 reviews
Excellent
334
Very good
272
Average
37
Poor
9
Terrible
2

Superpear
New Plymouth, New Zealand1,343 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
It only costs $10 per adult to enter, and it is worth every cent. You self-guide yourself around the various buildings using an information sheet, and there is plenty of other exhibits and informative signs as you move around. We found it brilliant, very educational, and well worth the visit.
Give it a go, actually read the information signs, and you'll come away enriched and educated on what life was like back then.
Written February 21, 2020
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.

hammer101
Melbourne, Australia128 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
My wife and I visited the Gaol, $10 entry per person, that's affordable, small gaol and you can get around in 30 mins. great to see the history but I think it could be better. They should have tours, they could run on the hour and would provide a much better experience.
Written March 10, 2020
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.

Old-Aus-Academic
Hobart, Australia99 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
If you are one who is deeply affected by places and the stories they have to tell, you will not find a visit to the Richmond Gaol comforting, but you should find it deeply moving. For me perhaps the saddest stories were those of Aboriginal prisoners incarcerated here, basically for resisting being overrun by the invaders of their country.
Entry fees are not insubstantial, compared say with Port Arthur which is a hugely more informative and diverse experience. But apart from that, for me it is the very bareness and bleakness of this site, that give it such a sombre, even overwhelming presence. Not for everyone, I'm sure, but a powerful experience if you have the stomach for it.
Written January 14, 2020
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.

Jason S
Melbourne, Australia1,693 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2021
This was a real highlight for me while visiting Richmond and there was many great things to see and do around the area.

It’s one of the oldest gaols in the country and I think the only one that hasn’t been altered so Gaol is exactly how it looked in the early to mid 1800”s.

Only $10 entrance and information along the way with recording devices and signage for you to get a good insight to what it would have been like to be a prisoner in that era.

With a gift shop as well it’s a real treat to visit and would highly recommend a visit m.
Written January 9, 2021
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.
Hi Jason, thanks for your review. Glad you enjoyed it. Regards Gaoler Dave
Written March 21, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Dingo_6152
Fremantle, Australia2,040 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Located about 100m off the main road (Bridge Road) behind the old courthouse building is Australia's oldest intact convict gaol.

It is a stark sandstone complex, surrounded by open grass. The gaol is open seven days a week between 9am and 5pm. The gaol is a group of small single-storey buildings located around a central courtyard. It is easy to navigate your way around due to its size. Its walls permeate with history - the tiny solitary confinement and punishment cells, the flogging yard, chain gang rooms and cookhouse - give you a reminder of just how harsh convict life actually was.

Apparently one of the cells in the men's block is haunted though I failed to catch any spirits on camera.

It is definitely worth visiting the gaol if you are visiting Richmond.
Written June 9, 2022
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.

PeterLangston
Tamworth, Australia1,016 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
We started at the Old Richmond Gaol, where in 1825 a plentiful supply of convict labour was sent to Richmond to first build a gaol as a home for them and the a number of public infrastructure projects. One of those is the outstanding bridge which crosses the Coal River at the north end of the town.

The gaol was originally a one story, single building, with a room for women prisoners and one for men. This was extended owing to overcrowding, until it ended as four buildings flanking a central courtyard. By the completion of the buildings, there were two types of prisoners: convicts and debtors. The latter were low risk prisoners who couldn't pay their bills and their incarceration was a lot lighter that the former.

It was interesting but seems to need a bit of a rethink of how visitors absorb information now. The use of technology in providing commentary for each room for mobile phones would be a good start and more engaging than the speaker system used currently.

Cheap entry price,
Written March 15, 2023
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.

Dan L
Bunbury, Australia7,494 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
The Gaol dates to 1825 when construction commenced using convict labour. The self-guided tour pamphlet that we received on admission included fascinating information on the layout and provisions of the original structure also details of the additions in 1833 and 1840. After transportation of convicts ceased in 1853, it became a watch-house and finally ceased operation in 1928. It was registered as a historic site in 1971. Many original items from the period are displayed in the various rooms, the whips, leg irons, handcuffs, etc. Great history and artefacts from a difficult period.
Written May 3, 2022
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.

Warren B
Sydney, Australia276 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
This is a quality museum, showcasing the conditions in which prisoners were kept in the 19th century and also the living conditions for those who ran the prison. It's well set out, with helpful information in each room. A really good adjunct to a viewing of the nearby Bridge which the convicts also built.
Written June 9, 2022
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.

Pat T
Thornlands, Australia41 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Family
Very interesting piece of history in the beautiful little town of Richmond.
Admission is reasonable and includes a scavenger hunt for the kids which even us adults got quite into.
See buildings and conditions as they were when this Gaol was operating.
Small gift shop provides some interesting novelty souvenirs.
Written June 14, 2022
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.

Peter D
Hervey Bay, Australia1,469 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
We were staying in Richmond for a few days, and stopped in here to have a look at the old gaol. The original building was built in 1825 and then added to over the next 15 years. It is not overly large, but nevertheless interesting. The solitary confinement cells give you some idea of what it must have been like to be locked up there. The original oven is still in the cookhouse. Overall worth having a look at. Admission cost is very reasonable.
Written January 26, 2020
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.

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Richmond Gaol - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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