Wyoming Frontier Prison

Wyoming Frontier Prison

Wyoming Frontier Prison
4.5
Speciality MuseumsHistoric Sites
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
The eighty year history of Wyoming’s first state penitentiary, now known as the Wyoming Frontier Prison, is as colorful and elaborate as the plot of a classic western movie. The cornerstone of the prison was laid in 1888, but due to funding issues and Wyoming’s notorious weather, the doors wouldn’t open for thirteen years. In December of 1901, the prison opened and consisted of 104 cells (Cell Block A), no electricity or running water, and very inadequate heating. Throughout the prison’s operation, approximately 13,500 people were incarcerated, including eleven women. Overcrowding was an almost constant concern, and the first of several additions to the penitentiary was completed in 1904, adding 32 cells to the west end of the original cell block (Cell Block A). Women were housed in the prison until 1909, until the last woman was transferred to Colorado. The addition of the second cell block (Cell Block B) in 1950 temporarily relieved the overcrowding, and also included solitary confinement cells, a much more efficient heating system, and hot running water which wouldn’t be installed in the original cell block for another twenty-eight years. A maximum security addition (Cell Block C) was completed in 1966, but the addition only included thirty-six cells and was reserved for serious discipline cases. The prison was equipped with several different means of disciplining inmates throughout its operation, including a dungeon, several variations of solitary confinement and a “punishment pole” to which men were handcuffed and whipped with rubber hoses. The prison also used different execution methods.. The first two executions were carried out using the “traveling” Julien Gallows which were used to hang Tom Horn in Cheyenne in 1903. In 1916, the penitentiary completed the addition of a “death house” which consisted of six cells to house inmates on death row, and a unique indoor version of the Julien Gallows. The building also housed the gas chamber when it was chosen to replace hanging as Wyoming’s execution method of choice in 1936. Ultimately 14 death sentences were carried out; nine men were hanged, and five were executed in the gas chamber by the use of hydrocyanic acid gas. The Wyoming Frontier Prison is a remnant of the grizzly past of the old west, but not every aspect of prison life was so off-putting. Over the 80-year operation, the prison produced goods to meet demands of four major industries. From 1901 through 1917 the prison had a broom factory, but inmates burned it down during a riot. The factory was rebuilt and operated as a shirt factory which brought in twice the revenue to the state. In 1934, a federal law was passed to prohibit the sale and transportation of prison manufactured goods from one state to another, which resulted in the loss of significant revenue when the factory closed. In 1935, the factory began operating as a woolen mill which won the “Navy E” in 1942 for the superior quality blankets produced by the prison for the military during World War II. In 1949 the prison changed production one last time, producing license plates until the penitentiary closed in 1981. After serving the state for eighty years, the prison closed its doors, and sat abandoned until 1987 when a low budget movie titled “Prison” was filmed on location. The movie was one of Viggo Mortensen’s first and featured several other well known actors. Significant damage was done to the prison grounds during filming because it had yet to be considered a historic site. In 1988, a joint powers board assumed ownership of the penitentiary, dubbed it The Wyoming Frontier Prison, and established it as a museum. The Wyoming Frontier Prison has since been listed on The National Registry of Historic Places, and offers tours to approximately 15,000 visitors annually.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles296 reviews
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187
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17
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tumbleweedchris
Richland, WA1,018 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
I stopped in a city amid the large gaps of void and wind to tour this prison that is featured in the movie... Prison. You must take a guided tour of the facility and it is a pretty nice tour at that. You get to see just about all of the facility. From cells to the max security to the kitchen to the gas chamber. It's a full walkthrough and most of it is in the condition it was left in when they stopped hosting prisoners. You may say you have toured some other prison somewhere else, so why stop here? Let's just say you haven't heard every wacky prison practice until you've learned about the Julian Gallows. It's definitely worth a stop if you need an hour detour.
Written October 8, 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.

Doug london
London, UK92 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
A very interesting couple of hours at this prison, the only way round the museum is by going on an organised tour, they seem to run every hour or so and are reasonably priced.

The tour gives you a history of the inmates and the prison which is pretty interesting, they take you to cells, the kitchen , the exercise yards, the max security area and very ghoulish is the gas chamber.

Compared to Alcatraz this felt and even worse place to be incarcerated. Fascinating and gave quite an insight about what it was like in Wyoming at the start of the 20th Century. Made a change from scenery.
Written October 15, 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.

bdalton08
American Fork, UT58 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020
This is such a neat place to visit. There are so many historical elements here. The building, the history and stories of the people who both worked and were incarcerated here, the cemetery, and much more. Definitely worth a stop if you're in or near Rawlins.
Written October 23, 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.

Lars K
Naestved, Denmark387 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Dette museum er bestem et besøg værd.

Guiderne er meget vidende om fængslet, og prisen for rundturen er absolut okay.

Kan kun anbefale et besøg her, de timer er givet godt ud.

(This museum is definitely worth a visit.

The guides are very knowledgeable about the prison and the price for the tour is absolutely okay.

Can only recommend a visit here, the hours are well spent.)
Written September 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.

Brodie G
39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
Learn what it was like to be in prison from the late 1800 over the next 100 years. Very good tour not too long and guide was well informed and entertaining. It is a little depressing, but the then these were hard times and hard people especially a couple who made a couple of return visits.
Written August 7, 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.

Simon and Catrina@TravelOurStyle
Cheshire, UK186 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Couples
Check the website for tour timings as you cannot wander around on your own. The tours are very informative with the tour guide having family connections to the prison what makes this facility different from other more famous prisons we have visited. What makes this different is that did not close its door that long ago. Good museum with plenty of artifacts and gift shop. It’s great place to spend 1.5 hrs if you’re passing through Rawlins on Highway 287 or Interstate 80.
Written October 6, 2024
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.

Bobby W
Longview, TX120 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
This is a very interesting prison with a very good tour. Since the prison closed, very little has been done to the site. Our tour guide was very well versed in the history and did a fine job explaining each section. The death chamber and death row are not to miss. Well worth the price of admission.
Written June 22, 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.

N K
78 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
A very exciting and impressive experience to see a state prison that was still in use until recently, with a death row, gas chamber and detailed explanations of the history and facilities. The corresponding novels by John Grisham come to life again and become very vivid. Visits are only possible with a 1-hour guided tour, which is very descriptive and at the same time tight. You might not sleep so well the following night. So not for the faint-hearted.
Google
Written August 29, 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.

Laura S
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 • Family
Kelia was our tour guide today and she was great. I wasn’t sure about taking 4 kids (ages 6-14) on the tour. They all loved it. She kept everyone engaged and entertained. Definitely worth the stop to break up a day of driving along I80. They had a family rate of $40 for our family if 6. The tour lasts 1 hour.
Written June 18, 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.

Alita M
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Couples
My husband and I were raised in Rawlins and recently brought friends from Oregon to share our memories. We have always wanted to take the tour of the pen and it did not disappoint. Tina our guide made the trip through the historic cell blocks informative and memorable. We would recommend taking this tour. My husband completed his memory by buying a striped uniform made by inmates.
Written July 2, 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.

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Wyoming Frontier Prison, Rawlins

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