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Colorado Attractions|Museums

The Museum Of Prisons In Colorado Is Not For The Faint Of Heart

By Annie | Published February 01, 2017

Whenever I visit a museum, I typically expect to find a lot of the same old, like local heritage, precious gems, state history, and so on. If this is also your definition of a museum, you and I have both been extremely sheltered, as Colorado is home to this — err, unique — museum that is not for the faint of heart:

Located in Cañon City, the Museum of Colorado Prisons is housed inside the former Women’s Correctional Facility, which was originally constructed in 1935.

(Not-So Fun Fact: This part of the area is the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility, which is still very much in use and should not be confused with the museum!)

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Nestled within this dark and surprising museum are a number of different exhibits and artifacts, including original jail cells...

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...creepy (albeit impressive) inmate art...

...and other various displays of seized contraband and inmate possessions.

As if the concept of this museum wasn't eerie enough, here is something else that you should know: the Museum of Colorado Prisons is allegedly plagued by the paranormal.

According to numerous reports, the premises are haunted by the lingering spirits of those who resided in the women’s prison.

When you visit the museum, keep your eyes, ears, and nose peeled for the common sight of orbs, sound of unexplained coughing and screams, and scent of fresh tobacco (when no one is around).

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The Museum of Colorado Prisons is located at 201 1st St in Cañon City and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information, visit the museum's website.

For even more downright quirky museums, check out Here Are 7 Museums In Colorado That Are Just Too Weird For Words.

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