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New Jersey Haunted|Museums

This Abandoned New Jersey Prison Is Thought To Be One Of The Most Haunted Places On Earth

By Kim Magaraci | Published March 15, 2022

Did you know that New Jersey is home to one of the most haunted prisons in the world? The Burlington County Prison in Mount Holly was the site of some unspeakable horrors, jailbreaks, and even deaths. Today, the abandoned building has been restored and preserved as the Historic Burlington County Prison Museum.

High Street is the centerpiece of downtown Mount Holly, New Jersey. If you walk along the well-maintained sidewalks for a bit, away from the shops and restaurants, you'll find yourself standing face-to-face with one of the most haunted prisons in the world.

This old brick, stone, and concrete jail was built in 1811. The materials and the vaulted ceilings made the building so resilient and fireproof that it was in continuous use until 1965.

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The Burlington County Prison was one of the most notorious in the state. There were multiple deaths within these walls...

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... and it was the last prison in New Jersey to host a public hanging, in 1906.

Newspaper clippings from the prison's time tell the tale of jailbreak, fights, suicides, and even an instance of an inspector finding that the captives had no beds, and were forced to sleep on the floor.

Over the years, the museum has been a hotbed of paranormal activity. Employees and visitors alike experience chills, odd sounds, and unexplained phenomena.

Today, you can walk right up the stone steps and into this house of horrors.

The Museum is open year-round, and they often host events. In the fall, you can even take a ghost tour and hear tales of spirits that never left.

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Tours are self-guided and are fascinating to anyone who enjoys learning about history.

Come on in to the Burlington County Prison Museum... don't worry, the spirits won't (likely) follow you home.

For more information and to plan your visit, check out the Burlington County website.

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Burlington County Prison Museum, 128 High St, Mt Holly, NJ 08060, USA