It’s not often that a prison gets converted into something more cheerful and less solemn than in its former life. But that’s just the case with this former North Carolina prison that has been converted into a distillery. And even if you’re not into liquor, you’ll still love a tour of “Whiskey Prison.”
From 1929 until 2011, this former prison in Mt. Pleasant, NC was a minimum security prison known as Cabarrus Correctional Center.
But today, there's a new vein of life flowing through the former lockup. America's first-ever distillery in a former prison is churning out award-winning craft micro liquors — and we have to say that if there are any spirits of former residents left behind here, then they are undoubtedly thrilled with their new cellies.
Speaking of ghosts, whether the property is haunted — or not — is another story altogether, but the folks at Southern Grace Distilleries have left most things just as they found them at the prison. The photo below shows the distillery room, where some of the magic takes place in the prison's old D Dorm.
If you're wondering... then YES, you can take a tour of the prison and see the distillery up close. The former bunk room, where many inmates would have slept in one general space, is now the aging room and filled with barrels and barrels of fermenting liquors. (I'll take a barrel, please!)
Your very own tour guide will lead you around the prison giving you the scoop about the various places you'll see, including the individual lockups and even the chapel.
After the tour is over you'll be able to purchase up to five commemorative bottles while at the distillery. If you want more, then their spirits are available at most North Carolina liquor stores, and there just happens to be one about half a mile away from the distillery.
The country's first-ever distillery in a former prison is fun to visit, whether you drink alcohol or not. And the best part? It's located about 20 minutes from Charlotte so it's in a central location in the state!
The Whiskey Prison at Southern Grace Distilleries is located at 130 Dutch Rd., Mt Pleasant, NC 28124. Find out more on the official website. Tours are given on Friday and Saturday at 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The link on the website to book a tour is currently under construction, but you can find information for booking on this page of the website.
For another fun factory tour, head north to this cheese factory in North Carolina.
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