The Old Idaho State Penitentiary

The Old Idaho State Penitentiary is one of the most notorious historic prisons in the American West. Located just outside Boise, the prison operated from 1872 to 1973 and held more than 13,000 inmates during its century of use.

When the penitentiary first opened in 1872, there were only a handful of inmates and they actually built much of the prison themselves. Using locally quarried sandstone, prisoners constructed the massive cell blocks, walls, and guard towers that still stand today.

The Old Idaho State Penitentiary closed in 1973…
but some say it never emptied.

In solitary, a cell once held an inmate known only as “183.” Visitors still feel watched standing outside it.

At the gallows, people hear footsteps…
and wood creaking, like something just dropped.

In the women’s ward, it’s quieter.
Nothing particularly scary, just the sound of someone crying when no one’s there.

And in Cell House 5, damaged during the 1971 riot,
shadows move through the ruins… even when you’re alone.

Maybe it’s just history. Or maybe some places don’t let go of what happened inside them.

Fun fact: I spent my 35th birthday exploring the Old Idaho State Penitentiary. The air about the place was tragic and unusual. So much so that we couldn’t even go into the building where the gallows were. But we did go into the solitary confinement building and that…that was one of the creepiest places I have set foot in.