For most inmates, imprisonment means spending days confined within four walls, hearing the clamor of fellow prisoners, and feeling the weight of isolation. When a prison is finally shut down, the lingering memories turn the empty corridors into a chilling tableau. In this article we showcase 10 disturbing eerie photographs of abandoned prisons, each with its own dark tale.
10 Disturbing Eerie Snapshots of Abandoned Prisons
10 Old New Mexico State Penitentiary
Hard‑core criminals sparked two violent riots at the Old New Mexico State Penitentiary before the facility was relocated in 1956. By the 1970s the prison was bursting at the seams, and a newly introduced “snitch system” ignited a fierce backlash among inmates. On February 2‑3, 1980, the prisoners seized control of the complex, taking twelve guards hostage while thirty‑three inmates were brutally murdered by fellow inmates—some tortured as retribution for informing on wardens. Though the guards survived, seven suffered severe beatings and sexual assault.
It took a full thirty‑six hours for police to wrest back authority. Parts of the structure were shut down shortly thereafter and the remaining inmates transferred elsewhere. Today the Old Main of the New Mexico State Penitentiary sits largely deserted; a few sections serve as storage for movie props. Unsurprisingly, many who have toured the empty cells claim to hear phantom whispers and see shadowy figures drifting through the corridors.
9 Sinop Prison
Sinop Prison, perched within the historic Sinop Fortress, dates back to 1887 and earned a reputation as one of Turkey’s oldest detention facilities. In 1939 a two‑storey wing with nine halls was added to accommodate juvenile offenders.
The fortress’s proximity to the sea created a perpetually damp, chilly atmosphere that made even lighting a match a struggle. The prison also became notorious for housing a litany of intellectuals—journalists, politicians, teachers, and poets—who found themselves behind its walls.
Decommissioned in 1997, the inmates were relocated to a newer complex. Today the fortress‑prison welcomes visitors, and plans are afoot to transform its interior into a maritime and justice museum.
8 Her Majesty’s Prison Pentridge
Established in 1851 in Coburg, Victoria, Her Majesty’s Prison Pentridge originally divided its inmates into alphabet‑named sections—A for well‑behaved long‑term prisoners, B for those with poor conduct, G for the mentally ill, and so forth. By the time the doors closed in 1997, the sprawling complex housed over a thousand souls. Among its infamous residents was the legendary bushranger Ned Kelly, whose remains were unearthed in a mass grave in 2009.
While portions of the derelict structure have been repurposed into residential developments, several original divisions remain intact and now serve as venues for ghost tours, inviting daring visitors to explore the lingering specters of its grim past.
7 Candido Mendes
Ilha Grande, a picture‑perfect island off Rio de Janeiro’s coast, hides a grim secret: an abandoned high‑security penitentiary. In 1886 the Lazaretto Hospital opened on the island to quarantine contagious patients. Overcrowding soon plagued the facility, prompting the construction of a modest prison that eventually merged with the hospital, evolving into the military detention center known as Colonia Candido Mendes by 1942.
During wartime the prison shuttered, only to reopen in 1930. As gangs entrenched themselves, violence spiraled out of control, culminating in a 1994 shutdown. One inmate, Julio de Almeida, serving a 28‑year sentence for murder, theft, and attempted escape, elected to remain on the island after the closure, effectively turning the desolate compound into his solitary home.
The ruins now stand as a haunting reminder of the island’s dark chapter, their crumbling walls echoing stories of brutality and isolation.
6 Carabanchel Prison
Opened in 1944 during Spain’s Franco era, Carabanchel Prison quickly became a symbol of political repression. Its panopticon‑style architecture housed political prisoners, unionists, terrorists, and LGBTQ individuals, many of whom endured executions, torture, and relentless abuse.
The facility was decommissioned in 1998, prompting the relocation of its 2,500 inmates. In the wake of its closure, vandals stripped the building of doors, railings, and any salvageable metal. The empty shells later served as a refuge for drug addicts, undocumented migrants, and the homeless.
Ultimately, the decaying structure was razed in 2008, erasing much of its physical presence but leaving an indelible scar on Spain’s collective memory.
5 Goli Otok Prison
Perched on a barren Croatian island, Goli Otok functioned as a political prison from 1949 until 1989 under Yugoslav rule. The camp held Stalinists and anyone suspected of sympathizing with the Soviet Union. Inmates were forced into grueling manual labor regardless of weather, enduring scorching 40 °C (104 °F) heat or relentless cold. Over 400 prisoners either perished, took their own lives, or succumbed to the brutal conditions.
After its abandonment in 1989, the prison fell into decay. Today, shepherds occupy some of its ruins, while adventurous tourists venture there to seek out the lingering ghosts of its turbulent history.
4 Napier Prison
Perched on Napier Hill in New Zealand, the Napier Prison operated from 1862 to 1993, making it the country’s oldest prison complex. It witnessed four public hangings in the 19th century, a grim reminder of its punitive past.
Restored in 2002, the former penitentiary now serves as a backpacker hostel offering an Escape Room Experience and self‑guided audio tours. Visitors can even spend a night in solitary confinement or a padded cell before exploring the historic hanging yard and adjacent graveyard.
Renowned as one of New Zealand’s most haunted sites, tourists frequently report sightings of mass‑murderer Roland Edwards’s specter, floating disembodied faces, and unexplained footsteps echoing through darkness.
3 West Virginia Penitentiary
The gothic‑style West Virginia Penitentiary, operational from 1876 to 1995, was constructed largely by its own inmates. Prisoners labored in carpentry, painting, stone‑cutting, blacksmithing, bakery, and even a hospital, while the institution also ran its own farm and coal mine, saving the state roughly $14 000 annually.
Initially deemed a model facility, conditions deteriorated into extreme violence. A notorious “Sugar Shack” room became a hub for rape, gambling, and brutal fights. In total, thirty‑six murders occurred within its walls, and in 1983, Charles Manson petitioned—unsuccessfully—to be transferred there to be nearer his family.
Riot and escape attempts plagued its final years. By the time it was abandoned, ninety‑four executions had been carried out, casting an ominous aura over the decaying corridors. Today, guided tours let visitors step inside the cells, and some brave souls even spend the night.
2 Holmesburg Prison
Philadelphia’s Holmesburg Prison, dubbed the “Terrordome,” was decommissioned in 1995. Its notorious reputation stemmed from controversial pharmaceutical, biochemical, and dermatological experiments performed on inmates. In 1938, twenty‑three prisoners launched a hunger strike and were confined to the “Klondike,” an isolation cell that reached scorching temperatures of nearly 93.3 °C (200 °F) due to exposed radiators and steam pipes, resulting in the deaths of four inmates who were essentially boiled alive.
The 1970s saw several violent uprisings; in one episode, roughly one hundred prisoners armed with knives and table legs smashed the dining hall and turned on both guards and fellow inmates. Many now believe that poltergeists haunt the building, with restless spirits allegedly charging at unsuspecting visitors.
1 Garcia Moreno Prison
Over a span of more than 140 years, Ecuador’s Garcia Moreno Prison housed everyone from petty thieves to high‑ranking politicians and former presidents. The facility gained notoriety when a jealous inmate strangled his own wife in front of their two children. In 2014, the overcrowded prison—designed for just 300 inmates but forced to hold 2 600—was finally abandoned, and its residents were transferred elsewhere.
Today, the former penitentiary operates as a tourist attraction, its decaying walls adorned with eerie murals and poignant messages left by former inmates, offering visitors a stark glimpse into the suffering that once unfolded within its cells.