Under lock and key

© Nagel Photography/Shutterstock

America’s abandoned prisons and crumbling correctional facilities tell a sobering and sometimes chilling story of the way people have been incarcerated throughout the centuries – often in harsh, cramped conditions and for crimes that no longer exist. From so-called ‘squirrel cage jails’, where tiny cells were rotated using a carousel system, to spooky cell blocks said to be haunted by the ghosts of former inmates and wardens, here are the eeriest abandoned prisons around the US. If you're planning on visiting any spooky spots, be sure to check COVID-19 protocols and state travel advisories before you go. 

America's abandoned prisons you can visit (msn.com)

Under lock and key America’s abandoned prisons and crumbling correctional facilities tell a sobering and sometimes chilling story of the way people have been incarcerated throughout the centuries – often in harsh, cramped conditions and for crimes that no longer exist. From so-called ‘squirrel cage jails’, where tiny cells were rotated using a carousel system, to spooky cell blocks said to be haunted by the ghosts of former inmates and wardens, here are the eeriest abandoned prisons around the US. If you're planning on visiting any spooky spots, be sure to check COVID-19 protocols and state travel advisories before you go.