The Historic Burlington County Prison Museum in Mount Holly – described by paranormal investigators as one of New Jersey’s most haunted historic sites – will be hosting Historic Ghost Tours on Friday evenings throughout the month of October. The free tours will touch upon some of the darker aspects of the prison’s past, along with stories of the ghostly spirits rumored to still be lurking in the prison halls and cells.
October is the season of spooky fun, and the Burlington County Parks System is inviting residents interested in the paranormal and tales of spirits that go bump in the night to visit the Historic Burlington County Prison Museum.
The former prison – described by paranormal investigators as one of New Jersey’s most haunted historic sites – will be hosting Historic Ghost Tours on Friday evenings throughout the month of October. The free tours will touch upon some of the darker aspects of the prison’s past, along with stories of the ghostly spirits rumored to still be lurking in the prison halls and cells.
Located on High and Grant streets in Mount Holly, the Burlington County Prison was once the oldest continuously used jails in America. It housed criminals for more than 150 years from 1811 to 1965.
Although the county originally considered demolishing the structure after it closed, the then Board of Freeholders were convinced to save the structure, and it reopened as a museum in 1966. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Last year, the county celebrated the completion of a $2.9 million renovation project at the museum that included replacing the roof, masonry repairs and preservation work on inmate graffiti. The graffiti includes religious images and Bible verse, calendars and even notes about inmates’ families and loved ones.
“Burlington County is rich with history, and the Historic Prison Museum is one of the county’s most prized assets. It offers visitors a unique look at the life and experiences of prisoners, guards, law enforcement officers and others during the more than century and a half the prison operated,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, the liaison to the County Department of Resource Conservation and Parks. “It’s also become a must-visit destination for people interested in the paranormal, including SyFy’s Ghost Hunters. Whether you’re interested in American history, architecture, true crime or stories of ghosts and unexplained phenomena, the Prison Museum has something different for every visitor to enjoy.”
The Historic Ghost Tours will be offered at the Prison Museum every Friday night between 7 to 10 p.m. now through Oct. 24, plus Thursday night, Oct. 30. Tours will start every 30 minutes and will be guided by Parks historians. Each tour will be limited to 10 people at a time.
The museum’s regular operating hours are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from Noon to 4 p.m.
In addition to the Ghost Tours, the Prison Museum has so-called “spirit boxes” available for visitors to rent. The boxes are like transistor radios and can detect activity from spirits who manipulate the radio waves to form words or phrases. The museum charges $5 for visitors to use a spirt box for up to 45 minutes.
The museum also has an audio tour available for visitors to learn more about the prison and life behind its walls during the 1800s and early 1900s, and a fun “escape game” to test visitors’ skills at logic, observation, logic, memory and riddle-solving.
Proceeds from the escape game and spirit boxes go to the Prison Museum Association, a nonprofit group dedicated to the preservation of the museum and its history.
The Prison Museum Association website, https://www.prisonmuseum.net/, also has an archive with the names of thousands of inmates who served time in the jail, along with information on the prison’s architect, Robert Mills, and many of the county officials, sheriffs, wardens, judges and lawyers associated with it.
