Tours resume at tornado-damaged former Missouri prison

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tours have resumed at a former Jefferson City prison that housed inmates for nearly 170 years after a spring tornado caused millions of dollars of damage.

The Jefferson City News-Tribune reports that guests once again were allowed inside the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City on Tuesday, although some areas remain off limits as officials work out repairs. One area that guests weren’t allowed to enter was Housing Unit 4, which sustained severe roof damage. It was built by inmates in 1868. By that time the prison was already more than 30 years old.

After the prison was decommissioned in 2004, the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau began operating tours, with former prison workers serving as the guides. The 2019 tour season ends for the year on Nov. 30.

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Information from: Jefferson City News Tribune, http://www.newstribune.com