Colorado Museum of Prisons
Fremont County boasts ADX Florence, the only supermax prison in the United States. Unofficially known as the Alcatraz of the Rockies, it houses inmates deemed the most dangerous and in need of the tightest control.
This isn’t the only prison in the area. In fact, there are nine State of Colorado Correctional Facilities in Fremont County, making it a fitting home for the Colorado Museum of Prisons.
Located in Cañon City, where it shares a stone wall and armed towers with a prison that’s been in operation since 1871, the Colorado Museum of Prisons showcases the history of prison life in Colorado.
The museum uses 30 inmate cells to depict prison life starting as early as the territorial days. Exhibits draw from over 140 years of history with topics that include Alfred Packer (the notorious cannibal), Antone Wood (a child murderer), prison living conditions, punishments, and more.
The museum also offers ghost tours of historic downtown Cañon City from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Guides dressed in period costumes lead you through the city’s streets and entertain you with stories of haunted buildings, lynchings, and the city’s frontier years.
Colorado Museum of Prisons
201 North 1st Street | Cañon City, CO 81212 | 719-269-3015 | website