1876 Arizona Territorial Prison and 'Hell Hole' of the Old West
220 N Prison Hill Rd, Yuma, AZ 85364
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Adult admission is approximately $8; reduced rates for youth, military, and seniors. Special evening event pricing is higher.
Access
Limited Access
Stone-paved cellblocks, granite-bluff site, narrow cell entries; outdoor walking
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1876 · Arizona State Park (1961) · National Register of Historic Places · Arizona Territorial Prison (1876-1909) · Yuma's Hell Hole of the West
Yuma Territorial Prison received its first seven prisoners on July 1, 1876. The complex sat on a granite bluff overlooking the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers, a strategic location chosen for its natural defenses and water access. Inmates quarried the building stone from the bluff itself and constructed the original cellblocks, the main wall, and the Dark Cell isolation chamber.
Over the next 33 years, the prison housed 3,069 individuals serving sentences for offenses ranging from horse theft and polygamy to murder. Twenty-nine women were among the population. The Dark Cell, a 10-by-10 foot windowless room cut into the bluff and reached through an iron grate, served as a solitary-confinement chamber for prisoners deemed unmanageable; inmates assigned to the Dark Cell were chained to ring-bolts in the floor and held in essentially complete darkness for as long as several days at a time.
The prison closed on September 15, 1909, when operations were transferred to the new Arizona State Prison at Florence. The Yuma buildings were used as the temporary home of Yuma Union High School from 1910 to 1914, and the high school's football team is still known as the Criminals. The grounds passed through several other uses, including a Depression-era encampment, before being given to the City of Yuma.
In 1961, Yuma Territorial Prison became Arizona's third state park. It is administered today by Arizona State Parks and Trails. The site preserves the original cellblocks, the Dark Cell, the guard tower, the main wall, and the prison cemetery where 104 inmates are buried. The complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Ghost Adventures filmed an episode at the prison (Season 12, Episode 8, Hell Hole Prison), and USA Today readers have voted the site the Best Haunted Destination in the nation.
Sources
The Dark Cell concentrates Yuma Territorial Prison's most-reported phenomena. The 10-by-10 foot chamber, cut into the granite bluff and accessed through an iron grate, was used to confine prisoners considered unmanageable by the prison administration. Inmates were chained to ring-bolts in the floor and held in essentially complete darkness for as long as several days. Visitors today describe an immediate sense of being watched when entering the cell, sudden temperature drops, and brief pressure on the shoulders or arms.
The most-cited specific entity is the girl in the red dress. Tour materials and ghost-hunt narratives identify her as the spirit of a young girl who reportedly drowned in the Colorado River retrieving a doll, and who is said to interact with visitors at the prison, particularly those wearing red clothing. The historical anchor for this account is uncertain; the girl is not named in surviving prison records, and her connection to the actual operating prison is at best indirect. The narrative remains a standard part of the after-hours tour.
Other reports include footsteps in the cellblocks, the sound of coins jingling in the prisoner-recreation area, and the persistent smell of food cooking near the mess hall. Ghost Adventures investigated the site in Season 12, Episode 8 (Hell Hole Prison), and USA Today readers have voted Yuma Territorial Prison the Best Haunted Destination in the United States in recent annual polls.
The prison sees more than 20,000 visitors annually. Arizona State Parks balances the documented frontier-prison history with the building's contemporary reputation as a paranormal destination; both daytime educational tours and after-hours ghost programs operate on a regular schedule.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Self-guided walk through the original cellblocks, the Dark Cell, the guard tower, and the prison cemetery where 104 inmates are buried. Museum exhibits cover the 3,069 prisoners confined during the 1876-1909 operational period.
Hour-long guided interpretation focuses on individual prisoner histories, the Dark Cell's solitary-confinement design, and the prison's reputation as the Hell Hole of the West.
Seasonal after-hours paranormal program visits the Dark Cell, the women's ward, and the cellblocks at night with experienced guides. USA Today readers have voted the prison the Best Haunted Destination in the United States.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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