Drive-By
Historic exterior viewing
View the 1898 county jail's limestone-and-brick exterior within Guthrie's National Historic Landmark district.
- Duration:
- 20 min
No photograph
on file
Est. 1898on file
HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
- 01Apparition of a man hanging from a rope in the kitchen
- 02Figures appearing on cell-monitoring cameras
- 03Doors slamming and locking by themselves
- 04Unexplained after-hours noises
+ 1 further entry on record
Prison / Reformatory
Logan County Jail
Guthrie's limestone-and-brick county jail has held prisoners since 1898, including members of the Dalton Gang and Bill Doolin, and is reputed to be haunted by inmates who died within its walls.
216 S Broad St, Guthrie, OK 73044
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 3 sources
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Active sheriff's office and detention center; the building exterior is part of Guthrie's historic district. No public interior tours of the jail itself.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved downtown sidewalks.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1898 · Continuously operating county detention site since 1898 · Held Old West outlaws including the Dalton Gang and Bill Doolin · Located within Guthrie's National Historic Landmark district, Oklahoma's first capital · Site of the documented 1903 killing of Jailer Jerry Emerson
The Logan County Jail stands at 216 South Broad Street in Guthrie, Oklahoma, the community that served as the territorial and first state capital of Oklahoma. The county has maintained a detention center on the site since 1898, and the historic structure was built with eighteen-inch-thick walls of dark limestone and brick, capable of housing roughly ninety prisoners across two stories and a basement. It is frequently cited as among the oldest continuously operating jails in the region.
The jail's history is woven into the Old West story of Oklahoma Territory. The notorious Dalton Gang and outlaw Bill Doolin were among its most famous inmates, and in the early 1890s the noted lawman James Masterson served as a Logan County deputy sheriff. The building witnessed genuine violence: on May 14, 1903, Jailer Jerry Emerson was shot and killed by a prisoner escaping the jail, after a woman infatuated with the suspect smuggled him the firearm used in the breakout. Records also note James Phillips, reported as the first white man hanged at the facility in June 1907.
Guthrie's downtown, including the jail, lies within a large National Historic Landmark district that preserves one of the most complete collections of late-Victorian commercial architecture in the United States. The jail remains an active Logan County Sheriff's Office and detention center today, so its interior is not open to the public, but its exterior and history are featured on local heritage and ghost tours.
The combination of documented suicides, executions, and the 1903 jailer killing has given the building a dark reputation that local historians and paranormal investigators alike have explored.
Sources
- https://hauntedoklahoma.blogspot.com/2009/05/logan-county.html
- https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/experiences/oklahoma/haunted-guthrie-ok
- https://www.guthrieok.com/haunted-guthrie
Apparition of a man hanging from a rope in the kitchenFigures appearing on cell-monitoring camerasDoors slamming and locking by themselvesUnexplained after-hours noisesEVP recordings reported by investigators
Both the original Shadowlands submission (from a person describing themselves as a jail worker) and independent local sources describe a persistently haunted reputation at the Logan County Jail. The recurring account holds that numerous inmates and trustees took their own lives over the decades, chiefly by hanging in the kitchen, and that the lights are never turned off because of the unsettling atmosphere. Workers describe hearing odd noises after everyone has settled for the night, seeing figures appear on the cell-monitoring cameras, and witnessing the apparition of a man hanging from a rope in the kitchen. Objects are said to move on their own, and a kitchen door reportedly slammed and locked behind workers.
The Haunted Oklahoma project and other regional sources add further lore: apparitions in the hallways, the voice of a young woman singing in Victorian-era dress, and self-locking doors. The paranormal investigation group G.H.O.U.L.I. reported collecting two electronic voice phenomena (EVP) recordings during an investigation of the building. Some accounts tie the activity to specific historical deaths, including James Phillips, said to have been the first white man hanged at the jail in June 1907.
Because the jail is an active law-enforcement facility, the paranormal accounts come primarily from staff and from documented investigations rather than from open public access. The lore is corroborated across multiple independent Oklahoma sources, distinguishing it from many single-source rural legends, though specific apparition claims remain anecdotal.
Notable Entities
Inmates and trustees said to have died by suicide in the jailYoung woman singing in Victorian-era dress
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Walking Tour Booking Required
Haunted Guthrie walking tour
Local ghost and history walking tours of downtown Guthrie include the Logan County Jail's outlaw and paranormal lore.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Logan County Jail family-friendly?
Exterior viewing and downtown walking tours are family-friendly; content covers historic suicides and executions, which may warrant context for younger children. Overall family fit: Moderate.
How much does it cost to visit Logan County Jail?
Active sheriff's office and detention center; the building exterior is part of Guthrie's historic district. No public interior tours of the jail itself. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Logan County Jail wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Logan County Jail is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Paved downtown sidewalks..