The Missouri State Penitentiary Museum will open next week, kicking off with a ribbon cutting and open house Tuesday.
The museum, located on the second floor of the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, has been planned for more than one year, with the idea growing out of the popularity of the MSP tours. The open house will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The museum features facts about MSP, as well as artifacts and memorabilia from the prison. The museum also includes a replica cell to demonstrate living conditions at the prison. Displays fall into four categories - prison industries, contract labor/private industries, inside the walls, and control and counter-control.
"We are so excited to present this space to the public and the many visitors interested in learning more about the Missouri State Penitentiary," said CVB Executive Director Diane Gillespie in a news release. "As more and more out of town guests travel to Jefferson City to tour the prison, the new museum will give us another way to attract them to our downtown and show them what else our community has to offer."
The long-term goal of the CVB is to house the museum at the MSP site. For the first year of the museum, entrance will be complimentary to those who purchase a ticket for an MSP tour. Walk-in admission to the museum is $3 for adults and $2 for students.