Final 2016 tourism figures for the Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP), released Thursday by the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), report 32,811 visitors this year to the 1836 landmark that closed in 2004.
"It's been exciting to see how much the tours have grown in just the last few years," CVB executive director Diane Gillespie said. "Since we signed the 15-year use agreement with the state Office of Administration (OA) and the Jefferson City Council, we were able to increase our marketing efforts and reach out to groups years in advance. People are so fascinated with prison life, and the paranormal side has really drawn attention to the facility."
Mayor Carrie Tergin often reminds her City Council colleagues and the public that the robust tourist tally for this year compares with just 3,000 as recent as 2009.
That surge in attendance marks a 25 percent increase over 2015, with total 2016 revenue at $648,000 - a net profit of $87,000 after expenses. More than $95,000 of the gross receipts was spent on major capital improvement projects at the prison, consistent with the 15-year contract between the state's OA and Jefferson City.
Preservation projects completed at MSP in 2016 included the repair of a pilaster on Housing Unit 3 and the replacement and repair of lights in Housing Unit 4.
Another step forward in 2016, Gillespie said, was contracting with the Department of Corrections to clean MSP.
The CVB's world also took a significant step forward this past summer when it moved its offices and the MSP museum to the Col. Darwin W. Marmaduke House at 700 E. Capitol Ave., directly across the street from MSP.
Gillespie said the museum's new quarters and address have proven beneficial for management of the tours, as well as heightened attendance at the museum.
"We ended 2015 with 2,000 visitors to the museum," tour coordinator Sheila Sanford said.
"From the time we moved the museum in May until now," she said, "we have had around 6,600 visitors."
Sanford believes the marked increase in museum visitors correlates with the convenience of the new location and the addition of several new items loaned to the museum by former deputy warden Mark Schreiber.
"The basement of the Marmaduke House is the perfect location for the museum," she said, "with the original limestone walls and dungeon-like appearance giving it more authenticity and an overall better experience for our visitors."
Katherine Reed, communications manager for the CVB, added, "Since moving to the Marmaduke House, the number of walk-in visitors has doubled. We get a lot of people who love exploring historic mansions, and even those who grew up on Capitol Avenue or nearby have returned to take a tour of MSP. Many of them have such neat stories related to the prison and enjoy seeing the improvements taking place with the MSP redevelopment."
There are many partnerships involved in the success of the prison tours, Gillespie said. She includes the state, the mayor, the City Council and Cole County Commission, among many others.
Gillespie, reflecting on this record-setting year for the high-profile tourist magnet, also paid tribute to her CVB staff, the MSP tour staff and museum volunteers. She said those folks have made the tour experiences unique and attractive to the many visitors.
"Everyone feels the positive impact the tours have generated," Gillespie said. "We are just so grateful to the community for their support and for being able to showcase our beautiful city's history."
One of those partnerships is surely with the local representation in the General Assembly.
State Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, who advocates for MSP and CVB in the House of Representatives, said Thursday of the 25 percent increase in tourist visits, "This is great news. Looking to the future, redevelopment of the area can bring even more economic development."
Barnes is on target. While the $648,000 in revenue and 32,811 visitors are hefty statistics, they pale in comparison to the numbers posted by other decommissioned prisons around America. Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, of course, has been romanticized in movies and on television and is an established golden icon of tourism under the Golden Gate.
The Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia (1829-1971) recorded 350,000 visitors last year, more than 10 times MSP's record.
"We are often compared to Alcatraz since it is also a well-known facility and often on the list of recently visited prisons among our visitors," Gillespie said. "We frequently hear our tours are better, because they are guide-led and more intimate than the audio tours at Alcatraz. The MSP also is 100 years older than Alcatraz."
She continued, "We compare ourselves to Eastern State. Tours at this facility began in the 1990s, and they are mostly audio and self-guided tours. However, they are able to host numerous types of events throughout the year, which is a goal we are working towards. They brought in 350,000 visitors in 2025, but that number reflects their location on the map and population size.
"They also are able to host more visitors with the self-guided tours and they are open year-round. The prices are comparable to our two-hour history tours," Gillespie explained.