A really neat piece of history. Loved that we had free rein to wander. Loved the history downstairs too. The gal that was working was very friendly as well. read more

Stopped here about 30 min before closing and glad I made the super last minute decision to do so! It's an old jail, but also the living quarters of the sheriff and his family. The first floor has historical artifacts from the area, and the top three or four floors are the jail. It is super creepy up there but fascinating. It seems so old, and it is, but it was also used up til the 1980s! Absolutely worth the $5 entry (cash only). Take the 5 min walk from the beautiful town square and check it out! It would probably only take you 30min to 45min to see fully. read more

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Before we headed to Lockhart we looked into places to visit. The Pearl, Museum of Clocks, and BBQ. This historic site did not come up. The owner of a small but cool store suggested it saying it needs better advertising and the reviews prove that. Lately I have tried to make my reviews a bit more fun and story like but I have to say while I'm glad we saw this is feels wrong to be frivolous or fun. This is a depressing place and thinking that actual people were locked up here angers you or makes you sad. A small heads up we didn't have, there is a monument out front to "Our confederate soldiers". We got caught off guard. Inside we were greated by a kid running the show. Friendly but awkward. He tried to engage conversation but it felt forced. I personally got the impression he either doesn't normally do this or interact with people or he was told to engage more by the company he works for, still he tried. They have T-Shirts for sale. Larger sizes not available. A book of clearer photos of the graffiti in the cells from the time of its use and a book of stories of people who visited that had been locked up there were available. It is all self guided. No signs for tours or even headphones with the story. Everyone can just go anywhere including children. This opens up some issues. The hand railings on the stone and metal steps are adult height. There is debris around, evething is metal so children running free could be easily hurt. Also unless the parent explains to the kid the overall concept may not hit. They have recreations of rooms that cattlemen families or important people in the county. Also maybe family of the jailers. It wasn't very clear and the descriptions are in the rooms where you can't go. Also various other historical pieces which we took pictures of to post here. The stairs going up are crowded, low ceilings. Steps seem smaller then modern ones and it was foreboding looking up where you were headed. As Shana said you felt tall even though you know you aren't. The cells felt claustrophobic even when you weren't locked up. Upstairs are the cells and man is it depressing. Awful to imagine people were here. It's hot,cramped, all metal including the beds and tables. It's hard to convey in words The feeling of hopelessness there. Then through in the graffiti from that time. It all looks ancient but this ran until 1983! There were several floors of two person cells. They had a dumb waiter to deliver food. The top floor had a slight difference in the cells there had a two door system coming out of the cells. I wonder if the more violent offenders may have been locked up there on that floor. Overall a interesting if depressing look at how we treat people who commit any type of crime. I'm glad we came but it would not be for everyone. read more

Caldwell County Museum - Paying a visit - Museums Near Me - Lockhart, Texas

Pulled up to this place and was not really expecting much, but I was wrong. Walked in and the lady working the front is super sweet and very informative. There were lots of artifacts back in time from the jail to look at. Going upstairs into the actual cells is the best part by far. Very small place but very cool. You get to see how prisoners lived and how big their cells were (not very). 4 stories worth of cells and it's worth it to walk up to the top of it all. Very neat to see all the names that were scratched into the wall from back when prisoners were in the cells. I'd say it's worth your time to go and your this place. Really only takes about 30 minutes, so it's not long. I really enjoyed this place and learned quite a bit. read more

Caldwell County Museum - Front of building - Museums Near Me - Lockhart, Texas

I am so remiss in not writing this review sooner but i really wanted to keep it a secret. We stumbled upon this cool old place on our BBQ quest. I hadn't heard much about it but we we saw the building and thought it was cool. Turns out, it's a museum. The first floor has interesting exhibits of the obligatory cool old stuff and great information on how the jail was used in the past. It's fascinating that the sheriff's entire family used to occupy the first floor and the top 3 floors are jail cells. It was the sherrif's wife's job to cook for all of the prisoners. How fun would that be? It was 103 degrees out and we were the only ones in the museum. The tour lady told us some really cool stories about the sheriff and then turned us loose to roam the three floors of rusting jail cells. This place was pretty heavy duty! It was 103 outside and at least 113 in those cells. Fascinating place. read more

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I feel like this is a place that you wouldn't know was there or be able to find unless someone told you about it and that is sad because if you are ever in Lockhart I would definitely recommend stopping here! This is a great museum with a variety of history that doesn't just pertain to the jail. Of course you get to tour the upstairs old jail with flashlights as well! The architecture of the building on the outside is beautiful! There is free street parking outside and it's only $3.00 (I think) for entry. The very nice lady when you walk in will offer to tell you a brief history and you should take her up on it. I learned some cool things like the family lived downstairs with the prisons right above their heads. The kids had sleepovers and such and the wife of the Sheriff was in charge of cooking the prisoner's meals and hoisting them up the dumb waiter! You then have the option to tour the downstairs artifacts and history or grab your flashlights and go upstairs. Also, take note that there is not any air conditioning so, be prepared to be hot or go when the weather is cooler. If you are claustrophobic you will not like touring the upstairs jail, especially the first floor at the top of the landing. We toured the downstairs area first and there was lots of great old photographs and furniture. We then went and got our flashlights from the front of the museum and headed through the heavy steel door that led to a staircase. It was dark, dingy and you really got the feel of what it would have been like to be stuck in there. Wear comfy tennis shoes because it's easy to trip. The first floor is the scariest and the closest quarters in the shared cells. There is also some cells that were meant for one or two prisoners. There is still writing on the wall from some prisoners counting days that they were there. The second level of the jail is easier to breath on and seemed way less closed in and hot. The third floor was comprised of a single cell and the lady told us that it was solitary or probably used if their was a woman prisoner. I have to say there is a great view of the city from up there. Stop by and support this museum because places like this are few and far between. They also have a donation box on the way out if you would like to contribute! Very neat history of the early days of this small town! read more

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They're only open Sat and Sunday afternoon and request bunches of money from city head & bed tax. The same dust and cardboard boxes I saw there 30 years ago are still present. No "exhibits" are rotated. read more

What an interesting place! I wanted a nice day trip from Austin today, so I went to Lockhart. Had the obligatory BBQ! Then stopped by the Caldwell County Museum. I was the only visitor there at that time, so I got to talk quite a bit with the lady running it. She was wonderful and so informative. I learned a lot about the jail and about other historical parts of the Lockhart area. She was so sweet and answered all my questions. I wish I'd had more time to talk with her. It is a small jail, so huge groups might be difficult all at once. But it'd be a great educational experience for school kids (and adults!) Others have mentioned that it's not air conditioned upstairs in the cells. Well, it's a jail, not the Ritz! But, they're right - you might want to schedule a visit when our Texas heat isn't over 105 degrees! The first floor has a/c (and fans going), so that floor is pleasant - and there's a lot to see on that floor. It's only open on Sat and Sun - 1:00-5:00, so plan to go there on a weekend. But do go. It's a great place to visit. Like the other reviewers here, I highly recommend it. read more

I love old historical places and this one is awesome! Would definitely go back (on a cooler day) with my family. read more

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This place is def a great place to visit. Such a great little town with great bbq and this museum put the cherry on top! It was so cool to actually be able to touch the jail cells and to take pictures unlike most museums. Really felt like I was in jail in those times. Super cool! read more

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Awesome little secret of Lockhart! The lady running the place was so sweet and excited to tell us a little about the place before giving us a flashlight and letting us walk around at our own pace and enjoy what used to be a place of misery to the people who used to STAY there. The place is under no restoration and that alone makes it a treasure to check out! With old Lockhart items on the ground floor and the cells above, this was very informative and educational as well as just down right fun! Well worth the $2 entree fee, and a great place to go while you wait for the lines at the BBQ joints to die down! FYI IT IS HOT SO BE PREPARED TO SWEAT! read more

After trying to go here for several years, we were pleasantly surprised. What a cool house/jail with great history. Well worth the $2 entry fee and was my kind of museum. The bottom floor had some interesting exhibits on old time living and the evolution of barbed wire. The jail was on the top three floors. The jail cells were amazing to walk through and you can truly feel what it was like to be an inmate. Some may consider it cruel and unusual punishment today. Try to count the number of beds they crammed into the space. Then go through the creaky stairs to the top floor and check out solitary confinement. The staff is incredibly knowledgable about Lockhart history and the jail and exhibits. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! read more

Caldwell County Museum - Museums Near Me - Lockhart, Texas

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Worth going to while your BBQ digests. For $2 you get to roam this small 4-story jail house. The first floor has some display cases with items and information and the top three floors offer a trip back in time when inmates were kept in tiny cells in this brick building. The actual jail portion appears to be untouched since it was abandoned, allowing visitors to explore the heavy,rusty iron doors and bed frames of every dark cell. It's a little spooky being in the tiny cells, reading the carvings in the peeling paint on the walls. The single cell on the forth floor, the only floor with much natural light, offers a good lookout view of Lockhart. My friend and I had fun and felt it was interesting and spooky enough to earn our $2. read more

My friend and I just finished 2 out of 4 locations for the Lockhart BBQ trail. This museum was on a list of things to do so we decided to head there. Admission was $2 per person. The lady at the desk was really nice and told us the story of the jailhouse/sheriff's home. The first floor was a home and the upstairs was a jail. Downstairs you got to see artifacts and how people lived back in the told days. It was actually a jail till 1980. Upstairs was the jail. The paint was fading and it looked miserable. There were switches to open and close the doors. The rooms differ. You definitely don't want to be in jail. You could actually see outside the streets from there. It's a small place, but you don't see something like this everyday. I enjoyed my visit. Lots of people showed up during my visit to see it. read more

The old Lockhart Jail in this building is one of the 'creepiest' places I've ever been in. To imagine being locked up there for any amount of time must have been sheer torture. This was an eye-opener and a fabulous place to go get 'creeped out'. Lots of 'tortured' spirits in this place... read more