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    Old Montana Prison Complex

    4.7 (47 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Old Montana Prison Complex Photos

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    Cells
    Jeffrey S.

    There are no fewer than five separate museums, technically, and you get into all of them with one admission--the old prison, the auto museum (listed separately on Yelp), the toy museum, the old west/Yellowstone photography, and to be honest, one museum I can't remember right now. The old prison is the biggest part of this complex, and probably what most people are going to visit. We rolled off of the freeway just wanting to rest our legs and stumbled into this whole thing in Deer Lodge, but it's not like you can miss it. Massive walls and towers, signs, and lots of people parked on the side of the road. We paid our entrance and went through the prison first. Lots of stories, lots of information, and lots of different areas are on the self-guided tour, from the administrative offices, to the yard, to the cell block, the women's prison, the hole, the chapel, and more. It's not been restored, really, except for staging mannequins that scare the bajeeebies out of you when you come around a corner. I kinda like the peeling paint and the decrepit nature of the exposed wires and cracking cement; it helps you remember that this was not built as a museum, but as a prison. On the other hand, it's been out of use since the late '70s and at some point, nature is going to reclaim things and they're going to need massive funding or a demolition crew. There's info everywhere, but one of the stranger things was that none of the info is really contextualized. I understand that feelings can be fresh and maybe some of the families of old officers may still be around, but there are stories about guards being killed and prisoners rioting, and you get to actually see how awful the solitary confinement areas are, but there's not a real contextualization of history, or how we got there, or what we've done since those times. It was clearly a decision, but maybe some discussion about what's happened in criminal justice and reform since those times would help put this into historical perspective. We toured the prison for a long while and didn't leave enough time for the auto museum or other spots, but still managed to get into 3/5 and it was definitely worth the admission. There's a small park/picnic area (labeled as such) across the street and that's where we ate lunch before getting back on the road. A fun stop and the epitome of a big road trip surprise.

    Maxine P.

    While staying nearby we discovered the Old Prison Museum of Montana, which was first established in 1871. Interesting tour that takes you through the colorful history and buildings that were used until 1979. As we walked through some of the buildings you could image how difficult it must have been locked up in these very small cold cells. The newer cell blocks were larger than the much smaller darker, damper ones. The tour took us through the dark tunnels and the pick black cell that prisoner were placed in for misbehaving. I recommend taking the time to take in this look back in history of the Montana prison system then walk next door and visit the Car Museum.

    Suzi P.

    The experience here!!!! If you're at all sensitive and intrigued by the paranormal and cars I suggest making a trip to this place.

    Christopher H.

    Deer Lodge, Montana. Gigantic, organized, clean, informative old school prison (think Alcatraz) turned museum for us to witness the craziness that our ancestors lived. Access/Roads: A Paved. Parking: A Unless the town has stuff going on then parking will be an F. Distance: C Helena, Montana - 55 miles Boise, Idaho - 450 miles Salt Lake City, Utah - 500 miles. Los Angeles, California - 1,200 miles. Costs: A Paying $10 gets you into five museums. Nearby Attractions: Frontier Museum. Montana Auto Museum. Powell County Museum. Montana Police Memorial Territorial Antiques Doll/Toy Museum Grant Kohrs Historic Ranch and Cottonwood Mini-City. Travel safely. Picture gallery: https://www.facebook.com/SiRTurbo/media_set?set=a.10157282567652324&type=3&uploaded=57 IG @cigarcpa www.cleeshyun.com

    Ashley S.

    Saw a billboard and had to stop as I work with inmates back at home. We first went to the inmate goods store. Some of the stuff was beautifully crafted! The cashier was a trustee and we spoke a bit about the prison stats. Ended up purchasing a key chain made by an inmate. 75% of the sale goes to the prison and 25% to the inmate crafter. We then went over to the prison and auto museum entrance. I did the self guided walking tour of the prison and mom chose to do the car collection. The prison grounds were very interesting! You could walk into just about any building and there were information signs about the buildings. Some areas just felt too heavy and I could t walk in alone (such as little Siberia). In the cell block, I caught an orb flying through. Thought it was just some rain on my lense so I wiped it and snapped another picture and it was there again and moving. Creepy!

    Deer lodge montana prison
    Tracey F.

    Great stop very interesting, lots of other museums included in your ticket price as well. With the stop

    Tom B.

    I've seen a lot of prisons and auto museums but it's still interesting to tour different ones. I'm always amazed at the stonework looks like it will last forever it's hard to image what it was like for the prisoners mostly in the winter. It was worth stopping and touring both if you forget your mask they sell them for a dollar donation

    Solitary confinement
    Katie F.

    What an amazing place to visit for the harder side of Montana history. Some of the walls and building have beautiful stone work - completed by inmates. Great walking tour. Some areas are in grave disrepair- it would be wonderful to see it maintained a bit better. It is also amazing that the prison was right on Main Street.

    Kim K.

    This museum is fabulous! It's all self guided which is fine because the guide book given to you is extremely clear and loaded with information. The ambiance is a little creepy because all you can do is imagine what it was like to be a prisoner. The tour paints a very vivid picture of what prison life is like. Still, I enjoyed how open and accessible all areas of the prison were, I wasn't expecting to get so up close to things like cells, etc. You could easily spend a whole day here between the prison and auto museums. The price of admission is well worth it. I highly recommend both!

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    11 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    4 years ago

    A ton of history! Very enjoyable to see all the old cars. And the old prison tour was very educational

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    6 years ago

    really cool place, cant wait to take my 13 year old son . i took lots of great photos

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    8 years ago

    Incredible History. Plan to spend at least 2 hours to get the full effect of the complex.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Old Montana Prison Complex

    Review Highlights - Old Montana Prison Complex

    I unfortunately only got to the car museum and the prison museum, ok, so I refused to go to the doll museum.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Montana Historical Society

    Montana Historical Society

    4.8(6 reviews)
    36.8 mi

    After breakfast I was looking for things to pass the time to digest while also learning more about…read moreMontana and this museum fit the bill perfectly. This is located right across the Montana State Capitol building. The museum entrance fees are as followed: - $5 (adult) - $1 (children) - $12 (family: 2 adults and immediate children under 19) - free (members) Once you pay your fees you get a sticker and a receipt which you can actually use as admission for two days. You can go in and out during the day as well if you just keep your receipt. There are a good amount of exhibits here, including one about the history of children toys, history of bison and other wildlife in the area, the daily lives of Native Americans, and the journey of Lewis and Clark through Montana. Some of my favorites were reading and seeing clothing, weapons, tipis, and other artifacts that Native Americans used to live, trade, and hunt. You can actually go into a replica of a tipi and sit on one of the chairs like how they would. I also learned about the history of their interactions with Lewis and Clark as they made their way through Montana, including wars that broke out between them and resulted in whites taking over their land and pushing them out. There were also some exhibits about the different tribes in the state and where they lived then and now. This museum was very informative and is exactly what I am looking for when I want to learn about the history of wherever I'm visiting, especially for a small entrance fee. If you're in Helena and looking to learn more about the area I recommend coming here!

    This was an excellent visit for our family. The center has a great collection of artifacts from…read moreMontana history. It is right across from the Capital building.

    Photos
    Montana Historical Society
    Montana Historical Society
    Montana Historical Society

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    Dumas Brothel - One of the upstairs rooms

    Dumas Brothel

    4.0(3 reviews)
    28.0 mi

    Disappointed!! Well, it does have a great story behind them but it stops there. At $15.00 per…read moreperson, pretty pricey. While I agree that it's always best to keep an old historical building in its original condition, preservation. Is important. But, the new owners took control In 2018, and they still have so many rooms still being used for storage. Very disorganized. It smells horrible and the damp floors were soft and in some places, it felt like the floorboards were going to collapse from under me. I'm actually surprised, the City hasn't condemned it yet. Interestingly, it was the longest running Brothel in the US.... 1890-1982 !! The downstairs area, as told, has been kept original, including booze bottles, curtains & cigarette butts. Rugs, wet walls & I'm sure the bedding is what is smelling. But.....by being on the Historical Records, it should not allow the extensive condition of this place. I don't know.., but, there has to be Reconstruction Grants available. I wouldn't pay that price for this condition of a museum. Very sad.

    One of my favorite museums to visit in Montana, the Dumas Brothel is currently the longest running…read morebrothel in the U.S., and it has a unique history that speaks to Butte's history and the history of women's labor. Our guide, who owns the building with her husband, was friendly and super knowledgeable about history, the women who worked at the brothel, the brothel's founders, and the building's architecture. We learned that the brothel is built in the Victorian style, and it was constructed specifically to be a brothel. Many of the rooms contain relics from the past that you can check out, including clothing, makeup, bedding, furniture, and more. I know the owners are still working on restoring the place and it's looking great. My favorite part was either the upstairs, where you could see red lights and the Madame's room, or the basement, which was a bit harrowing and slightly haunted, in my humble opinion. It was really interesting to think about the circumstances surrounding women's labor in Butte, and how this line of work could have both empowering and difficult elements. In terms of Butte museums, this was the one I enjoyed most.

    Photos
    Dumas Brothel - One of the rooms containing clothing and other artifacts

    One of the rooms containing clothing and other artifacts

    Dumas Brothel
    Dumas Brothel - Vanity table possibly belonging to one of the working women

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    Vanity table possibly belonging to one of the working women

    World Museum of Mining - Blacksmith shop

    World Museum of Mining

    4.5(51 reviews)
    27.6 mi

    We stopped in to Butte on our cross country drive and visited the mining museum after lunch in…read moretown. They offer military and other discounts on their entrance fee The gift shop area includes information on local, current mining operations as well as merch. This is an outdoor museum so dress for the weather. If you want to take the under ground tour be sure you are wearing closed toed shoes. (Crocs not included, I don't know why) They also have above ground tours. Part of the property is set up like a western town. Something that would grow up around a mine. Post office, apothecary, carpenter, blacksmith, etc, etc. All these buildings are set up with window displays but most are not open to the public. You just peer thru the windows. There is a memorial garden to miners. A mine yard with pieces of heavy equipment. The motorized lift, miners locker room, light room, information and equipment used in dry and wet boring, 3D representations of mines and more with information posted on the displays. You can walk up into the mine head if you are so inclined to see how the ore chutes operated. We spent about two hours here without realizing it. Very interesting museum. Staff are very personable, answered questions and suggested reading material for more on the subject. Very good, family friendly stop.

    It's a little on the pricey side but very informative. The mine tour is also impressive and Ken is…read moreknowledgeable and a great guide and makes it fun for the kids and adults

    Photos
    World Museum of Mining - Good amount of parking in front of entrance

    Good amount of parking in front of entrance

    World Museum of Mining - Part of the display is set up like a western town of antiquity.

    Part of the display is set up like a western town of antiquity.

    World Museum of Mining

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    Old Montana Prison Complex - museums - Updated May 2026

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