Step inside the historical Kansas State Penitentiary

Behind these walls, time stands still. The historic Kansas State Penitentiary tour is a guided journey into the stories, spaces, and echoes of one of Kansas’ most historic institutions.

Choose Your Experience

Behind the Walls Historical Tour
Approximately 2 hours Cost $30
A guided walk-through focusing on history, architecture, and life inside the walls. All tickets are purchased on line.

**A Cellhouse** is one of three historic cellhouses visitors will experience on the tour, along with **C Cellhouse and D Cellhouse**, each offering a glimpse into daily life behind the walls of the Kansas State Penitentiary.

Behind the Walls Photography Tour
Approximately 3 hours Cost $40
Designed strictly for photography, this tour allows extended time for composition, lighting, and capturing details rarely seen. Guides are professional photographers with years of experience. All tickets are purchased on line.

Tour Size & Guests

**D Cellhouse**, also known as **“The Dorm,”** is the oldest of the three cellhouses featured on the tour. Built between **1864 and 1866**, it operated for more than 60 years without traditional cell doors, giving this historic cellhouse a character unlike any other inside the penitentiary.

Tours include 15–20 guests

You do not need to arrive as part of a group—individual visitors are always welcome.

Everyone tours together; all guests are taken through the same areas.

What to Expect

During the **1969 riot at the Kansas State Penitentiary**, more than 100 Kansas Highway Patrol officers were on the scene in case the unrest escalated. This photograph offers a striking view of the penitentiary before the addition of the extensive perimeter fencing and **concertina razor wire** seen in later years.

This tour does involve a lot of walking.
Guests move through the site at a steady, manageable pace.
Knowledgeable guides lead you through cell houses and historic spaces, sharing stories that go far beyond the walls themselves.

**Death Row** housed some of the penitentiary’s most notorious inmates. From **1944 to 1965**, it served as both death row and the prison’s segregation unit, commonly known as **“the hole.”** It was here that **Richard Hickock and Perry Smith** spent their final days before their executions in April 1965. The building was torn down during the early 1970’s.

Before You Arrive

Please arrive early for check-in.
Comfortable shoes are recommended.
All guests must follow guide instructions for safety and preservation of the site.

Behind the Walls, History Lives On

This is more than a tour—it is a journey into another time, where history surrounds you at every turn. The past is not just remembered here; it is embedded in the stone walls and steel bars, echoing through the corridors and etched into every surface.

Your tour begins at the historic 1887 Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Depot, which now serves as the museum for the Historic Kansas State Penitentiary.

Because there is no climate control inside the prison walls, the museum houses our collection of historic photographs, artifacts, documents, and exhibits related to the penitentiary. We encourage guests to allow a little extra time to explore the museum before or after their tour.

Parking is available directly in front of the museum as well as along the street in front.