Old Joliet Prison

"Took a self guided tour with the family and we all enjoyed learning about the history of the prison. We were able to walk into the death row cells and see where parts of the Blues Bros movie was filmed. Plenty to see within the hour and half you get scheduled . Make sure to come on a nice day as most of the walking is outside, as you walk around from building to building. I definitely would recommend doing the tour when visiting the Chicagoland area or if you live here, as a thing to do."

"Still beyond cool. You have total freedom to walk the entire outer areas, around all buildings and walls. Going inside depends on your tour and the time of that tour. A little damp inside the prison with standing water, so dress accordingly. Not accessible for those who need level ground. I took about 2 hours wandering the huge prison. Make sure to switch to B and W for some old school vibes. Free parking btw. Check in at the Visitor Center at the end of the parking lot (it has the only inside plumbing!)"

"For the outstanding members of the community!!! The basic tour doesn't let you see the Blues Brothers cell. I was fortunate to tag along a group guided tour which visited the cell in a special tour. I recommend them to open more areas for basic tour viewing. Its still is a pretty cool place to visit."

"We did a self guided tour and spent about two hours wandering around the property. All of the buildings were well marked and there were informational signs at every building with the history of each. We had a wonderful time walking through! The ladies at the front desk were super friendly, informative and helpful, as were the gentlemen at the front gate. We loved the experience!"

"We toured old Joliett and literally had the entire place to ourselves. We wanted the guided tour, but due to staffing issues, they could not accommodate. For starters, I love old historical prisons. One of my favorites is Alcatraz. However, Old Joliett did not disappoint. This place is beautifully built and has that scary prison appearance to it. The history of this facility is deep, dark, and fascinating. During our tour, the available staff on-site were full of interesting historical information and informed us they were awarded a $10 million grant to restore the facility. Several of the buildings were in disrepair, and we could not enter, while other buildings had been burned by arsonists. Nonetheless, we loved the tour. Allegedly, this place is very haunted, and I did manage to get a reaction on one of the cell blocks. I heard a loud banging sound after yelling "count time" down the cell block. Finally, the income potential of this place is huge, and I hope the grant money is able to save the piece of history. If you love old prisons and love haunted places, then I highly recommend touring this prison."