Nestled in the foothills of Boise, Idaho, is the Old Idaho State Penitentiary. For over a century, this fortress housed the most dangerous criminals in the state. But now, long after the cells have emptied and the gates have rusted, the prison remains... and so, some say, do its spirits.
The story of the Old Pen, as the locals call it, begins in 1870. As the frontier boomed with miners, outlaws, and opportunists, lawlessness followed close behind. The need for a secure facility to house criminals led to the construction of a single cell house surrounded by a wooden fence. That modest start would grow into a sprawling complex of over 30 buildings, many constructed by inmates themselves using sandstone quarried from the nearby Boise Foothills. The prison operated for 101 years, housing more than 13,000 men and women until its closure in 1973 following years of unrest, violence, and deteriorating conditions.
Life inside the Old Pen was notoriously harsh. Cells were small, unheated in winter and sweltering in summer. Overcrowding became a constant issue, especially during the prison's peak in the mid-20th century. Inmates followed a strict daily routine that included forced labor, often under grueling conditions. While some prisoners participated in educational or trade programs, many were subjected to solitary confinement, brutal punishments, and even torture in the name of discipline.
Executions were also part of life, and death within the penitentiary. From 1901 to 1957, ten men were hanged at the prison. The last was Raymond Snowden, who would earn the nickname "Idaho's Jack the Ripper" after a vicious murder in Garden City. The site of his hanging, Cell House 5, is now one of the most paranormally active areas in the prison. Visitors often report cold drafts, flickering lights, the sound of footsteps on iron stairs, and even choking noises echoing from the gallows platform.
Snowden is far from the only spirit said to haunt the Old Pen. The solitary confinement area, nicknamed “Siberia” by former inmates, is another notorious hotspot. These pitch-black, concrete cells were designed to isolate inmates completely, sometimes for weeks at a time.
Visitors today often describe an intense feeling of dread, disorientation, or nausea while standing in the darkness. Some say they’ve heard whispers or felt an unseen presence brush past them. Paranormal investigators have captured unexplained EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) in the area, fueling theories that the suffering endured here has left a permanent imprint.
Over the decades, the prison was the site of multiple riots and violent uprisings, most notably in 1971 and again in 1973. The final riot resulted in parts of the prison being set on fire, accelerating its eventual closure. The destruction may have ended operations, but it also seemed to stir something beneath the surface, an energy that almost never seemed to settle. Since then, the Old Pen has taken on a second life, this time as a museum and paranormal destination.
Today, the Old Idaho State Penitentiary is preserved and operated by the Idaho State Historical Society. Visitors can explore the grounds and tour cell blocks while learning about and seeing what life would have been like if you were a housed criminal here. While the daytime tours focus more on education and historical insight, nighttime events pull back the curtain on the darker side of the site’s legacy. Annual programs like Frightened Felons, lantern-lit ghost tours, and paranormal investigations draw thrill-seekers and skeptics alike. Some leave intrigued. Others leave rattled.
Even outside of official tours, countless visitors have reported strange experiences: doors slamming shut on their own, cold spots on hot days, the sound of unseen footsteps, and ghostly figures lingering just out of sight. The combination of authentic history and alleged paranormal activity has earned the Old Pen a spot on multiple "most haunted places in America" lists, and it’s easy to see why. There’s a weight to the place that’s hard to explain until you’ve stood within its crumbling walls.
The prison is undeniably beautiful in a grim, cinematic way. The warm gold of the sandstone buildings glows in the afternoon sun, yet by nightfall, the same structures feel ominous. Haunted not just by ghosts, but by memory. It's a reminder that history isn’t always clean or comforting. Sometimes it’s stained by violence and echoing with the voices of those who were never truly set free.
Whether you’re a ghost hunter, history buff, or just someone who enjoys a good scare, the Old Idaho State Penitentiary offers a chilling glimpse into the past. It’s a place where the line between history and hauntings blurs—and where some say time never really moved on.
So if you ever find yourself in Boise and decide to walk those stone corridors, ask yourself: Are you really alone? Or is someone… still doing time?
