Last updated: 6/10/2011
491 Hwy 75NHuntsville, TX 77320
$4 adult / $3 senior & TX prison employees / $2 under 18 / free under 7
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James Willett
phone: 936-295-2155
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The Texas Prison Museum is home to the history of the Texas prison system. Old Sparky, the Texas electric chair, is the most famous exhibit. However, visitors soon find that inmate made arts and crafts draw their attention. Visitors find that one of the more fascinating displays is that of inmate (illegally) made knives and other weapons. Displays covering the history of the famous Texas Prison Rodeo, the weapons guards have used, some now illegal, the history of the death penalty, and a look at some of Texas' infamous inmates are some of the more popular exhibits. Most patrons also step inside our life size replica cell. A patron can even have their picture made in the cell while dressed in an authentic inmate striped shirt. We are constantly getting more interesting artifacts to add to our already impressive inventory. We are constantly improving our library of books, magazines, recorded interviews, and videos for research into the history of the world's most famous prison system. We currently have a short video that describes life inside the Texas prison system and we plan to someday add more audio and video to the museum experience. Come see the past and get educated about our prison system.
The Texas Prison Museum was founded in the late 1980's by a group of Texas Department of Corrections employees who wanted a place to preserve and showcase prison artifacts. The museum for many years was run on a shoestring budget and was staffed entirely by volunteers. In 1998, the Board of Trustees began raising funds for a new facility, in which over 1 million dollars was raised. Building construction began in September of 2000 and is scheduled for completion in June 2002. The interior and the
exhibits should be completed in Fall 2002. The Museum currently has 1 full-time and 3 part-time paid employees and maintains a small corps of volunteers.
farm equipment, restraint equipment, including the "bat", once used to whip inmates; officer uniforms; guns and weapons used by guards; equipment related to and used in the Texas Prison Rodeos; photo and ID equipment; the electric chair and other execution paraphernalia; items related to the dining areas, commissary, churches, and sports; crafts by inmates including intricate items made by death row inmates; inmate uniforms;home made devices used in escapes; illegal weapons made by inmates; guns, helmets, radios, etc. from the "Carrasco" hostage situation; extensive photo collection
A video about the prison system of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is shown many times daily. It is always shown for viewing by all juvenile probation departments or detention centers whose young people visit our facility. We generally do not charge admittance for these organizations. We have a retired prison warden on staff, who along with other retired prison staff is present to give live lectures/discussions about various facets of the prison system.
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