Old Joliet Prison offers new tour, hard hats required

The administration building at the Old Joliet Prison now is open for hard-hat tours, the Joliet Area Historical Museum announced Tuesday.

The building, familiar from the outside to prison visitors because of its location at the entrance to the prison off the main parking lot, has been closed since a 2020 roof collapse.

The new tour provides an “unfiltered look at areas previously closed to the public,” the museum said in a news release.

“Expect crumbling architecture, original fixtures and a deep dive into the stories that shaped over a century of incarceration,” according to the release. “Learn details on the preservation work performed to save this landmark.”

Joliet police said they dispersed up to 50 vehicles from the parking lot at the Old Joliet Prison on Friday night after getting a report of loud music and squealing tires. Sept. 17, 2023. — The administration building sits at the edge of a parking lot off Collins Street at the Old Joliet Prison. (Bob Okon)

Hard hats and closed-toe shoes are required for the tour, according to the release. Protective gear is provided on-site.

Tours of the administration building will be provided on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month starting June 14 and running through Oct. 11.

The price is $52, or $42 for museum members. The price includes a day pass for self-guided tours of the rest of the 16-acre prison site.

Tour participants must be 16 or older.

Registration for tours can be made at jolietprison.org or by calling 815-723-5201.