Old Jail Museum
Historic jail museum
About
The Old Jail Museum is the former Carbon County Jail in downtown Jim Thorpe. A guide takes you through the 27 original cells, the cell block and the basement dungeon cells that were used for solitary confinement until 1980. Tours last about 30 to 35 minutes, and there is no self-guided option.
Cell #17 holds the handprint that the museum says has defied all attempts to remove it.
History
The jail was built in 1869 and 1870 and held prisoners until 1995. It is best known for the Molly Maguires, a secret society of Irish coal miners in the 1870s whose methods, the museum says, allegedly included violence against mine bosses. Four men were hanged here on June 21, 1877, and three more in 1878 and 1879.
The museum notes that many historians now believe the trials were unfair. The jail was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 1974.
When to go
Weekend tours run from noon to 4 p.m., first come, first served. Weekday tours are by reservation only, and the museum is closed on Wednesdays. The season runs into late November or early December, weather permitting.
Saturdays are busy and tours have sold out by mid-afternoon, so go early.
Good to know
Tickets must be bought in person at the museum. There are no online or phone sales for weekend tours.
Every entrance has steps, and the second floor and dungeon are reachable only by stairs. A back entrance has fewer steps if you ask.
No pets other than service animals, and no ghost-hunting equipment. The museum cannot take tour buses.
Price
- Adults$13
- Teenagers (13-17)$10
- Children (5-12)$7
- Small children (2-4)$1
- Active military (with ID)Free
- US veterans (with ID)$2 off
Prices checked November 2026 on the website of The Old Jail Museum. They can change, so check before you go.
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