The Old Jail Museum
Jim Thorpe, PA · 1 hour 20 minutes from Reading · Under $20 a person
Open for 2026 tours until mid to late November, or early December if the weather allows; the museum has not set its closing date.
Plan the day
The Old Jail Museum is the 1870 Carbon County jail in Jim Thorpe, PA, tied to the Molly Maguires of the anthracite coal fields and known for the handprint in Cell 17 that has stayed on the wall through every attempt to remove it.
Guided tours of about 30 to 35 minutes take you through 27 cells and the basement dungeon of a jail that held prisoners until 1995, with the Molly Maguires story told where it happened and the Cell 17 handprint to see for yourself. It sits five blocks from the Jim Thorpe train station, so it pairs with a walk through downtown. Weekends are first come, first served.
Before you go
Weekday tours are by reservation only; weekends are walk-in. Park at the downtown meters or the county lot behind the train station off Route 209, five blocks away; West Broadway street parking is permit only with a $50 fine. Leave paranormal equipment at home; every tour is guided.
Coming up
The jail keeps giving 2026 tours until mid to late November, or early December if the weather allows, with the closing date still to be set.
Checked October 8, 2026 on the official site. Hours, prices and seasons change, so confirm there before a long drive.
