The
Old Jail in St Augustine, FL was built in 1891 and is one of the few 19th century jails that are still around. This jail has held prisoners for well over 60 years. The jail, financed by Henry Flagler an old railroad magnate, was designed to look like a hotel. The same company built the famous prison Alcatraz years later.
If you're interested in getting the history of this Old Jail, take a guided tour with the jailers there. You'll get to see the sheriff's quarters where he and his wife slept and lived, which was adjacent to over 70 prisoners. The tour will show you the maximum security area, the female and male cells and a collection of used guns and weapons. Many of these weapons are the original ones used in the actual crimes. Guests on the tour will also get the chance to see the gallows, the place where many of the criminals were killed for their crimes. You'll also get to meet Joe Perry, the most feared sheriff in the south, who is actually animatronic. You'll love the speech he'll give while holding a hangman's noose. Sit down and listen to tales of the old justice system told my the deputies.
The jail now is completely different than it was years ago. In those days, the cells were located outside of the house but are now inside. There's still a birdcage on the outside of the building just as it was many years ago.
There are many hired actors on the grounds dressed in striped suits ready to play the part. At one time, there was an exercise yard and stockade, both of which are gone. The exterior has the same pink stucco that it had years ago and still looks the same. It held prisoners as a jail until it became a tourist attraction in 1953. This is one tour that you'll enjoy very much right down to the "sound" of the miserable prisoners coming from inside the jail.
