Missouri State Penitentiary
“Bloodiest 47-acres in America.”
The Missouri State Penitentiary, in Jefferson City, Missouri, has a long dark history that gives the location the title of the “bloodiest 47-acres in America.” Armed with our handhelds and voice recorders, we tackled the intimidating structure. Even with the most notorious part of the building closed off due to structural damage, we were not lacking in the amount of grounds we had to cover. This was a first for our team, we hadn’t been to such a large location before.
Navigating this size of a location in the dark can be tricky and dangerous. We encountered a few deterrents such as bats and the occasional wall that looks like an entry to a hallway on the IR camera. The REM pod spoke up for the first time while Kendra and Nick were in the gas chambers and a there was a bit of touching while we were in the women’s block. Blue orbs could be seen moving along the hallways outside of the death row cells.
The prison is a unique experience at night, but it’s a wonder to visit during the day. Angela and Kendra went back to MSP shortly after our investigation for a daytime photography tour. While walking the catwalks within the walls of the prison they captured a lighter, humbling side of the prison. It’s light blue details on the walls and view of the grounds overlooking the river, make the place seem defeated and resigned. Not to worry, it’s still as active as ever, ready for the next visitors.
The penitentiary offers daytime photography tours. Angie and Kendra spent the day walking the grounds taking photos and exploring all of the areas that weren’t visible during our investigation. Click here to see photos from their tour.
