Misery in Missouri – Nightmarish Old Penitentiary & Gas Chamber

Legends say the acres occupied by the old Missouri State Penitentiary represent the most painful land in the state. A new walkthrough shows what remains inside including the infamous gas chamber that ended many guilty lives.

Abandoned Central on YouTube just shared video and photos today of the old Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City. It opened in 1836 and was a place of hard labor and incarceration for 168 years. They look at just about every area of the old prison including the intact gas chamber.

The gas chamber area is one of the most interesting locations inside the old penitentiary. The cells adjacent were holding areas for those awaiting execution where they would have their last meal. The benches outside were for witnesses and there is even a room behind the gas chamber for the convicted inmate's family.

Famous inmates held in the Missouri State Pen included James Earl Ray who would escape and assassinate Martin Luther King Jr, gangster Pretty Boy Floyd and heavyweight fighter Sonny Liston.

Is it haunted as so many believe? The old Missouri State Penitentiary frequently hosts paranormal tours if you'd like to find out for yourself.

Time Magazine called it “The bloodiest 47 acres in America” and few would argue that's an apt description of this infamous Missouri place.