Yuma Territorial Prison – Yuma, Arizona - Atlas Obscura

Yuma Territorial Prison

Yuma, Arizona

Walk through the actual strap iron cells and solitary chambers of Arizona Territory’s first prison. 

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On July 1, 1876, the first seven inmates entered the Territorial Prison at Yuma and were locked into the new cells they had built themselves.

A total of 3,069 prisoners, including 29 women, lived within these walls during the prison’s thirty-three years of operation. Among the 29 women sentenced to Yuma was 16-year-old Maria Moreno, who shot her brother after he complained about the way she was dancing. There was also Pearl Hart. Pearl and her partner, Joe Boot, committed the last stagecoach robbery in Arizona. They robbed the Globe stage, and were caught very quickly. Joe Boot was sentenced to 30 years, and would later escape. Pearl Hart, after being tried twice, was given five years.

The prison was known for its strict rules; weapons, gambling, and fighting were prohibited, as was littering and failing to bathe. Those who broke the rules could be forced to wear the ball and chain and more serious offenders would be sent to the dark cell. The dark cell was basically an excavation in the hillside measuring 15’ by 15’, with a cage in the center.

Now a museum, the building houses photographs and colorful exhibits of those who once stayed there and the prison life they had to endure. Visitors can walk through the many cells and view the infamous dark cell.

Know Before You Go

No smoking on the premises. Pets are not permitted in the prison unless they are service animals or are in contained crates/carriers. Small dogs in a stroller can be pushed around the grounds as long as they are not released from the stroller.Admission is $8 for adults. There are senior and military discounts, but the military discount is only applicable for Arizona residents.Photography is allowed as well.

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