Old Jail Museum — Attraction in Jim Thorpe

The old jail tour was interesting. On the weekend, you can't reserve tickets. Tours leave every 15 minutes and you just buy your ticket and hang out until your time to enter arrives.

There is a video to start the tour that goes into all the history. I vacillated between the video being AI generated or being a project from the local high school. It's fairly well made if it is the latter and not up to present standards if it's the former.

Alex, our tour guide for our visit, then took us to the courtyard, "dungeon" and the ground floor cell block. The history is posted all around the building to be read...but you don't have the time to read it, as the tour guide leans hard into the dumb hocus pocus of the "hand print on the wall" garbage and then sends you on your way.

It's cute if you're just...bored I guess? But, if you happen to be of Irish descent with deep roots in the area...or just a human with any empathy at all, you may find the way the jail tour embellishes and takes advantage of the life and unjust, untimely deaths of the accused Irishmen to be rather crass.

Perhaps being there during the weekend for the fall foliage festival changes the nature of the tour, and I hope that it had, but I'll aim to find out myself by returning on a weekday next summer. I'm of the opinion that museums have a duty to educate people and provide perspective on past (and thereby present and future) events in a way that treats the subjects of its preservation with respect and dignity. This museum fails to do so, though not quite as miserably as some others.

The material is there, the team just needs to work it into the tour structure. Or continue to sell ghost stories to school children, who am I to...

I was honestly surprised by how impactful this experience was — I went in expecting something pretty average, but it turned out to be fascinating. The tour begins with a video that has you wondering where it’s going, but by the end, everything ties together beautifully. The guide did an excellent job telling the story, keeping us engaged, and giving us plenty of time to take it all in.

The museum itself is rich with history, and the story behind the jail and its past inmates is genuinely intriguing. It’s well worth the price, and a really unique experience if you’re in the area.

My only serious complaint is about the parking situation. There’s a sign that says parking is only for vehicles with handicap plates or placards — which I have — but the lot was full, and only one car actually displayed proper credentials. When I brought it up with the man working the gift shop, he gave me attitude and said, “some people don’t choose to listen.” No effort was made to help or address the situation, and it felt dismissive — especially toward actual disabled visitors. It was disappointing to see such a historic site show so little concern for accessibility.

Aside from that issue, the tour itself was excellent. Great storytelling, immersive setting, and definitely something memorable. I just hope they improve the parking enforcement...

We (3) visited on a Tuesday afternoon, about 2:45. The next tour was at 3:00. Wait was in an air conditioned room. Tour started with a short movie about the Irish immigrants, the coal industry and the Molly Maguires. Very interesting and informative. Then the physical tour started. Our tour guide, Isabella, was very professional and knowledgeable. Tour shows main floor, the dungeon (solitary confinement), gallows, and other rooms such as visiting room, laundry, showers, women's cells. All was interesting, but be warned; the dungeon is very dark and kind of creepy. Kids may be scared (I was and I'm definitely NOT a child, LOL.) Many steps, so if you are limited in mobility, it may be difficult to tour. The handprint is visible, but in a closed cell. No pictures of it, due to copyright. Pictures, but not video, are allowed everywhere else. The staff are friendly and I highly recommend if you are in Jim Thorpe. Seeing a 19th century jail is very cool, whether you know the Molly Maguires story or not. The jail is located up the hill from the train station, and it is a hike. No parking there, only permitted street parking. So parking is down in municipal lot. If it's very hot & humid, as it was the day we visited, it could be a struggle to walk up there. *Note - tickets are not available online; In-person/day-of ONLY. So plan...