AMERICAN HAUNTINGS GHOST HUNTS
NIGHT AT THE OLD MARION COUNTY JAIL
PALMYRA, MISSOURI
NEXT AVAILABLE DATE: OCTOBER 25, 2024
7:00 PM TO 12:00 AM | $42 PER PERSON
CLICK HERE FOR RESERVATIONS!
For more than two centuries, America’s jails and prisons have boasted an inordinate number of ghost reports and sightings. The amount of trauma, pain, and terror experienced by the incarcerated often leaves a lingering sensation behind. The horrible events carried out by those locked away – along with the horrible events that occur behind prison walls – can cause the spirits of those who lived and died behind bars to remain behind. America’s prisons and jails can be terrifying places – for those in this world and the next.
And such is the case with the old Marion County Jail!
Do you have the nerve to join American Hauntings at one of the most haunted jails in the region – a place where horrific history has left its mark? We’re locking ourselves behind the barred doors of a notorious spot that has seen death, suicide, and the massacre of 10 prisoners during the Civil War. Haven’t heard the dark tales? Now is your chance to experience them for yourself!
Long ago replaced by a new jail down the street, the old Marion County Jail was built in 1858 to house the lawbreakers of the area, as well as provide a home for the county sheriff and his family. After only a few years of operation, the jail was converted into a Union prison during the Civil War, during which the most horrific events in its history occurred.
Colonel John McNeil, known as the “Butcher of Palmyra”
Called the “Palmyra Massacre,” the incident occurred on October 18, 1862, after the disappearance of a local Union supporter named Andrew Alsman. The 60-year-old carpenter was a highly respected man but earned a reputation for revealing local Confederate sympathizers to Union forces. When Alsman disappeared one day, it was assumed by Union officials that he had been kidnapped and killed.
Union Colonel John McNeil – who would later be known as the “Butcher of Palmyra” -- published a notice in the newspaper demanding Alsman’s return. If he was not released in 10 days, 10 Confederate soldiers – five of which were held at the Palmyra jail – would be executed.
Andrew Alsman was never seen again.
On the evening of October 17, the prisoners were selected. Five came from the jail in Hannibal, Missouri, and five came from the jail in Palmyra. None of them had any connection to the disappearance of Alsman. All 10 were executed the following morning by a Union firing squad.
And some of those men may have never left the Palmyra Jail.
After the Civil War ended, the building became the county jail again, until it was eventually replaced. Since that time, it’s been a museum and historic site but the dark history of the past still lingers. According to historians, there were several prisoners who committed suicide at the jail and at least one public hanging that took place outside. Could the men who died here remain behind?
Over the years, volunteers, staff members, and visitors have experienced more than they share of strange happenings within the walls of the jail. Footsteps have been heard, pacing up and down the corridors. Lights turn on and off, rattling sounds have been heard – like that of manacles and chains – and whispers and moans float from the darkness of the cells.
Don’t miss out on your chance to discover a place that you WON’T find on TV shows and overwhelmed by “celebrity” ghost hunters. If you’re looking for a fresh place to search for the spirits, join us for this eerie event!