Prison Tours

History

Port Arthur

Australia

Australia’s largest penal station, Port Arthur served as the destination for the toughest of convicted British and Irish criminals in the mid-1800s. Saved by a conservation program in the 1960s, the penitentiary now serves as an historic site. It includes its own museum, where visitors can see if they have any convict ancestors in the good ole family tree.

Hanoi Hilton

Vietnam

First used as a prison by French colonists, it later gained infamy as the place where North Vietnamese forces held prisoners during the Vietnam War -– among them, US Senator John McCain. While most of the original prison was demolished in 1996, the southernmost corner was preserved. Today, visitors can view the original cells from the French colonial period, complete with leg irons.