Missouri state penitentiary is an abandoned former maximum correctional facility in Jefferson City, Missouri.  The facility which was the longest standing prison in Missouri state-operated for one and half a century before it closed in 2004. Today the Missouri State Penitentiary Museum is what remains of the once-famous prison. 

Establishment of MSP

Missouri state penitentiary opened its doors for inmates in 1836 only a few years after the groundbreaking ceremony. In its early days, MSP had less than twenty inmates who were all petty offenders. The prison which only had one guard and a warden at its early operational days would later be home for more than 1880 inmates. By the 1990s, MSP was a fully flagged correctional facility. Like any other crowded prison, it had a long history of riots, escape, and murders. MSP, unlike its early days, became one of the most notorious prisons in the state of Missouri.  

It had frequent riots that were accompanied by murders and injuries. The most known riot that nearly brought the facility down on its knees was the September 22, 1954 riot that left four prisoners dead and several injured guards. Unlike other riots, this was started by two inmates attacking the guards who were attending to them. With the key taken from the guards, they would later free fellow prisoners to help cause distractions as they escape.  The plans were stopped resulting in the death of four prisoners and several injured guards together with policemen from different countries sent as backup. Apart from the riots, though not much, murder was common in the prison. In its final two years of operations, murder was again recorded in the prison when escape plans went wrong, this too resulted in one inmate being killed by his two roommates. 

Death of MSP

Having been operable for more than 150 years, the prison showed signs of fatigue and no longer guaranteed the maximum containment as it offered before. Some sections of the prison were showing cracks that were easy to dig through. On top of that, the burned structures during the frequent riots defaced the once beautiful architecture of the prison. Due to these factors, the department of correction decommissioned the prison after thorough research and consultations. The prison was officially closed in 2004 and the inmates were transferred to Jefferson City Correctional Center.

MSP Today

Missouri state prison still stands to date but as a state museum for the residents of Jefferson City and Missouri State as a whole. Since the state wanted to maintain most of the historic structures within the prison, no major renovations were done. The metal cells that have now turned brown due to rust still show a little bit of strength. In general, the building is in a dilapidated state with few replicas beside it. The prison is open for tours offered by the current management. The presence of asbestos and lead paints poses a major hazard to visitors who visit the prison.