Top 5: U.S. Crime Museums

If criminal history and shows are your guilty pleasure, these museums are worth a visit.

The Crime & Punishment Museum

The Crime & Punishment Museum in Ashburn, Ga., reveals the harsh prison conditions in the American South in the 1900s, including a replica of Old Sparky, an electric chair installed in 1924 following the state’s abolition of hanging and used as the sole means of execution until 2001.

The Ohio State Reformatory

Opened in 1896 to house young law offenders, The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield held 154,000 incarcerated men, many who died there. In large part due to its history and distinctive Gothic and Romanesque architecture, the prison is the setting of several TV shoes and movies including Shawshank Redemption.

The Crime Museum

The Crime Museum in Washington, D.C., is a walk through the history of law breaking in the United States. America’s Most Wanted filmed in the museum’s studio from its opening in 2008, and exhibits include an electric chair used in more than 125 executions, interactive experiences like crime scene investigations, FBI training simulations, autopsies and more.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary was America’s first true penitentiary, housing inmates for 142 years including legendary Al Capone. It was known for its torturous practices and experimental punishments, and is said to be the most haunted prison in America. After closing in 1971 it fell into ruin until opened for public tours in 1994.

Alcatraz East Crime Museum

Complementing its counterpart in San Francisco, the newly opened Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., gives visitors a look into notorious American crimes, law enforcement and the justice system with artifacts from different eras. It was designed as a combination of Tennessee’s first state prison and guard towers by the Alcatraz lighthouse in California.