Old Jail Inn
While this old county jail has been converted into an inn, ghostly inmates may remain in lockup
Ghost Stories of
Old Jail Inn
- Visitors have been touched by unseen hands
- Disembodied footsteps have been heard
- Some people have claimed to feel ghosts climbing into bed with them
- Workers and guests have heard their name called
- Sounds of slamming cell doors have been heard
- Orbs and other visual anomalies have been spotted on the second floor
From Lock Up to Lodge:
History of Old Jail Inn
Every town, big or small, needs a hotel. A place for weary travelers to stay and find a cozy home-away-from-home. In the middle of Rockville, Indiana’s small and lively downtown is the Old Jail Inn, a stony red building that now spends its days housing visitors and passers-through.
But, as its name suggests, the Old Jail Inn spent much of its history housing different people: local criminals.
Yes, Rockville’s downtown hotel was once the county jail, and the inn still carries many reminders of that past. Hotel rooms are built into jail cells, windows still sport heavy metal grates, and the hotel bar is built right into the old drunk tank cell downstairs.
More than just aesthetics, the Old Jail Inn may still keep a few listless souls in lock up, causing strange noises and unexplained sights for its living visitors.
Timeline of Old Jail Inn's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Old Jail Inn through the years
1879
By the 1870s, Rockville, Indiana, had been the seat of Parke County for almost fifty years. As the county population swelled in the late 1860s and into the 1870s, Rockville rushed to provide essential services and resources to new townsfolk. One pivotal addition to the community was a brand-new county jail. Opened in 1879, the Parke County Jail was a major advancement over old, wood-frame lock ups that came before it. Abiding by state law at the time, the building included a spacious home for the sheriff as well.
1888
For generations, the small stone jail in downtown Rockville helped keep law and order throughout Parke County. Whether they were felons awaiting trial, or locals sleeping it off in the drunk tank, the Parke County Jail did well to keep them contained. The local jail also held a few inmates destined for death. In 1888, the property hosted Parke County’s last hanging. The inmate, Earl Stout, had killed a friend while on a hunting trip. While Stout was the county’s last hanging, the jail would house countless other criminals for 110 more years.
1998
In 1998, after almost 120 years as Parke County’s jail, the old stone building in Rockville finally closed its doors. Much newer facilities awaited the local police, as well as the local criminals. And that left the historic jailhouse abandoned and with an uncertain future. In 2010, the old jail got a new, and unexpected lease on life. That year, new ownership came in with a grand idea: a jail-themed hotel. In no time, cells became bedrooms, the drunk tank turned into a bar, and Rockville’s Old Jail Inn was born.
2010
Since being retooled as a boutique hotel in 2010, the Old Jail Inn has greeted countless guests and become a popular quirk of Rockville’s downtown. Many small, Midwestern towns can boast a few hotels. Only Rockville can say they have one as unique as the Old Jail Inn. More than just iron bars and heavy locks, some people claim ghosts help solidify the inn’s one-of-a-kind atmosphere. After all, what would an old jail be without a few phantom prisoners still serving out their sentences?
Is Old Jail Inn Haunted?
After over a century housing notorious local criminals and dangerous vagrants, the Old Jail Inn has become a hotbed of paranormal claims. Some of the most common reports of ghostly activity around the inn have to do with strange, unexplained sounds.
Disembodied footsteps are a frequent claim from visitors and workers, like the heavy footfalls of a jail guard, forever making their rounds through the cellblock.
Along with that, the loud, echoing sound of slamming cell doors has also been heard around the inn. These reports continue today, even though the cell doors are held open with locks and chains.
Ghost Voices Call From the Cell Block
More than just the residual sounds of jailers and cell doors, haunting voices have also been heard around the Old Jail Inn. The owners have often heard their name called from empty rooms, or heard calls out to them even when they were the only ones in the building.
Similarly, guests have also sometimes claimed to hear their names be called out from the cell block. To date, no one is sure who this knowledgeable spirit is, or how they learn so many guests’ names. Could a former inmate now be a permanent hotel guest?
Second Floor Shadow Figures
Going along with the unexplained sounds and disembodied voices, visitors and workers have spotted mysterious figures and ghostly forms around the inn. Many of the purported visual anomalies happen around the building’s second floor.
One of the more common reports are of ‘orbs’ lingering around in the air. Rather than the sort of thing that only appears in images and videos, these luminescent orbs will apparently appear before guests’ eyes, before disappearing shortly after.
Touchy-Feely Jail Phantoms
Some lucky, or perhaps unlucky, guests have also reported that the ghosts of Old Jail Inn will reach out and touch them. Both in the cell block and nearby suites, guests have felt the cold, invisible hands of ghosts grab them, poke them, and lightly pull on their hair and clothes.
It’s never said to be malevolent or mean, but rather like someone trying to get guests’ attention. Others have even claimed to feel these entities climb into bed with them in the middle of the night.
And hey, a stay in jail isn’t quite complete without a bunkmate.
Book Your Spooky Stay at Old Jail Inn
Old Jail Inn remains a popular and hospitable hotel in Rockville today. During Rockville’s high-traffic seasons, like Parke County’s Covered Bridge Festival, the inn’s cells often book out months in advance.
For locals who don’t need a room, the basement’s Drunk Tank wine bar is an especially popular stop-off with an atmosphere as unbeatable as the inn’s.
While the inn’s busy schedule often precludes formal ghost hunts or paranormal tours, the building’s haunting lore is baked into just about every aspect of its operation. Ghost hunters exploring other Rockville haunted hotspots, such as Billie Creek Village or Indiana State Sanatorium, regularly lodge at the Old Jail Inn while they’re in town.
So, if you’re in Rockville hunting for ghosts, and want to end your visit with a haunted hotel stay, your best bet is spending the night in jail.
