Wyoming Territorial Prison
The ghosts of this old prison love a good cigar. Ask nicely, and they might just share one with you.
This location is also referred to as Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site
Paranormal Reports at
Wyoming Territorial Prison
- A former prisoner’s apparition is seen in his cell
- Tools and small items are purportedly moved by unseen hands
- Visitors report the sound of slamming doors and rattling chains
- Shadow figures are seen
- Unexplained footsteps are reported throughout the prison
- Cold spots are often found inside
- The smell of cigar smoke is often reported around one particular cell
- Ghostly whistling is heard at times
- Disembodied voices and laughs are heard
- Sensations of being watched are frequently noted
A Legend in Laramie:
History of Wyoming Territorial Prison
Nestled near a creek in Laramie, Wyoming, sits a peculiar, historic cornerstone not just of Laramie, but of all of Wyoming.
Wyoming Territorial Prison, Wyoming’s first and only federal prison, stands tall, its frame built of sturdy stone. Dark windows overlook the nearby creek like watchful eyes.
Now a museum, Wyoming Territorial Prison is no longer a den of notorious criminals. But its exhibits do well to keep the reality of the prison’s history known.
Though tourists now fill spaces meant for convicts, some convicted souls may still linger through Wyoming Territorial Prison.
Timeline of Wyoming Territorial Prison's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Wyoming Territorial Prison through the years
1872
In the late 1860s, Wyoming was a broad US territory. It offered endless opportunities for both settlers and outlaws. By the early 1870s, the need for law and order in the region was undeniable. In response, the US government founded the first, and so far only, federal prison in Wyoming. Wyoming Territorial Prison opened its heavy, secure doors in 1872. Almost immediately, convicts poured in. While the prison was badly needed, it was also plagued by problems from the start.
1890
Through the 1870s and 1880s, Wyoming Territorial Prison lurched between terrible overcrowding and desolate under crowding. As it became crowded and unsanitary, prisoners stopped arriving, until as few as three inmates remained at once. A new cell block built in 1889 solved most of the overcrowding issue, but that would not be the only change to come to the prison in this era. In 1890, Wyoming gained statehood, and the federal government offered the lock up as Wyoming’s first state prison.
1901
In 1901, Wyoming closed the old territorial prison in favor of a new complex in Rawlins. This left the Laramie prison with few options. Not many people had a need for solid walls and unforgiving iron bars. The property soon found a new life as an agricultural experimentation center for the University of Wyoming. The college continually operated its agricultural science projects from the prison until 1987, when they too left the historic jail behind. But the state quickly took to restoring the prison for reuse as a museum.
1991
The restored prison museum opened in 1991, soon becoming one of the most popular museums in the state. In 2004, the former prison was designated as a Wyoming state historic site. Still today, Laramie’s old prison remains a highly regarded tourist attraction in the city and its exhibits help keep the realities of old world prison life alive. Some say the prison’s life never truly left, as a few wayward souls seem to haunt the prison for eternity.
Is Wyoming Territorial Prison Haunted?
One of the most well-known phantoms in Wyoming Territorial Prison is Julius Greenwald. A former inmate, Greenwald was a cigar salesman locked up for murdering his wife. But it is said that he never gave up the cigar trade even from behind bars. In life, he was known for rolling his own cigars in his cell.
Now, his specter allegedly trails a tell-tale cigar stench around his old prison cell.
Great Greenwald’s Ghost!
When his spirit is not busy smoking, Greenwald is said to appear to tourists and workers just to give them a scare. He’ll supposedly always show up in or around his old cell, and if you spot him, he’ll likely vanish before your eyes.
Greenwald is also known for playing pranks on workers who come to the prison, hiding tools and other small objects when their backs are turned.
Phantoms in the Cell Block
While some people believe Julius Greenwald is the prison’s only resident ghost, others aren’t so sure.
Along with Greenwald’s well-known activity and smell, there are many other reports in the prison. Strange shadow figures are often spotted lurking around the cell block. Some have even been photographed and caught on video patrolling through corridors and cells.
Visitors and workers alike also report strange sounds and voices around the prison. Phantom whistling and laughter are two of the most common claims, but the sounds of slamming doors and rattling chains are also heard at times. Ghostly footsteps are also sometimes heard echoing through.
Could all of this activity be down to Julius Greenwald’s ghost?
Ghostly Sounds from the Prison
Even when the ghosts of Wyoming Territorial Prison aren’t appearing to tourists or rattling chains in the night, they’re still known to leave people chilled. Sudden cold spots are encountered through the entire prison, even in the heat of summer. Those who encounter these cold spots note they can appear and disappear in an instant.
At other points, the prison’s hauntings are said to be even more subtle. Some visitors report a feeling of simply always being watched, as if by a guard. They never seem to shake the feeling until they leave the prison, when it immediately fades.
Wyoming’s Frightening Federal Prison
Over a hundred and twenty years after the last inmate left, Wyoming Territorial Prison stands as strong as ever. It remains a popular museum in Laramie and one of the community’s most treasured historic places.
Day tours are held regularly during the region’s warmer months, and other special events keep the prison grounds busy.
Ghost tours and private investigations are few and far between at the prison. Both ghost tours and private hunts have occurred in the past, though, and have produced countless additional reports of activity.
These days, plenty of people visit Wyoming Territorial Prison simply hoping for a historic tour, and end up encountering a ghost, or at least smelling one’s cigar.
