Would you buy this place?

[HobzGoblin]

I've been looking for a place to start a haunt and have come across a unique real estate opportunity and would appreciate your feedback.

13 years ago, the county built a new, shiny, modern incarceration facility on the outskirts of town. The old jail, which was built in the late 60's, has recently come on the market and is in our price range. It's a few blocks from downtown and is roughly 8500 square feet. It still has all the original cells, bars, visiting booths, and impenetrable metal doors. (With just the right amount of peeling paint and rust, I might add.) I've been inside and it was delightfully creepy in broad daylight.

At first blush, it seems like a great location. I mean, how often do you have the chance to buy a jail?! But I have some concerns. For one, the layout of the cell area (1/4 of the building) is pretty much set in stone: one way in, one path to follow once you're in, and one way out. We wouldn't have as many options for changing things up from year to year as we would in most environments. I also wonder if it would make getting the fire marshal's approval even more difficult. The whole building was designed to keep people IN and doesn't lend itself to convenient fire escapes.

So what are your thoughts on this? Is the novelty of having a haunted jail in an authentic jail worth the limitations that such a structure imposes? If you were considering buying it, what would your concerns be?

[HauntedPaws]

I think you said the answer yourself. Likely hard to evacuate and hard to change up year to year.

[mikeq91]

It's a great publicity opportunity that's hard to get anywhere else and would allow you to have a solid Year 1. But then you do have to make sure that it's a good longterm location- maybe after a decent year 1 you could put some money into it to make it a little more flexible?

[Darksidestew]

Easy Peasy! Cut your doors in with a cement cutter. Before buying...take the fire marshal there and ask.

I would buy if the money is right

stew

[deathstaste]

one of the best

haunted house is in one of the oldest prisons eastern state penitentiary. Works for them.

[screamforadream]

haunted house is in one of the oldest prisons eastern state penitentiary. Works for them.

Took the words right outta my mouth! They do it and do it right! You don't have to always change the theme if you can update and improve sets and make people feel like they're getting a new or reasonably priced experience.

Take the fire marshal there and see what he would recommend, if he's friendly to the idea go at it with full force! It can't have a capacity problem if it held thousands of felons at one point in time, right? Lol

[HobzGoblin]

LOL. I think about Eastern State Penitentiary every time I look at the place, though I don't think it's an accurate comparison. Historically, architecturally, and dimensionally it's just not even close. The facility probably maxed out around 30 inmates back in it's hay day and was closer to The Andy Griffith Show than The Shawshank Redemption.

Still though, I think I could have a lot of fun with it.

I may not be able to make drastic changes to the size and the architecture, but I can sure play up the history. You know, what with the scandal that caused the county to close the doors 13 years ago . . . all those dead inmates . . . and the way the Sheriff and his Deputy managed to disappear, never to be seen again . . . I wonder what ever happened to them?

Plus it'd make a great zombie apocalypse bunker.

[drfrightner]

Post some pictures. Larry

[wickedfarmer]

What he said!

Post some pictures. Larry

Pictures and layout.

[HobzGoblin]

Unfortunately, when the realtor showed it to us, we were so busy looking and exploring that we didn't think to actually take any pics. Three of us with smart phones in our pockets and we didn't get a single picture! Gheesh! So all I've got to show you are some outside pics, which are not nearly as interesting as the inside pics.2013-10-30 07.48.44.jpgjail.jpg

[HobzGoblin]

Here's my best recollection of the interior layout. (We initially ruled this out property out and are now reconsidering, so it's actually been several months since I've been inside.)

Some Notes:
*The exterior dimensions of the building (in black) are exact measurements. Everything else is an approximation.
*The thick red lines denote sliding, 2 inch thick, metal doors.
*The hallway in front of the cells is divided in two by a second set of bars, so that inmates couldn't reach anyone standing on the exterior side.

jail sketch.jpg

[screamforadream]

Well that kinda changes a lot of things.

1) Hows your parking situation?
2) Do you have room for an outdoor queue line?
3) Just my input, utilize the main floor for the entire haunt (you'll need it!) and use the basement for actor prep, especially since you have an out of site access door there. Knock down the offices and turn that into your real maze.
4) Any way with real construction equipment you could knock down the dividing walls between the cells so you could create SOME sort of zigging pattern, cause right now it looks like a straight walkthrough....not scary and groups will see EVERYTHING happening to the group(s) infront of them.

[HobzGoblin]

Parking: Parking is not ideal but there may be manageable solution. There are two lots at the end of the block, one on each side of the road. It's a distance of about 200 feet. Neither business operates in the evenings or weekends, so I would try to make arrangements with them to use their lots.

Queue: I'd need to talk to the realtor and find out if the pavement you see on the north side of the building is an alleyway or a private drive. The property lines appear to encompass it, in which case there would be plenty of room for a weaving line in the front of the building. If it's an alley, I'd have two options 1) use the main entrance and wrap the line around the corner to the the west side of the building or 2) Use one of the entrances on the west side instead of the "main" entrance. Unfortunately, either of those options means that the basement door is not longer an out-of-sight actor entrance. I would want to try to use the main entrance, because its more visually interesting and the foyer area inside is more logically suited for greeting patrons and sending them into the rest of the jail.

Office: I had planned on knocking down the office walls and building a maze through there. I was also thinking that I could utilize the outdoor space on the east side of the offices by putting tall chain link fencing with (faux) razor wire around the perimeter. Could be a great place for some "guard dogs" in case they get to close to the outer fence.

Basement: I'd hate to give up the entire basement, but you're right about it being a good place for actor prep.

Knocking down walls: I agree that there would have to be SOMETHING done to break up all of the straight lines and separate the groups. Having guest crawl through holes in the walls from one cell to another would certainly do that. It would add to the disorientation factor too.

[screamforadream]

Sounds like a good plan, just keep on the research and stay on everyone's good side and remember one or two crawls to get between scenes is okay but crawling too much is just annoying and sometimes a complaint or twenty appear on reviewing sites/your Facebook as many people find it more annoying than scary. My partner refuses to do crawls in any haunt (he's getting old lol but still) and we don't have any crawls in our attraction, disorientation can come in the form of good effects and prop placement. An endless hallway out f a jail cell would be AWESOME!

[HobzGoblin]

Going back for another look

Heading to the jail tomorrow with the realtor and my father-in-law/ business partner to take another look. Haven't made a decision yet, but starting to get excited about the possibilities. Thanks for the feed back.

(And I'll DEFINITELY remember to take pictures and measurements this time!)