This Penitentiary was Tennessee’s first maximum security prison. It operated from 1896 to 2009 housing 501 harden criminals. Perhaps the most famous of those criminals were James Earl Ray, the killer of Martin Luther King. He had a foiled escape from the prison. And you may recognize it’s exterior from the movie Green Mile as it was used as backdrop.

Let’s check it out..

Welcome..

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Views from the Yard

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Visiting

The Gym

Some prison art to decorate the mess..

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While on the prison grounds see the movie and museum located in the prison chapel.

Then return to the Visitor Center where tickets were purchased to relax from your visit to the Pen.