Old Monterey Jail
N 36° 35.858 W 121° 53.875
10S E 598575 N 4050803
A prison with thick adobe walls, turned into a museum
Waymark Code: WMWJX
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 10/27/2006
Views: 48
There was a time when Monterey was not the pretty tourist destination it is today. You can read all about it in John Steinbeck's "Tortilla Flat":
From Chapter 7: "Big Joe was sentenced to thirty days in jail, most of which he slept away. He liked being in jail because in the old days, all of his friends would eventually pass though."
The jail was built in 1854 when Monterey was the county seat and was used as city jail until 1956. It was an impenetrable fortress for its inmates; no one ever escaped from the thick granite walls during its history.
Today, it is part of Colton Hall Museum and is open to the public.