Napier Prison facts for kids
Napier Prison is a special place in Napier, New Zealand, that used to be a prison but is now a popular spot for visitors. It was built way back in 1862 and stopped being a prison in 1993. This makes it the oldest prison building in New Zealand!
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History of Napier Prison
Napier Prison was built on Napier Hill in 1862. It was used as a prison for a long time, until the early 1990s. It officially closed as a prison in 1993. Besides being a prison, this building also served as an orphanage (a home for children without parents) and a place for people needing special care for their minds.
Visiting Napier Prison Today
Since 2002, Napier Prison has been open to the public as a historical place to visit. You can go on guided tours during the day or night, or even take a self-guided audio tour. It's a unique place because it's the only building where you can still see the original path of the big 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. This earthquake caused a lot of damage in the area.
Napier Prison in TV Shows
The old prison has even been used for filming! In 2006, a TV show called Redemption Hill was filmed there. It also appeared in another TV series called "Off the Rails." In 2011, a team from the TV show Ghost Hunters International spent four days filming inside the prison.
Mysterious Stories at the Prison
Many people have reported strange things happening at the prison. Some say they hear footsteps when no one is there, or see faces that disappear. Doors are said to open and close by themselves. There are also stories about the spirit of a former prisoner named Roland Edwards. People say his spirit is often felt around July 15th, which is the anniversary of his passing. A group that studies unexplained events, Haunted Auckland, has visited the prison many times to try and find proof of these stories.
See also
In Spanish: Prisión de Napier para niños
