Napier Prison facts for kids
Napier Prison is a cool place to visit and a very old building in Napier, New Zealand. It was built in 1862 and stopped being a prison in 1993. This makes it the oldest prison complex in New Zealand!
A Look Back in Time
Napier Prison was built on Napier Hill in 1862. It was used for many years, until the early 1990s. Besides being a prison, this building was also used as an orphanage for children. It even served as a place for people needing help with their mental health.
Visiting the Old Prison
Since 2002, Napier Prison has been open to visitors. It's a great place to learn about history and have some fun! You can take guided tours during the day or at night. There are also self-guided audio tours you can do anytime.
This prison is special because it's the only building where you can still see the original path of the big 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. This earthquake changed a lot of things in Napier.
The prison has also been used for filming! It was a location for the TV show Redemption Hill in 2006. It also appeared in the "Off the Rails" TV series.
Spooky Stories and Ghosts
Many people say that strange things happen at Napier Prison. Some visitors have reported hearing unexplained footsteps. Others have seen faces that aren't really there. Doors sometimes open and close by themselves!
One of the most famous stories is about a former prisoner named Roland Edwards. People believe his spirit still haunts the area. It's said that spooky activity is more common around July 15, which is the anniversary of his death. A group called Haunted Auckland, which studies paranormal activity, has visited the prison many times. They have even stayed overnight to try and find proof of these ghostly tales.
In 2011, a TV show called Ghost Hunters International filmed at the prison for four days. They were trying to find evidence of ghosts too!
See also
In Spanish: Prisión de Napier para niños
