Adelaide Gaol

With no particular plans on a lazy Sunday afternoon, me and the boy drove past the Adelaide Gaol and on a whim, decided to give it a go. A born and bred Adelaideian — I think this trip was way overdued! We had a long lazy lunch and missed the guided tour but armed with our map and a sense of adventure, we had fun nonetheless exploring the creepy old gaol with its musty old rooms, reading up on the prisoners scandalous records and retracing the steps of convicts sentenced to hang at the gallows. A spooky but thought provoking experience. At only $ 14 for an adult admission, it was an inexpensive day out for everyone to enjoy!

Great place to be on Halloween. Pretty spooky place.
You get to tour around the jail, including hanging cells, as well as learning the history of the jail too… Great experience. Other kind off tours on offer which look’s pretty interested too…

We visited Adelaide Gaol on Halloween night for a Ghost Story Tour. Was booked over the phone previously, so when we arrived we just had to sign and collect the payment receipt. Once signed in we all given a drinks token and take though to a room, where there was a buffet of hot ‘n’ cold foods and a drinks area where we were all entitled to complimentary drink (including alcohol). The room was decorated to make it atmospheric. We were here for about 45 minutes before the group was split into 2 smaller groups.
The tour lasted around 2 hrs… we were guided round by a guide with a torch with minimal lighting. The Gaol is like a maze and very easy to get lost in, so we had to stay close. It is a very spooky place to when dark too. The guide had some great ghost stories to tell us about his time and others at the Gaol. Unfortunately we didn’t experience anything on the night but it was still a very knowledgeable night out. On completion of the tour we headed back to the same room we started in for short video of some of the paranormal ‘stuff’ they have managed to record.
All in all i would recommend the ghost tour to anyone who wants to know about that side of the Gaol. I will be going back in the day to see in daylight and to find out more about certain aspects!

This is a pretty spooky place just like any jail is. It is one of the oldest public buildings in Adelaide because as soon as you colonise a territory you need to have somewhere to place all the naughty people basically, so this monument to idiots and stupid behaviour had to be built early on in the history of the area. It is not too far from the city limits, just walking distance along the beautiful bike and pedestrian track if you fancy an undercover tree lined walk with birds fluttering around, or even grab a free city bike and ride along the track until you see the signs — towers. Not big by European standards, but certainly shaped like towers.
You can visit at certain times and look through the museum, often mistaken for a current goal or jail as we call them now, but no, this is not used that way now. It is a museum and rental space.
Public Ghost Tours are a fun thing to do if you are a couple of families or a group with a range of ages. They are held on every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night and as long as there are adequate soothing adults to go around, the ghost tours can be great fun for the kids bookings are essential: so call them on 08 8231 4062 and note that private groups of 12 to 20 people can be scheduled to suit your needs.

History buffs and fright-​night fans will love this place.
The self-​guided day tour of this building, dating from 1841 and one of the oldest prisons in Australia before it closed in 1988, is fascinating.
There were 45 prisoners executed within the walls, including the only woman to executed in South Australia, Elizabeth Woolcock, who was hanged in 1873 for the poisoning murder of her husband, Thomas.
You can also take a guided history tour with a volunteer guide.
But those interested in a bit of a scare might prefer to opt for a night tour.
With ghoulish Adelaide Gaol tales of ghosts and their paranormal activity that allegedly still occurs, it’s all a bit too spooky for me, but my brave mates loved it.
There’s an excellent display illustrating what prison life was like in the gaol, including items used for prisoner punishment.
An archaeological site within the grounds was recently excavated and opened to the public.
You can tell the Adelaide Gaol Preservation Society, a not-​for-​profit group, has put a lot of thought into this museum, and it’s definitely well worth a look.
Public and private tours can be arranged, with bookings for schools and disability groups to be made in advance.
Times listed are until last entry at 3.30pm and you can visit the gaol by appointment only on Saturdays.