the old jail

The tour of the old jail is both informative and fun. Tour guides do an excellent job with the facts and conveying what it was like.

We decided to try this after living here a couple years ago. Wow were we so surprised at just how large AND at the same token how small it was. So very many turns ups, downs, turns, etc.... ALOT of stories about the ol' days from your volunteer who takes you thru it. So very interesting and you really feel like you were back in "those days". A few funny moments also. We have it quite easy compared to what they had back in those days!! Takes a bit of time to go thru.

We took the grandkids to visit the Old Jail, and they had a wonderful time. Its exciting to visit som place with so much history right here in the town where you live. The kids get alot of on hands experience playing with toys from days gone by and seeing how children lived back then ,how schools were etc. they especially likes going into the cells and pretending they were locked in. There is so much history right here in Chambersburg who needs to go any where else. Come see for yourself and come enjoy a day at the old Jail you won't be sorry you stopped in to visit. Then go on to Gettysburg for more History Lessons.

There is a small fee ($5 / person or $10 / family), but you get a tour guide (and your money goes to a good cause - historical preservation) that will take you through the Old Jail. I took my wife and two daughters (who aren't into history - like myself) and they liked it too. You can walk into the old jail cells (kids will love this). You can also see history about: Indians, the railroad, music, medicine, Civil War, French and Indian War, Underground Railroad, etc... Upstairs you can even do genealogical research (if you have family from Franklin County). A great stop if you are just visiting. It will take you about 45 minutes to take the tour (more if you like to take your time). The John Brown house is right down the street too (another must see!).

We decided to add this to our bucket list and just recently visited it on a weekday. It was great to see a piece of local history that has been well-maintained. It was a fun tour and we were glad to be able to see not only the jail but to read about its important role in the Underground Railroad.

This is a great piece of history. You feel like you have stepped back in time and can envision how the prisoners had it then compared to now. The dungeons are especially fascinating. There are great stories given on the tour, and you would be surprised how many "infamous" people were inprisoned there. Also the Kittotiny Museum is another great place to visit, it is just across the street from the old jail.

Lived with the Old Jail around the corner my whole life but never visited until recently. It's a super cool piece of history in Chambersburg. There aren't many places like this one!!

Neat old place and very helpful people at the historical society. We were there to do some family hhistory research, and took the jail tour too.

This place is kinda neat. The man that gave the tour was just ok. I'd skip it if your in a rush. Maybe go down the street to the mall.

The Old Jail was our first stop on our tour of the Gettysburg / Chambersburg area. I'm glad it was because it was a nice "warm up" type of tour. We opted to tour only the Old Jail and not the John Brown House due to time. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the building's history, but not much else, including the artifacts on display in the building. I stumped him a few times when asking questions about particular items and their uses that were on display. He also seemed somewhat rushed and stumbled over his words more than a few times, which made it difficult for some people to understand what he was saying. But, he was kind, and helpful, and we did learn quite a bit about the building itself and the area.For the price it is a worthy tour - however if you are pressed for time there are better tours in the Gettysburg area that I'd suggest over this - one in particular being the Jennie Wade House.

Highly knowledgable tour guides take you through this local civil war era jail that housed adults and children, and also played a role in the Underground Railroad. Great for the whole family.

Don't miss the enlightening and engaging tour of the Old Jail if you're in Chambersburg. The building is a delight -- full of unexpected surprises and interesting history. The cells and dungeons are quite fascinating, and there are still written momentoes of previous prisoners. The museum is also interesting! The gardens are also wonderful, and very peaceful.

If you're in the area, don't miss this gem. Yes, it's a $5 admission (adults) but that gave us a great escorted tour of the Old Jail, Civil War history, and the Underground Railroad, and the Confederates torching the town inn 1864. Fascinating to read the letter a Yankee wrote; the false fireplace used to hide fleeing slaves; the Indian artifacts from the area; the jail itself (3 floors) and the gallows in the "exercise yard". Chambersburg is a small town and this is a gem. Certainly, if you're used to great museums and restored towns, etc. you'll ridicule this endeavor. But, we found it well worth the $5 and glad we didn't miss it.You can be in-and-out in 30 minutes or less but we spent almost 2 hours there. If you're looking for genealogy, they have an entire area devoted to that. Plan on climbing narrow stairs (no elevators) and being constantly reminded to "watch your head".

Go there to get a thrill and a scare for halloween , they do alll this on hallowenn to give a fright to kids and older kids. it is fun fun fun for all. you never know who or whats lurking behind a door or in a jail cell

We have been visiting "The Old Jail" for years and years. Sadly, it's not quite what it used to be. Though it should be visited. Kids especially get a "kick" out of being "in jail". This used to be a free visit...which was awesome! Now, it is not. Not expensive though...still disappointing. You don't get to see quite as much as you once did. As parts are blocked off. I think they said due to "insurance reasons". Still very cool. They still use the original giant skeleton key. And have several rooms set up, as it would have been. You get to walk into cells. See writing on the wall from past inmates. Go down to the basement with more cells. Cool creepy. But, not too scarey for the young kids. You can even see where at one time they hid slaves on the "Underground Railroad". So, while I say it "was better". You need to visit atleast once - to reall "feel" some of the history in Chambersburg. Including a room/hallway of 'random' Chambersburg-ian articfacts. So for history buffs, it's cool too. It is not self guided. And typically, all of the guides we had were very knowledgable and answered the children's many questions.