Maitland Gaol is the city's strongest sight: a heavy sandstone prison in East Maitland that kept operating into modern times. That mix is what makes it unsettling. The old walls and cells are there, but so are the more recent layers of razor wire, surveillance, and institutional routine.
Tours focus on prison life, escapes, and the people held here. It is not a light visit, but it gives Maitland a sharper edge than most Lower Hunter towns.