Napier Prison is a former 19th-century gaol that operated from 1862 to 1993 and now functions as a visitor attraction offering self-guided and guided tours. The building survived the 1931 earthquake — one of the few structures in central Napier that did — and so provides a window into the city's history before the disaster, as well as the grimmer aspects of colonial justice.
The tours cover the prison's history, its notorious inmates, and the conditions prisoners endured. The night tours — where guides lean into the ghost-story angle — are popular and consistently booked out. Book in advance, particularly in summer. The prison is one of the few heritage buildings in Napier that predates the earthquake and offers a counterpoint to all the Art Deco.