The Yuma Territorial Prison sits on a bluff above the Colorado River where the desert makes escape almost impossible — the surrounding terrain was considered as much a barrier as the bars. Open from 1876 to 1909, it held some of the worst outlaws of the Arizona Territory, and the cells, guard tower, and graveyard are all intact and open to visitors. A small museum on site tells the stories of notable prisoners and the guards who watched them.
The cells are cramped and dark, built into the rock of the bluff. Solitary confinement was in a hole in the ground called the Dark Cell. Standing inside it is enough to understand why the prison had a grim reputation, though historians note it was actually more progressive than many contemporaries — it had a library, a hospital, and electricity before Yuma's general population did. The views from the guard tower across the river to California are spectacular.
Getting there: 220 N Prison Hill Rd, off US Highway 95. Open daily except Christmas. Entry fee applies.