Jailhouse Tours runs guided and self-guided tours, theme events and experiences, educational days, history days, seasonal events, horror tours and School tours. Jailhouse Tours also manages private bookings and hire of Shrewsbury Prison.

Prison Tours
Walk in the footsteps of prisoners who have been residents of the wings during the last 200 years. Discover what happens behind the high walls and locked doors. Experience the hidden world of capital punishment and see first hand one of the last working execution rooms in the country.

Visit us at The Dana Prison, Shrewsbury: ‘the world’s most interactive prison tour’.

Jailhouse Tours conducts daily guided tours run by ex-prison officers who once managed these very wings. Our two-hour tours give you the opportunity to view this historic building and learn more about its history dating back to 1793.

Once inside, your journey will begin in the same way as that of a prisoner. Starting your sentence, you will be processed through reception before heading out to the wings and into the general population (gen pop). Your tour will take you to never-before-seen areas of the prison, where you will learn about its history, its inmates, daily life, visits and prison work as well as discover the truth behind the Dana’s grisly history with executions.

Throughout the tour you will be able to ask questions of your guides and hear stories from the early days of the original prison through to modern times. You will be given the chance to have a ‘Closed Cell’ experience, which involves entering cells and having the doors closed behind you, to fully appreciate what it would have been like for a prisoner.

Prison tours last for two hours and cover approximately one mile and 200 stairs. Children are allowed on tours but we recommend parental guidance as some of the content may be unsuitable. We regret we are unable to provide wheelchair access on these tours.



Dana in The Dark - An Officer's Journey
Jailhouse Tours proudly presents the world's only opportunity to experience a prison officer’s life at night. Forget what you have seen in the movies and read in books, this event gives you a real insight into the nightlife of a 200-year-old prison.

As the sun sets over Shrewsbury the night shift prepare to take over responsibility of the Dana and its 300 inmates. With the prisoners all locked in their cells now is your time to sit back and relax with a warm cup of cocoa… If only this were true - a prison is never quiet, not even at night; you never have the chance to rest.

Dana in the Dark is split into two parts: ‘A’ Wing and ‘C’ Wing

‘A’ Wing involves keeping control of your wing with regular cell checks, suicide watches, answering alarm bells and watching the prisoners. You will need to be fit to make your way up and down the stairs and landings throughout the night and with responsibility for 300 prisoners your night will be anything but quiet.

‘C’ Wing is a game of cat and mouse, with Jailhouse Tours’ ‘catch the con’ challenge. Once you have learnt how to complete perimeter checks, mark off the pegging points and seen the e-man cells, your evening will quickly change when one of our most notorious prisoners escapes from his cell. Working as a team you will need to search buildings, complete perimeter checks and keep in close contact with ‘victor’ to ensure the safe recapture of the escaped con. But chasing prisoners around a four-acre site is no easy task. It will take concentration, bravery and teamwork to be in with a chance to catch the escapee.

Dana in the Dark bridges prison history with authentic stories and experiences from real officers, and offers the challenge of trying to catch an escaped prisoner - just pray only one has got out!

As the world's most interactive prison experience, Jailhouse Tours provides the opportunity to explore a prison at night in a manner never before experienced. Our Dana in the Dark tour promises to leave you shocked, scared, amazed and enthralled.

The tour lasts for two hours. Please note that ‘A’ Wing will involve managing staircases of up to 150 stairs. ‘C’ Wing may involve running if the participant wishes, but this is not mandatory and you can take it at your own pace if you wish. Minimum age is 16 years. We regret we are unable to provide wheelchair access on these tours.

Local

Eat and Drink

• Henry Tudor House - Shrewsbury (0.4 miles) - Take one of the oldest, most historic half-timbered buildings in Shrewsbury. Give it a beautiful zin...
• The Bulls Head - Rodington (5.8 miles) - Country Pub and Dining serving home cooked food, real ales and welcoming atmosphere. We cater for al...
• New Inn Baschurch - Baschurch (7.2 miles) - Located in the popular village of Baschurch, North Shropshire, the New Inn is the essence of a tradi...
• The Drayton Gate - Wem (10.1 miles) - We are a small family run premium restaurant in the heart of North Shropshire. Nic and Tim Bamford a...
• Jenko's Mongolian Barbecue - Telford (11.8 miles) - Jenkos Mongolian Barbecue – Telford Home of the Mongolian warriors, we cater for meat lovers, veget...

See and Do

• Jailhouse Tours Shrewsbury (0.0 miles) - Jailhouse Tours runs guided and self-guided tours, theme events and experiences, educational days, h...
• Jailhouse Tours Shrewsbury (0.1 miles) - Walk in the footsteps of prisoners who have been residents of the wings during the last 200 years. D...
• The Hive Shrewsbury (0.5 miles) - The Hive is a charity arts centre and venue based in the heart of Shrewsbury, Shropshire providing q...
• Netley Hall Paintball Shrewsbury (7.1 miles) - Netley Hall Paintball's arena is far from being the conventional battle zone boasting a two stor...
• Jungleland UK Ltd Telford (11.5 miles) - Go wild in the Jungle with 4 great adventures under 1 roof! Jungleland - Giant jungle themed soft pl...

Shopping

• Halfpenny Green Wine Estate - Bobbington (24.3 miles) - It was the vision of farmer Martin Vickers 30 years ago to plant a vineyard that would one day match...