The Kansas prison that once sheltered and executed the notorious murderers depicted in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood has found its new life as a tourist attraction.
Starting this Friday, the historic, brick-walled Lansing prison will offer guided tours that will allow visitors to explore the facility where Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, who were convicted for murdering the Clutter family in 1959, were held before their executions in 1965.
The building, originally known as the Kansas State Penitentiary, was inaugurated in 1860 and remained in operation until the Kansas Department of Corrections completed a new facility in Lansing in 2020.
However, instead of demolishing the outdated prison, the State transferred its management to the Lansing Historical Society and Museum, which is now responsible for running tours and preserving the prison’s history.
Debra Bates-Lamborn, president of the historical society, is anticipating a significant public interest for the tours. “We expect the prison to open up to large crowds who want to know what went on inside those walls,” she explained. Visitors will be able to discover the main areas of the prison, although access to some places, such as the gallows where executions were carried out, will be restricted.
Besides the connection to Capote’s novel, the prison has another famous bond: country music legend Johnny Cash performed there for the inmates in 1970. One of the highlights of the visit will be Chow Hall, where Cash performed. Bates-Lamborn recalled Cash’s admiration for prison audiences: “Johnny Cash has always said that prison audiences are the most enthusiastic he has ever played to”.
The prison tour is based on a similar concept in Missouri. Nearly a year ago, a state legislator suggested to turn the Lansing prison into a tourist attraction to preserve its history. In response, Debra Bates-Lamborn and a colleague from the Lansing Historical Society visited the Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City, which has been offering guided tours since 2009.
“Afterwards, I thought ours is a shoo-in and we’re so much better”, Bates-Lambron remarked.
For those interested, tours of the facility will be available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, running through October 26. Due to a lack of heat and electricity, the tours will pause over the winter but are scheduled to resume in the spring, offering a glimpse into a storied past linked to some of the nation’s most notorious crimes and cultural moments.
