Historic Stories and Photos from the....
John Gacy, Anamosa's
most notorious convict

John Elkins, the 11-year old lifer
Polk Wells, Wild West badman
From the hangman's noose to the World Series!



You are visitor number:

to this site!

Website established February 1997

Hello!  This website chronicles the history of this over 150-year old maximum security Iowa prison, which is still in use today. Before you leave, please use one of the feedback forms around the site to let me know what you thought. Feel free to search the site, but remember that this is an unofficial history site, so information about current inmates is not available.

Thanks for visiting, and enjoy!
Prison History Website
Anamosa, Iowa, USA
 GENEALOGY
 HELP
NOW AVAILABLE!

From Arcadia Publishing, the world's largest publisher of local history books - "Anamosa Penitentiary", a soft-cover 128-page book containing 200 images from the rich history of the Anamosa prison.

ORDER NOW - send a check or money order for $25 (price includes shipping) to the Anamosa Penitentiary Museum Association, PO Box 144, Anamosa, IA  52205. 

Also available online from arcadiapublishing.com, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and other online retailers.  ORDER NOW!