The Prison

Open during summer season. The former Hämeenlinna county prison, located next to Häme Castle, is now Finland’s largest prison museum – the Prison. Built in 1871, this first prison with cells in Finland ceased its penitentiary operations in 1993 and the county prison was turned into a museum in 1997. The Prison prompts visitors to contemplate the fundamental questions of humanity. It examines the history of criminal sanctions and prison life by evoking emotions and breaking preconceptions. The past lives on in the wall scribblings, the objects, and the time-worn cells.