1840s Dungeon, an 1890s Jail, and Gallows
Something wicked lurks underneath the active Sandusky County Courthouse.
Prisoners saw little daylight; the same goes for those who tour this dark but fascinating look at past incarceration in Ohio’s Sandusky County. Along the subterranean corridors, you may feel a chill. It may be a draft, or it may be a paranormal encounter! No matter, the Sandusky County Historic Jail & Dungeon Tours in Fremont, Ohio, will haunt you.
The tour features an 1840s Dungeon, an 1890s Jail, and Gallows. The guide has excellent storytelling to share, explaining the significance the this unusually preserved historic structure. Open the door, and you can almost taste the stale air trying to escape from the 1800s. Visitors today have reported hearing footsteps on the limestone floors or even having their hair or shirt tugged by something unknown or unseen.
There was a cluster of prisoner escapes over a short period of the mid-19th-Century. So, a dungeon was dug to contain better the criminals being held for trial. Kerosene lamps or candles provided their only light. Convicted murderer George Thompson was the first inmate to be cast into the dungeon while awaiting execution in the gallows that remain for all to see. A decade later, the dungeon was closed due to the dreadful environment. And there, history rotted until 2013, when the Sandusky County Convention & Visitors Bureau opened the crypt for tours.
The 1 ½ hour tour requires a group of 20 or more. Visit https://www.sanduskycounty.org/jail to make a reservation or find scheduled public tours, including paranormal and flashlight tours, which may be offered throughout the year but sell out fast. This tour is not recommended for children. The Jail & Dungeon Flashlight Tour is held at 5:30pm and 6:30pm on July 13, August 10, and September 14, 2022. Each guest will get a flashlight, and no other light will be on. There’s also a Dungeon Descent Event from 8pm to 1am on September 30, October 7, and October 28, 2022. Modern technology will be used on this tour to explore the spirit world.
On the ride home, I hope the only thing coming with you is an exciting conversation about the tales of mystery and mayhem from the cells and gallows of the Sandusky County Dungeon Descent Tour.
By Frank Rocco Satullo, The OhioTraveler, Your Tour Guide to Fun
