Some places carry the weight of the people who passed through them. Yuma Territorial Prison is one of them — and the weight here is considerable.

Sitting on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River, three miles west of the confluence of the Colorado and the historic Gila River, stand the ruins of Arizona's famous Territorial Prison. Built in 1876, Yuma Territorial Prison held just over 3,000 inmates during its 33 years in operation, but the stories during that short time live on today. Nicknamed the "Hellhole of the West," the prison closed in 1909 when the overcrowded facility moved inmates to Florence.

The History — Arizona's First Prison

Yuma began to experience the American westward surge when countless immigrants crossed by ferry from Yuma on their way to the California gold fields in 1849. In 1850 a military post was established at Yuma, and when rich placer gold strikes on the Colorado River precipitated a gold rush in 1858, Yuma experienced a boom. In 1871 Yuma incorporated and became the county seat of Yuma County. The Territorial Prison was authorized by the Legislature in 1875 and $25,000 was budgeted for the project. Ground was broken on April 28, 1876.

Some of the prisoners were pressed into service to build their own cells. The first seven inmates moved into the facility on July 1, 1876. That detail — that the men who would be imprisoned here built the walls that would hold them — is one of the more stark facts in Arizona's correctional history.

More than 3,000 desperadoes, convicted of crimes ranging from polygamy to murder, were imprisoned in rock and adobe cells here during the prison's 33-year existence. The range of offenses reflects the Wild West reality of the Arizona Territory — murder and robbery alongside polygamy, horse theft, and crimes that would barely register today. The brief biographical exhibits on individual prisoners in the museum are some of the most compelling material in the park.

Pearl Hart — The Bandit Queen

The most famous inmate in the prison's history was Pearl Hart — the last stagecoach robber in American history and one of only two women ever held at Yuma. Hart robbed a stagecoach near Globe in 1899, was caught, tried, and sentenced to five years at Yuma. She became a celebrity behind bars — reporters came from across the country to interview her. She was released after two years, reportedly because the prison superintendent was uncomfortable housing a woman. Her story is one of the most compelling exhibits in the museum.

What Made It a "Hellhole"

The Arizona summer heat at Yuma is extreme by any measure — temperatures regularly exceed 110°F. The prison was designed for a fraction of the population it eventually held. By 1907 it was severely overcrowded with no room on Prison Hill for expansion. Schooling was available for convicts, and many learned to read and write here in prison. The prison housed one of the first public libraries in the territory, and the fee charged to visitors for a tour of the institution was used to purchase books. One of the early electrical generating plants in the West was utilized here to furnish power for lights and run a ventilation system in the cell blocks. Remarkable infrastructure for 1876. Still a hellhole.

The dark cell — a punishment cell carved into the caliche hill with no light and minimal ventilation — is the most viscerally uncomfortable space in the park. Standing inside it briefly on a cool February day gives you enough of an impression. Imagine it in July.

What Happened After

Convicts constructed a new facility in Florence, Arizona, and the last prisoner left Yuma on September 15, 1909. The Yuma Union High School occupied these buildings from 1910 to 1914. Empty cells provided free lodging for hobos riding the freights in the 1920s and sheltered many homeless during the Great Depression. The site eventually became a state historic park — the cells, main gate, and guard tower standing as they were left when the last prisoners were transferred north.

Our Visit — February 24, 2001

We visited on February 24, 2001 — a family trip to Yuma that included Glen and my Grandmother Nadine, who had spent winters in Yuma as a snowbird and knew the area well. Both have since passed on. This entry is as much for them as it is for the park itself.

We learned the history, walked the grounds, and took in the museum exhibits. Glen posed for a photo behind bars in one of the cells — the kind of fun, irreverent moment that a place like this practically invites. The kind of photo that stays in a drawer and eventually becomes something more than what it was when you took it. We enjoyed the visit and the history together on a February afternoon in Yuma, twenty-five years ago.

The Site Today

Outside buildings and features include original cellblocks, water tank, guard tower, sally port (entrance gate), library room, the dark cell, caliche hill, new yard and cells. Interpretive panels are situated throughout the historic site. The 3,600 sq. ft. museum houses a video presentation, original prison artifacts with exhibits interpreting prison history, prison staff and convicts.

From the prison grounds, visitors can see the original Ocean to Ocean highway bridge — a final link in the US roadway system that connected the Atlantic and Pacific oceans — and the site of the first railroad bridge to span the Colorado River at Yuma Crossing.

Nearby in Yuma

The historic downtown district is worth exploring after the prison. Riverfront parks and walking trails connect the former prison grounds to Yuma's historic downtown district. The Sanguinetti House Museum and Gardens preserves the 19th-century adobe home of one of Yuma's early business leaders. Yuma's historic district is also anchored by The Lee Hotel, which dates to 1917, and the Spanish Colonial Revival post office that dates to 1933. Colorado River State Historic Park, located on the grounds of the 1864 U.S. Army Quartermaster's Depot, adds another layer of Yuma's remarkable history to a single day visit.

More Information (2026)

• Entrance fee: $7/adults (14+), $4/youth (7–13), children 6 and under free — Arizona State Parks Annual Pass accepted

• Dogs allowed on leash outdoors — not permitted in historic buildings

• Gift shop: T-shirts, baseball caps, handcuffs, keychains, and history books

• Photography permitted throughout the park

• Museum: 3,600 sq. ft. with video presentation, artifacts, and prisoner biographies

• The dark cell is open to visitors — brief and powerful

• From the grounds: views of the Ocean to Ocean highway bridge and original railroad bridge site over the Colorado River

• Colorado River State Historic Park: adjacent to downtown Yuma — free, covers the Army Quartermaster's Depot history

Contact

Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park

220 Prison Hill Road, Yuma, AZ 85364

(928) 783-4771

http://azstateparks.com/yuma-territorial

Hours

9:00 AM–5:00 PM daily

Closed Christmas Day

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