The next time you’re in L.A., why not take a time out from visiting all the dead stars, and check out the most infamous gangland spots in town? You know I will!
Thanks to nina for the suggestion.
More California excursions can be found at The Morbid Sightseer.
Anne writes to make sure that if we ever find ourselves in Laramie, Wyoming (and are able to free ourselves from the fence post), we know where to go:
“If you ever have the misfortune to find yourself in Laramie Wyoming there is a neat old Territorial prison that is open to the public. Not horribly morbid, but interesting.”
Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site
The Territorial Prison is the best preserved of the prisons of the old west. Built in 1872 it was restored and renovated by the efforts of the citizens of Laramie. There were at least 12 woman housed here and more than 1,000 men, the most famous of which was Butch Cassidy.Opening Hours between May 1 and October 31 (including holidays):
Everyday, 9 AM to 6 PM
More Wyoming adventures can be found at the Wyoming page of The Morbid Sightseer:
Wyoming – The Equality State
The least they could do is wait until after I’ve had the chance to do my Morbid Sightseeing trip to Europe before they start desecrating the sites I want to see!!!
The Museum Of Funeral Customs in Springfield, Illinois has closed. I never made it there even though I’ve lived in Illinois for over five years. I hate myself.
The Museum Of Funeral Customs, R.I.P.
Dan has a morbid sightseeing suggestion for those of us passing through Wyoming (which I haven’t done since 1982, but you never know):
“If you’re ever winding your way west on I-80, be sure to stop in Rawlins, WY for the tour of the Wyoming Frontier Prison. It was a very harsh place to be jailed: no heat, no hot water, a whipping pillory, isolation cages (4x4x4 in size), a dirt-walled underground cell for the incorrigible, a two-floor execution building with a hanging area and a gas chamber, and of course, a mandatory chapel. Really creepy Victorian architecture too! It was also the location for the 1987 grade-C horror movie Prison (Viggo Mortenson’s first movie), which you can buy on VHS in the gift shop.
“All in all, a morbid delight!”
Frankie’s Web Kingdom Road Trip
The Wyoming Frontier Prison (Official Site)
More Morbid Sightseeing suggestions can be found at The Morbid Sightseer.
I received an e-mail from John C. Von Hohenstein who was delighted to see his great-great grandparents’ grave displayed on my Bonaventure Cemetery blog:
“I am very pleased that you posted the picture of my ancester’s tomb; Charles and Mary Hohenstein. They are my Great Great Grandparents. Charles and his Brother came from Germany at the end of the Civil War. They were shipping merchants who came to capitalize on the rebuilding of Savannah, Atlanta, and New Orleans. The Hohenstein Shipping Yard is still in operation at the Port of Savannah.”
If you’re interested in cemeteries, Savannah, or Savannah cemeteries, please have a look at my Bonaventure Cemetery travelogue. Other travelogues and suggested morbid sites are available at The Morbid Sightseer.
Jamie sent me a link to a great travel blog called Nothing To See Here that has an article about a park in London that contains a memorial to people who died trying to save other people’s lives. Even better, the plaques describe the deaths in that wonderfully poetic 19th century style that I find so irresistible! For example: “Frederick Alfred Croft, Inspector, Aged 31, saved a lunatic woman from suicide at Woolwich Arsenal Station but was himself run over by the train, Jan. 11, 1878.” Oh, such a glorious place to visit!!! A photograph of this plaque and other equally delightful examples can be found on the blog. Enjoy!
This site has been added to the England page of The Morbid Sightseer too. I also fixed a few broken links on the page.
I’ve been to most states in our hallowed union, but the one glaring exception that torments me is the great state of Massachusetts. One of these days, I simply MUST take a trip to bask in that witchy ax-murderer vibe… and when I do, I’ll be sure to use Boston.Com’s “This Could Only Happen In Massachusetts” as my guide. (Thanks to Steve O’ for sending me the link.)
I updated the Davis Memorial page of The Morbid Sightseer to include some fascinating (and much better) insider information sent by Vicki (at the bottom of the page). If you’re ever in Hiawatha, Kansas (as if!), you should check it out.