About Alice Springs Old Gaol
The Alice Springs Old Gaol is a former correctional facility located at 2 Willshire Street, The Gap, in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Operating as Her Majesty's Gaol and Labour Prison from 1964 to 1996, it is now a heritage-listed museum managed as a historic site. Notable for its preserved cell blocks, watchtowers and prison memorabilia, it offers insight into Central Australia's penal and social history and the evolution of correctional practices in the Northern Territory.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a preserved 1960s prison complex set on flat arid land south of the Alice Springs town centre. The site includes cell blocks with original cells, exercise yards, watchtowers, kitchen, laundry and administrative buildings. Interiors display prison memorabilia, photographs, documents and interpretive panels explaining daily prison life and the history of corrections in Central Australia. The visit is self-guided with information boards, with occasional volunteer-guided tours, in a quiet, open-air heritage setting.
Key highlights
- 01
Preserved cell blocks with original cells and fittings from 1964-1996 period
- 02
Watchtowers and perimeter security features illustrating prison design
- 03
Museum displays of prison memorabilia, photographs and archival records
- 04
Original kitchen, laundry and exercise yards