Tours of the old Missouri State Penitentiary in Jefferson City are becoming profitable – according to a report from the Jefferson City News Tribune.
The newspaper reports visits to the former prison generated more than $275,000 dollars in revenue during the year 2012. That's nearly $35,000 more than the cost of operating the tours.
Jefferson City’s Convention and Visitors Bureau says more than 19,000 people toured the old prison during the past year. Ticket sales accounted for most of the revenue.
The prison opened in 1836 on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, a few blocks from the state Capitol. It was closed in 2004, and public tours began in 2009.
