Jackson's first state prison became a neighborhood

Jackson has lived with prisons for nearly as long as Michigan has been a state. Lawmakers approved the state’s first prison in 1838, and the first 35 prisoners arrived in 1839. A permanent prison went up near Cooper Street and Armory Court in the early 1840s. It grew along with the city, then closed in 1934 after the state began opening a newer complex north of town in 1926.

The old downtown grounds later became a Michigan National Guard armory. In the 2000s, the walled complex began another life as Armory Arts Village, with apartments and workspaces inside restored buildings. That is an unusual reuse, but it is also somebody’s neighborhood. It is not a drop-in prison museum.

For a public way into the story, check Experience Jackson’s current schedule and book an Original Jackson Historic Prison Tour before making the trip. The Parnall Correctional Facility north of town occupies part of the later prison campus and remains active, so it should not be treated as a sightseeing stop.