Prison, Dolls & Cars at Montana

בס"ד

I wanted to write this post earlier, but sometimes things just roll, and suddenly I found myself thinking of this post. So what's the relation between prison, dolls, and cars? Enter to find out.

On my first visit to the US (and currently the only) in 2013, we were in Montana (not Hanna Montana :-) ), and we planned to go to a ghost town on the area. During our ride, I saw a huge sign about an old prison that nowadays used as a museum, and we decided to go and check it out.

And it was worth it because we expected to find only the prison museum and got three more museums at the price of 10$ per person. Who would have thought that in this godforsaken place we will find a variety of thrilling attractions and museums? Because every museum is closed on a different hour, the museum's clerk suggested to us how to make our tour, so that we won't miss anything.

We started at the Yesterday's playthings museum, a museum that features impressive dolls and other ancient toys of Harriet free from 1835.

If you don't have nightmares from all the horror movies with murderous dolls (aka Chucky), it is a nice place to spend your time and see the toys of another era.

Near the toy museum, there is a reconstruction of an old town just like the early days with a variety of buildings like the blacksmith's place, local school class, and more.

Afterward, we headed to the frontier museum, a museum with over  300 weapons and real fighting accessories from 1829 to 1900. It is interesting to see what kind of weapons they used back in the wild wild west era and so on. At that time in the USA, there were about 10,000 gun dealers and manufacturers. It's a crazy place, and why is it crazy? Because it is hard to believe how many weapons and combat tools existed at that time a hundred years back and more.

 The prison's infirmary

The gallows

We then continued to the old prison museum, a vast prison complex that was evacuated from the last prisoner and closed in 1970. Parts of the prison were destroyed, and the remains are fascinating. Sometimes it is even hideous to read the terrible stories that happened in that old Montana prison, such as passing right next to an office where a horrible murder of one of the guards was committed. Of course, this huge place has a lot to tell, and if you can contain all that happened here, it is recommended visiting here. 

While we traveled in the area, between the entertainment area of the prisoners and the gallows, the prisoners' chambers, and the prison administration offices, we met an old couple that spoke with us. The woman had told us that when she was little, her school took them to see the prison while it was still active, and it was a frightening event for her, and rightfully so.

We lastly went to the Montana auto museum that holds a collection of more than 150 impressive cars, antique and new. From a variety of funny vehicles that existed before to great cars like Ford Mustang etc.

The museums located in Deer Lodge, Montana, and for full details on the variety of museums, check out their website here.

So eventually we didn't go to the ghost town we planned to visit, you think? The sun almost set, and even though I was not eager, we made our way to the Garnet ghost town in a wholly wracked way in a thick forest when rain is pouring outside. I mean, come on, why? Why? Why keep driving there?

So I know a ghost town is not a haunted town (at least it does not suppose to be), but the people of the town have decided to leave the town one day for some reason, but still, it was a creepy situation.

When we went to Garnet's ghost town, which is Montana's best-preserved ghost town, the offices that run the place were closed. And the cabins in the area were closed as well. So there wasn't much to see, but to wander around when it's almost entirely dark. I must say it felt like a horror movie to me, a cool experience but frightening.