Full tour offerings begin at MSP

Full tour offerings are resuming at the old Missouri State Penitentiary after months of limited access.

Katherine Reed, communications manager for the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the first ghost tour of the season is set for Wednesday, and the CVB is ready to resume ghost tours, ghost hunts, paranormal investigations and extended history tours.

Ryan Burns, spokeswoman for the Missouri Office of Administration, said renovation and cleanup activities are continuing and on schedule. She said hazardous material cleanup in Housing Units 1 and 3 is ongoing and expected to be completed in early August, as are the roof replacements of Housing Units 1, 3 and 4.

The cleanup of the gas chamber is complete, and the new roof has been installed, she said.

Tours of the old prison site were temporarily suspended at the end of September, and the remainder of the 2013 tour season was eventually cancelled because of mold found at the site. After the announcement, the city and state agreed to split the estimated $2 million cost of repairs and mold remediation at MSP. The $2 million has provided for cleanup of hazardous material, window repairs and window closures in Housing Units 1, 3, 4 and the gas chamber, and roof replacements in each unit.

The citys investment resulted in a long-term contract with the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau for the facility. Previously, the CVB operated on 11-month contracts, but the new agreement allows for a 15-year contract, with the option for two, five-year extensions.

Modified history tours resumed in April, which allowed access to Housing Units 1 and 4, and the gas chamber, while the state continued mold remediation and repair work.

Link:

http://www.missouripentours.com

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Full tour offerings begin at MSP