The Dark Cell Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
Park manager Yanna Kruse told KYMA in 2024 that paranormal investigators come "from across the country, from around the globe", and pointed to the pitch-black Dark Cell used for solitary confinement. Source: KYMA, 2024.
Facts below are drawn from the linked sources.
Real history
The prison opened on July 1, 1876, and closed on September 15, 1909. It held 3,069 prisoners, 29 of them women, and Yuma Union High School used its buildings from 1910 to 1914 (Wikipedia).
Park manager Yanna Kruse told KYMA in 2024 that 111 prisoners died while held there and 104 are buried in the prison cemetery (KYMA, 2024).
Ghost stories
These are reported legends, not verified events. The creepiness score (1–5) is Spook Atlas's own editorial rating, not a measurement.
Paranormal nights Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
The Yuma Sun covered an after-dark investigation at the park for National Paranormal Investigators Day, including visitors trying to "commune" with spirits in the Dark Cell. Source: Yuma Sun, via Yuma Crossing NHA, 2025.
The Yuma Sun covered an after-dark investigation at the park for National Paranormal Investigators Day, including visitors trying to "commune" with spirits in the Dark Cell. Source: Yuma Sun, via Yuma Crossing NHA, 2025.
Then and now
.jpg){kind=link}
Public access
Open to the public Arizona State Parks lists it as open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from October 1 to May 31, with an entrance fee (Arizona State Parks). Last checked: Oct 31, 2026.
Explore more
- More places in Yuma and Arizona
- More haunted & abandoned prisons
- Nearby: Castle Dome City (Castle Dome, AZ), Swansea (Swansea, AZ), Vulture City (Wickenburg, AZ), Hotel del Coronado (Coronado, CA)
⚠️ Please read: This information may be outdated and conditions change. Verify access with the owner or operator before you go. Spook Atlas does not encourage trespassing. Entering private, closed or condemned property can be illegal and dangerous. Report a correction.
Reader experiences
Not yet accepting submissions. Reader stories are coming later; this form is switched off and sends nothing. All stories are moderated before they appear. Posts describing trespassing, break-ins or how to get into closed areas are removed.
No reader experiences yet. Be the first to share yours.