Napier Prison is a visitor attraction and former prison in

Napier, New Zealand Napier ( ; ) is a city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Hawke's Bay region. It is a beachside city with a seaport, known for its sunny climate, esplanade lined with Norfolk pines, and extensive Art D ...

. Built in 1862 and decommissioned as a prison in 1993, it is the country's oldest prison complex.

History

Napier Prison was constructed on

Napier Hill Napier Hill () is a limestone outcrop and suburb rising above the lowland districts of the city of Napier on New Zealand's North Island. The north-east end, Bluff Hill, has a steep cliff face overlooking the Port of Napier. It features Nap ...

in 1862 and was used until the early 1990s, being officially decommissioned in 1993. In addition to being a prison, the location was also used as an

orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...

and a

psychiatric unit A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe mental disorders. These institutions cater to patients with c ...

. During the 19th century, four hangings were conducted at the prison.Waikato - NZ Ghosts.co.nz
Retrieved January 2012 John Purcell was

superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Building superintendent, a manager, maintenance or repair person, custodian or janitor, especially in the United States; sometimes shortened to "super" *Prison warden or superintendent, a prison administrator *Soprin ...

of the prison in its latter years.

Tourist attraction

In 2002, it was opened as a historical tourist attraction and has been open for entertainment and tours. It offers guided day and night tours by appointment and self-guided audio tours all day. It is the only building where it is possible to see the original path of the

1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake The 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake, also known as the Napier earthquake, occurred in New Zealand at 10:47am on 3 February, killing 256,The exact number of deaths varies according to different sources; the ''New Zealand Listener'' article cited be ...

. The prison was used as the venue for the filming of the 2006 television show

Redemption Hill ''Redemption Hill'' was a New Zealand reality series that followed 10 teenagers identified as being likely to enter a life of crime. The teenagers were selected from a call for participants throughout New Zealand, many nominated by their parents. ...

. It is also featured in the "Off the Rails" TV series. There have been many reports of ghostly occurrences at the site such as unexplained footsteps, disembodied faces, doors opening and closing on their own, and the ghost of a murderer on the anniversary of his execution. The best-known former prisoner is Roland Edwards, a mass murderer whose spirit is said to haunt the area. He died on July 15 and paranormal activity is reputedly more prevalent around the anniversary of his death. Prolific New Zealand-based paranormal research team Haunted Auckland have made a few visits to the prison, conducting detailed overnight investigations, in the hopes of documenting evidence to back up some of the reports. In 2011, a team from the television series ''

Ghost Hunters International ''Ghost Hunters International'' (abbreviated as ''GHI'') is a spin-off series of '' Ghost Hunters'' that aired on Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi). The series premiered on January 9, 2008, and ended on April 4, 2012. Like its parent series, ''GHI'' was ...

'' spent four days filming at the prison, which was criticized as "the lowest common denominator of a reality TV show".Maori slam Ghost Hunters International as 'gauche'
''Hawke's Bay Today''. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2017.

References

{{Prisons in New Zealand Prisons in New Zealand Orphanages in Oceania Reportedly haunted locations in New Zealand Buildings and structures in Napier, New Zealand Museums in Hawke's Bay Prison museums in New Zealand History museums in New Zealand 1860s architecture in New Zealand Child-related organisations in New Zealand