Maitland Gaol

A former maximum security prison which housed some of Australia’s most notorious criminals including the infamous escape artist, Darcy Dugan, the Anita Cobby killers and serial backpacker murderer, Ivan Milat, Maitland Gaol has a vibrant history spanning more than 150 years. The gates have been unlocked for you to discover the history and stories of incarceration. Visitors are invited to ‘serve time’ learning about the facility, past prisoners and daring escapes. Enjoy a self guided audio tour at your leisure or jump on one of their guided tours like the Escapes Guided Tour or Ex Warden Tour to hear stories of escapes, from the unbelievable to the outright ludicrous. Or if you’re brave enough their Ghost Hunting Tours will certainly get the hairs on the back of your neck standing up as you hear about past inmates who now haunt the cell blocks! Walking around the gaol, you won’t be disappointed as the history consumes you. Inside cell blocks the atmosphere of heavy door, after heavy door, cell after cell, each scrawl of graffiti, dent in the door and bullet hole in the wall has its own story to tell. Since its closure in 1998 as an operational correctional facility, the Gaol has made an impressive transformation into one of the Hunter region’s iconic tourist attractions and a must add to your travel bucket list.