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Tour Brushy

Walk the same ground where Tennessee's most hardened criminals once lived, worked, and served their time.

Our brand-new audio-visual self-guided tour takes you through 22 stations, each one narrated by the people who were actually there: former inmates, prison guards, and Brushy employees.

No reservations, no waiting. Tickets are available at the Gift Shop. Just show up.

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TICKET Info
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Exterior wall of a weathered building with barred windows seen through black vertical prison bars.

Ticket INFO

Our brand-new audio-visual guide experience will bring you directly into the history of Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary.

Tour tickets can be purchased at the Gift Shop during business hours. Tickets never sell out.

Audio-visual tour pricing:
$31 per person + tax
$25 per child + tax
Kids under 6 are free

Senior Discount (starts at 65) - 10% off cost of admission

Military Discount - 10% off cost of admission

‍Available to active duty members of the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, National Guard and Reserves. Valid military ID is required to purchase discounted tickets.

Please Note: Pets are not permitted on tours at this time. Only service animals will be permitted.

Self-Guided Tour Info
Paranormal Tour Info

Museum & Tour Hours



Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary is located in the Eastern Time Zone.
All operating hours and event times listed are ET.

Our all-new audio-visual tour experience is an adventure like no other. It will surprise you, terrify you, and make you wonder what it would’ve been like to be locked up in here for the rest of your God-given life.

This adventure through 22 stations guided by the voices of former inmates, prison guards, and Brushy employees brings the history of Tennessee's most notorious maximum-security prison to life, one cell block at a time. As you move from one station to another, you'll be able to imagine what life would have been like behind these walls.

We look forward to seeing you when you come to visit us at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. It will be an experience you carry with you for the rest of your life.

Audio-visual guide available in English with Closed Captions. Tours run from open until the last entry at 5:00PM.

April/May Hours

June/July/August Hours

September/OCtober Hours

November Hours

December-March Hours

Concert Day Hours

April/May Hours

Opens April 2, 2026
Thursday - Sunday: 10:30 am - 7:00 pm ET
Last Tour Starts at 5:00 pm ET (Prison Closes at 6:30 pm)
Open Good Friday, Easter, and Memorial Day

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June/July/August Hours

Open Daily
10:30 am - 7:00 pm ET
Last Tour Starts at 5:00 pm (Prison Closes at 6:30 pm)
Open July 4th

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September/october Hours

Open Thursday - Sunday
10:30 am - 6:30 pm ET
Last Tour Starts at 5:00 pm (Prison Closes at 6:30 pm)
Open Labor Day

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November Hours

Open Saturday - Sunday
10:30 am - 5:30 pm ET
Last Tour Starts at 4:00 pm (Prison Closes at 5:30 pm)
Warden's Table & Gift Shop Closes at 6:30 pm
Last Day of the Season November 30, 2025

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December-March Hours

Closed for the Winter
Paranormal Tours Still Available

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Concert Day Hours

Day of Concerts Only
Last Tour Starts at 4:00 pm ET
Prison Closes at 5:30 pm ET
Gates for Show Open at 6:00 pm ET
Warden’s Table & Gift Shop Closes at 7:00 pm ET
Parolee’s Restaurant & Store Closes at 8:00 pm ET

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Accessibility & Service Animals

The majority of the tour is handicap accessible. However, because the prison has no elevators, there are areas in the tour such as The Hole and the prison’s cafeteria that are not accessible due to their locations within the prison.

There is handicap parking available, with 4 spaces at the Gift Shop/Warden's Table parking lot and 6 spaces up at the prison.

Service animals are allowed, but pets are not permitted.

Stone monument with a white sign reading 'Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary Established 1896' under a clear blue sky with trees in the background.
Dimly lit corridor in an old prison with rusted metal cell doors on the right and string lights along the ceiling on the left.
Upward view between tall, weathered concrete and stone buildings with a cloudy sky and barbed wire on the right.
Sunlight streaming through dirty, multi-pane windows in a prison building with exposed pipes and ventilation ducts.

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Visit after your Tour

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Interior of distillery featuring large stainless steel fermenters, pipes, and a clock on the wall under a rustic sign reading 'End of the Line Brushy Mtn.'

Distillery

Brushy Mountain Distillery is home to Frozen Head Vodka, Double Barrel Whiskey, Brimstone, and End of the Line Moonshine, the only spirits distilled (legally) at a prison, as well as Struggle Bus Bloody Mary Mix. End of the Line Moonshine is available in 8 flavors. From farm to still, we use water from the mountains’ natural springs to make this one-of-a-kind moonshine and vodka.

The distillery is free to visit and not part of the prison tour. A tasting bar is located in the gift shop (Must be 21 years of age or older and have a valid state ID to sample.)

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Interior of Wardens Table restaurant with wooden tables and chairs, stone walls, and metal bars resembling a prison setting.

Warden's Table

The Warden’s Table restaurant offers a variety of southern food, serving up everything from classic BBQ plates and loaded potatoes to BBQ nachos and cheeseburgers. It’s Southern cooking with a twist and hospitality at its best.

With plenty of room for families and large groups, food is served cafeteria style so you’ll be in and out before you know it, giving you time to browse in our gift shop or spend time touring the prison.

Learn more
Map of Historic Brushy Mountain State Pen showing numbered building locations, parking lots, restrooms, and road access with a vintage badge logo.

Prison

  1. Main Prison
    A. Cafeteria (2nd Floor)
    B. A-Block & B-Block
  2. “The Wall”
  3. D Block
  4. Laundry Room
    A. “The Hole” (Basement)
  5. 5. Lower Yard
    A. Whipping Post
    B. Basketball Court
  6. Gymnasium
  7. Former Maximum Security Unit (1990s)
  8. Former Guard Housing (No Tour Access)
  9. Former Minimum Security (No Tour Access)

Museum

  1. Museum
  2. Movie Theater

Brushy Mountain Distillery

  1. Moonshine Distillery
  2. Bottling Center (No Tour Access)
  3. Moonshine Tasting Booth

General

  1. Gift Shop (Purchase Tour Tickets Here)
  2. The Warden’s Table Restaurant
  3. MoCo Mutts
  4. Concert Stage
  5. Coal House Private Event Space Pavilion
  6. Camping Sites
  7. Playground/Picnic Table Area
  8. Artists’ Green Room
Download Map of Brushy
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