The Scope of Penitentiary, Prison, Jail and Lock-up Museums in Canada

• In Event: Cross-National Perceptions of Crime and Punishment

Abstract

While much of the penal tourism literature focuses on historically significant and infamous penitentiary, prison, and jail museums such as Alcatraz and Eastern State Penitentiary in the United States, there exist many smaller, rural sites where confinement and punishment are represented, including lock-ups. Based on a five-year qualitative study, this article examines the scope of large and small penal history museums across Canada. Offering a typology of these sites, we contribute to penal tourism and dark tourism literatures by analysing the diversity of their displays. We make comparisons with broad national meanings found in penal history museums across Australia, South Africa and the United States, and reflect upon the factors animating the rise of these sites in Canada. We then discuss the significance of these findings for the dark and penal tourism literatures.

Authors

• Kevin Walby, University of Winnipeg

• Justin Piche, University of Ottawa