Spirits are still doing time in these old jails -- some since the 1600s! Curl up with 36 stories, complete with photos, of historical hoosegows from all over the U.S. Each jail or prison is now a location to visit, transformed to museums, offices, a theater, even a B&B where the long-deceased sheriff locks up at night.

The classic board game, Monopoly, doesn't include a jail in its town for nothing. Jails hold a certain awe for most of us, and in the game or in reality, everyone would rather be "just visiting."

Whether you call it "hoosegow," "calaboose," "slammer," or "correctional facility," each jail is a backdrop for the personalities and events of its time and place. Sometimes rustic, often beautiful, the architecture symbolizes each society's brand of justice. Unfortunately, today many stand neglected to the point of ruin, or become relegated to mere storage facilities. Some have even been...