Spirited contest

Yuma territorial prison nabs 2nd place in uSa today competition of best haunted destinations in uS

The Yuma Territorial Prison once again has been named one of USA Today’s Most Haunted Destinations. While last year the historic prison took the top spot, this year it came in second place.

“While the Yuma Territorial Prison did not receive the first-place title again, we came in a close second place,” said Sarah Halligan, communications and marketing specialist for the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, the

organization that oversees the historic state park.

“We couldn’t have done it without everyone’s voting daily and support,” she added.

Earlier this year, USA Today’s 10 Best contest website asked people to vote for their favorite haunted spot in the nation. Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, came in first place.

On winning the top spot last year, USA Today reported that the historic prison has long had a reputation as a “hub of paranormal activity,” with stories of the “spirits of inmates on death row, a woman wandering the banks of the nearby Colorado River looking for her drowned daughter and a small child in a red dress who pinches passersby.”

Most recently, Tripadvisor, the online travel company, named the park a 2020 Travelers’ Choice Winner, a title bestowed on attractions considered to be in the top 10% of attractions worldwide. Tripadvisor explained that each year it combs through reviews, ratings and saves from travelers across the world and uses that information to award the “very best.”

“You’re part of an exclusive group, and we want to help you celebrate (and promote) this major accomplishment,” the company told the park.

From 1876 to 1909, the prison housed 3,069 men and women convicted of crimes in the Arizona Territory. Once the prison closed down, it became the temporary home of Yuma High School, leading to the adoption of the “Criminal” mascot.

Throughout its history,

the prison has had many other “firsts” in Yuma: first library, first hospital, first to have electricity and first to have air conditioning.

The prison has hosted about a half a dozen film crews over the last few years, including the Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures,” a Buzzfeed team that spent the night, Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race” and a few moviemakers.

Park hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Masks are required when visiting the ranger stations, restrooms, stores or historic buildings. Masks are also required while outside if social distancing cannot be maintained.

The cost is $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 7 to 13, and free for children 6 and under.

For more information, visit www.yumaprison.org or call 928-783-4771.