beechworth gaol tour times

This Way North, Punching Underwater. On location behind the scenes with OBG.

Proudly owned by locals, the Old Beechworth Gaol is a vibrant precinct for the social, cultural and economic benefit of the region.

Reimagining place, guided by people

To see inside the OBG, tour bookings are essential. Our daily historic tours run 7 days a week at 10am, 11am, 12pm, and 1:30pm and last for approx 50 minutes. ‍ Our tour guides will share with you the many stories that have made the past 150 years. Stories from daily life as a prisoner, the chages to the site, bushranger epics, and real stories from real persons who called this site home. We also offer private tours for bookings of 20+ persons, schools, bus groups, etc. Please message 0419477637 for enquiries. Private tours will be subject to availability.

The OBG cafe is back out in our vintage airstram caravan for the spring and summer period! We are serving up amazing coffee from Coffee Chakra. Our cafe also serves up and affordable spread of toasties, biscuts, and cakes made right here on site! We are also able to process tour tickets through the cafe although online bookings are encouraged to avoid long waits in line. Operating hours are 7 days a week 9am - 2:30pm.

e mountain bikes

Head out on your next cycling adventure with our eMountain Bike hire. We currently offer Giant hardtail eMountain Bikes ranging from kids size frames to Large. We offer full day hire and half day hire. Choose to ride the world class Indigo EPIC mountain bike trail, the extensive Rail Trail network,  heading to Yackandandah or go on your own adventure.   Our bikes are equipped with a bike lock, spare tube and equipment to change a tyre if needed.

Bike Shuttles

Our bike shuttle service is currently on hold until the warmer months. Please standby for updates over the coming months.

What's on

We host a number of live events throughout the year - - Pop up Outdoor cinema - Granite Cinema, - Workshops, - Live Music, - Artist Displays. - Birthdays Check out the what's on page to see what's coming up.

Looking for a career to support your passion for regional tourism, hospitality and all things gaols? Head to our careers page to see the latest opportunities with OBG.

Old Beechworth Gaol

In 2016 a consortium of locals banded together to buy the historic 1860 Beechworth prison in order to save it from being developed. Entry to the gaol is only possible by taking a 'Rogues, Rat Bags and Mongrel Dogs' tour, packed with fascinating tales of its most infamous inmates – namely Ned Kelly, his family and sympathisers. There's a good cafe housed in a retro Airstream caravan (open 9am to 2pm), and bikes can be hired from a kiosk just outside.

The jail was used right up until its closure in 2004.

cnr Ford & Williams Sts

Get In Touch

https://​www​.oldbeechworthgaol​.com​.au​/

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Nearby attractions

1 . Ned Kelly Vault

2 . Beechworth Courthouse

The Beechworth Courthouse is notable for Ned Kelly’s first court appearance; see the cell where Ned was held in the basement behind the Shire Hall. There…

3 . Telegraph Station

You can send a telegram (national/international $2/4) to anywhere in the world from the Telegraph Station, the original Morse-code office. There's a…

4 . Town Hall

Beechworth's grand historic town hall dates to 1858, and today is home to the visitor centre.

5 . Burke Museum

6 . Billson's Brewery

In late 2018 the 1865-vintage Billson's Brewery was rejuvenated and reopened to incorporate a tasting room for Billson's iconic cordials, lemonades and…

7 . Bridge Road Brewers

8 . Chinese Gardens

Down near pretty Lake Sambell you’ll find the pleasant Chinese Gardens, a tribute to the Chinese gold miners. After redevelopment in 2017, it's now a very…

Just Me Travel

Solo travel blogger, old beechworth gaol guided tour – an authentic and educational step back in time.

Old Beechworth Gaol – A Horrible History Tour.

The Old Beechworth Gaol guided tour is much more than a walk through a heritage-listed building. It is the perfect way to explore the gaol and have history come alive. Beechworth Gaol is a time capsule that offers an authentic and educational look into the past. Visit the cells that housed notorious bushrangers, learn about convict life, and uncover some of the gaol’s darker history. Step inside and go back in time with an expert guide.

Beechworth is North East Victoria’s best-preserved gold rush town, leaving a legacy of colonial architecture that boasts 32 heritage-listed buildings. Old Beechworth Gaol is one of those buildings, and it is heritage-listed by the National Trust for its historical, architectural, and archeological significance to the state of Victoria.

Getting there

A short drive from Albury (45 kilometres), Beechworth is in my backyard.

For those living further afield, Beechworth is a 3-hour drive northeast of Melbourne (284 kilometres), 4 hours southwest of Canberra (391 kilometres), and about 6 hours southwest from Sydney (593 kilometres).

Don’t have a car? From Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney, take a train to Wangaratta and then the bus to Beechworth on Wangaratta Coachlines.

Old Beechworth Gaol is located on the corner of Williams Street and Ford Street, Beechworth.

Tours of Old Beechworth Gaol operate daily at 11.00 am and 1.00 pm and take about one hour. You can purchase your guided tour tickets at the Old Beechworth Gaol Cafe located in the gaol wall near the main gates. Alternatively, you can book your tickets in advance online . Please check their Facebook page, The Old Beechworth Gaol , for updates on tours.

Our guided tour of old Beechworth Gaol started with a double vaccination status check. Walking through the main gates, the courtyard provided a venue for Daniel, our tour guide, to give us an overview of the history of Beechworth gaol.

• Taking approximately six years to build, Beechworth Gaol was opened in 1864 and initially housed men and women.
• The outer stone walls are granite.
• The razor wire on top of the gaol’s walls replaced the original barbed wire.
• The current iron gates replaced the original wooden gates in 1879 when there was a suspected prison outbreak.
• Beechworth Gaol was a medium-security prison.
• The prison has a history spanning 140 years, closing in 2004.

From the courtyard, our tour took us to the hard labour yard where male prisoners were put to work crushing granite rocks into gravel for roads and footpaths. The guards in the towers overseeing the hard labour yard worked 12-hour shifts.

The mural in the hard labour yard painted by the inmate, Woodsie

Moving into the cell blocks was like entering a time capsule, where time has stood still since the prison’s closure in 2004. The feeling of being locked in time was confirmed by Daniel when he advised the cells have not been touched since 2004.

A cell on old Beechworth Gaol – a time capsule

In the men’s cellblock, the gallows with the hangman’s noose was visible on death row – the top floor of the men’s cellblock. Eight men were executed in Beechworth Gaol between 1865 and 1881, and they are buried in unmarked graves in the exercise yard against the western wall.

The gallows and hangman’s noose on death row in the men’s cellblock

Daniel regaled us with stories of Ned Kelly’s misadventures (murder, assault, theft, and armed robbery) that landed him in Beechworth Gaol. Daniel was an entertaining storyteller. See below for details of who was Ned Kelly and his connection to Beechworth Gaol.

Effigies of Ned Kelly and the Kelly gang

In the women’s cellblock, cell 10 was the designated mother’s cell with its two doors. One door (the front door) led into the cellblock, and a guard could open the back door to allow the mother to let her children outside to play. Daniel explained that the children were not prisoners but were locked up with their mother.

Cell 10 – the mother’s cell with its double doors

At the end of the women’s cellblock is the solitary confinement cell where a prisoner was locked in the cell 23 hours a day. The prisoner was allowed outside in a caged area for one hour a day.

The prisoner solitary confinement exercise cage

Our final tour stop was the exercise yard, the burial site of the executed men. An empty swimming pool dominates this lawned area.

Old Beechworth Gaol and the Ned Kelly connection

Ned Kelly was Australia’s most notorious bushranger and known for wearing a suit of iron armour during his final shootout with police. He was immortalised in the 1970 Ned Kelly movie starring Mick Jagger in the title role.

For those not familiar with Australian colonial history, escaped convicts who used the bush to hide from authorities were the original bushrangers. By the 1820s, the term had evolved to refer to those who took up armed robbery as a way of life, using the bush as their base.

Ned Kelly first became intimately acquainted with the inside of Beechworth Gaol at the age of about 13. Over the ensuing years, he became more familiar with the gaol on at least two other occasions.

Daniel was a wealth of information about Ned Kelly and his time spent in Beechworth Gaol. He held our undivided attention when telling of Ned’s imprisonment for lewd behaviour and assault when he was 16 years old. According to Daniel, Ned sent a package to a lady containing a man’s testicles and later assaulted her husband. There is great truth in the story as Ned did indeed send testicles to the lady. However, depending on your resource will determine the nature of the testicles. A man’s testicles, a calf’s testicles, two calves’ testicles – believe what you will. I suspect the story has grown legs.

For the lewd behaviour and assault crimes, Ned Kelly received 6 or 8 months (once again, depending on your resource) imprisonment in Beechworth Gaol.

Time for lunch

Whether you do the old Beechworth Gaol guided tour in the morning or afternoon, you must eat in Beechworth.

You are spoiled for choice for places to eat in Beechworth. I have eaten at several places and never had a bad meal.

On the day of my old Beechworth Goal tour, I ate at the Beechworth Pantry Gourmet Delicatessen & Coffee Shop on Ford Street. I ordered the Asparagus, Leek and Cheese Quiche with apple and Pear Salad and couldn’t resist the Hazelnut Meringue with Berries and Cream. I left the cafe very satisfied and with bars of fruit nougat in hand for later enjoyment.

My final review

If you plan to visit Beechworth, do yourself a favour and take a step back in time with a guided tour of old Beechworth Gaol. The tour provides all ages with an authentic and educational experience in which local, expert guides bring a dark history to life. It is a unique experience not to be missed and highly recommended.

The female cellblock in old Beechworth gaol

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel.

© Just Me Travel 2018-2022.

Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. The only other prison tour I have taken was to Alcatraz when I was visiting San Francisco. Where have you taken a prison tour?

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Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip, and always follow government advice.

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WELCOME TO ASYLUM GHOST TOURS

Daytime history and night-time ghost tours through Beechworth Asylum, one of Australia's most iconic haunted locations - 5 nights a week, and 7 nights a week during holiday periods.

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Discover the haunting history of beechworth asylum.

Our tours offer history and chills. Walk through the haunted halls, hear real stories, and feel the genuine eeriness. We also offer historical and paranormal tours for those wanting to discover different aspects of the asylum's past. Perfect for curious minds and history lovers, our tours are affordable and unforgettable.

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Ghostly encounters: see it to believe it.

Curious about the paranormal? This eerie photo, captured by one of our tour groups, shows a ghostly figure lurking in the background. At Beechworth Asylum, we offer genuine experiences with no fabricated scares. Whether you're a believer or a sceptic, our tours provide a unique opportunity to encounter the unexplained.

Come see for yourself—if you dare.

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Old Beechworth Gaol Paranormal Investigations

Beechworth, vic.

• Desc ription
• Info rmation
• Reviews (2)

Investigate and walk the halls of this amazing and very haunted old building with over 140 years of tales to tell.

Explore the cells of Ned and Ellen Kelly, or walk the gallows where 8 men were executed.

This beautiful old goal has many a story to tell, why not join us to hear its tales and investigate the unknown.

• 4 hour investigation

Cnr, Ford Street and Williams Street, Beechworth, VIC.

Tours can run on demand, please contact the tour operator if there is not a date that suits.

• October 2024
• November 2024
• December 2024

Strictly 18 years or over.

Please note that all tours are done by torch light, you must wear comfortable shoes and warm clothing in the winter as it gets very cold.

BYO snacks and drink - NO ALCOHOL!

All customers to meet out front of jail 15mins before tour.

Strictly no alcohol or drugs, anyone who is suspected of being under the influence will be asked to leave the premises immediately.

All prices, availability and tour and product information are subject to change without notification, and while every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the prices, availability and tour and product information displayed on this website they are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Ghost Tour Bookings is not a provider of tours, experiences or products and has no responsibility for any tours, experiences or products provided or not provided by the tour operator, supplier or any other party. The tour operators and suppliers provide services and products directly to customers.

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