PETROS, Tenn. — The place where the worst criminals in Tennessee counted the days to get out is now the site where tourists have been counting the days to get in.
After closing for the winter, Monday, April 1 was opening day at the Historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary and distillery in Morgan County.
"You don't have many prisons that you can go to that are 100-year-old buildings and have the history that we have here," said general manager Michelle Johnson. "It's our first official season for the entire season. Last year, we had half of a season with the grand opening in the summer."
Johnson said construction crews remained hard at work during the seasonal shutdown in the winter months.
"We a new addition to our restaurant which adds 70 new seats. We added a lot of new exhibits at our prison area. Our D-block is now open in our prison area. The D-block is a big attraction because it was one of our maximum-security sites with a one-person room. The prisoners there only got one hour a day out of the cells," said Johnson.
One of the main attractions on the tour remains "the hole" where prisoners were punished with confinement in tiny pitch-black rooms in the basement beneath the chapel.
The carvings on the walls are often found near the floor because prisoners often stayed on the floor in complete darkness.
Former inmates and guards help provide tours of the prison and answer questions. When visitors are not going behind bars, they can go to the bar. The restaurant serves beer and the gift shop has moonshine tastings.
Brushy Mountain also aims to serve up entertainment beyond the routine tours and restaurant.
"We have several concerts that are already planned for this year. We have a two-day rodeo that's planned. We have paranormal tours. We have a lot going on," said Johnson.
The site once labeled "the worst thing in Tennessee" hopes to keep bringing tourists in to get the most out of a historic site.
"People should care is because there's so much history here in our small town and so much history at the prison. The inmates and guards that have come back and told us their stories are incredible. There's just a lot of history," Johnson said.