Centro de las Artes (Old State Penitentiary)

San Luis Potosí · Mexiko · Prison

In the panopticon's watchtower stands a guard who never realised the prisoners are long gone.

From 1904 to 1999, this neoclassical complex served as the state penitentiary, built as a panopticon where a single guard could watch every cell from his tower. The building is an arts centre today, but the stories of its prison years — torture, isolation and death — linger in the walls. Visitors describe the constant sensation of being watched, and several claim to have seen a male figure up in the old watchtower, as if the warder never left his post. The guides are happy to tell of the energies said to remain in the cell blocks.

FAQ

Where is Centro de las Artes (Old State Penitentiary) located?

Centro de las Artes (Old State Penitentiary) is in San Luis Potosí, Mexiko.