Carthage Jail

This place is full of story and rich in history. A must see and visit historical site. The jail itself is full of stories of faith, bravery, and kindness of the people and family who once lived there. All furnitures and structures are preserved. Each room of the jail house has its story to tell. The missionary guides were awesome and told the story of imprisonment of Joseph Smith and his brother there. I would love to come back and see other sites in this area. Highly recommended place to visit and to learn as well.

An absolutely splendid place to visit. A solemn story of faith, family and friendship permeates the sacred grounds of this edifice. The missionaries here do an amazing service explaining both the history and spirituality of The Carthage Jail experience. Our children enjoyed the stories and spirit felt here. Highly recommended!

This was a great place to visit. This place helps bring to life part of the early church history. Much of the original building is there including some bullet holes and blood stains.

So glad they preserved the history of the events at Carthage Jail. This is the site where Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith were murdered by a mob in 1844. We were able to catch an ongoing tour which was moments away from walking into the jail. I would definitely recommend stopping for the tour if you’re in the area.

Great experience, very serene! The missionaries do such a wonderful tour. This is one place which is not to be missed.

Most touching spot on our 9 day Church History Tour. Very highly recommend seeing this wonderfully displayed martyrdom spot for Brothers Hyrum and Joseph. The truth is easily discerned here. Very moving, and worth the trip.

History at its saddest. Well kept grounds and great tours. Trace the history of the Mormons hardships to salt lake.

Simply incredible. You have to visit to understand how amazing and spiritual this place is. The sister missionaries know their stuff as well.

Thus was absolutely incredible! The missionaries that were leading the tour explained the history wonderfully. The spirit is so strong here! The grounds are taken care of and look beautiful. I highly recommend anyone who wants to learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visit Carthage Jail.

Wonderful experience. The sister missionaries did a beautiful job describing what occurred here.

Powerful retelling of the last days of Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, and the brave men that went to carthage to die. When you get there, check in at the visitor's center to get on a tour group. They can only have so many people on a tour. There is a movie featuring the life of the prophet Joseph Smith while you wait. The grounds are well kept, and there is ample parking.

Highly recommend this to anyone! This was a great experience and it felt very sacred and humbling. This is also a great family activity to do. Don't forget to visit Nauvoo as well

There is a somber and reverent feeling here. But while it commemorates the martyrdom of Joseph Smith Jr. And his brother Hyrum, it is a hopeful place. It is not heavy.

I first was here 25 years ago and it's still as great as the first time. An emotionally charged presentation. This is worth the trip and the presentation done so simply & beautifully.

Carthage jail is an amazing yet sobering place that has been preserved as the spot where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were murdered in cold blood.

The tours happen most days until 4:30 pm and are done with great respect and reverence to those that fell there.

Worth the stop and time for every traveler plus the AC is nice addition. Plan on 45-60 minutes for the tour and walk around.

This is one of my favorite places to visit. I love the stories of Joseph and Hyrum. How much they loved each other, all the way to the end of their lives.

We decided to stop on our way though Illinois and I'm so glad we did! It was a very sacred and somber experience to stand in the room where the prophet Joseph Smith was and where he died. Even though it was heart wrenching, I'm glad we had the experience. The sister missionaries did a great job giving the tour and maintaining a reverence as they shared the history.

I really felt the spirit while. The missionaries are awesome. This is an amazing place to learn about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day, Saints and Joseph and Hyrum smith.

Very interesting experience here with very friendly tour guides. There were many large groups coming in to tour while I was leaving, so I recommend getting there around opening time to get the best experience and minimize waiting times.
They also offer some great films to watch while you wait for the next tour to start.

Such a wonderful faith filled place. I was so grateful to have the opportunity to bring my husband and kids to feel the spirit there. They way they shared the story of Joseph Smith was heartwrenching.