If you're looking for a spine-tingling way to celebrate Halloween, Mount Holly, New Jersey has just the thing. The Historic Burlington County Prison Museum, once one of the oldest continuously used prisons in the United States, is opening its iron doors for free ghost tours throughout October.

Built in 1811 and operational until 1965, this National Historic Landmark has a long and storied past. Its stone walls once held criminals for over 150 years, today they hold stories, secrets, and according to some, spirits.

Visitors have reported paranormal activity in the prison since the 1880s. "People come here for all sorts of reasons," Janet Sozio, President of the Historic Burlington County Prison Museum Association, says. "But I must admit, most come because they want to find paranormal activity."

The county has invested in preserving the site, and this October, its offering free guided ghost tours led by park historians. These tours delve into the darker corners of the prison's past, from chilling graffiti etched into the walls to tales of inmates who never truly left.

For those eager to make contact with the other side, spirit boxes are available to rent. They are devices that scan radio frequencies to pick up ghostly messages. "They're very successful in finding the apparitions," Sozio notes.

And if you're up for a challenge, the museum also offers an escape game (for an added fee) where participants assume the role of an inmate trying to break free. "Once you get into the box, you're off," Sozio explains. "You're all through our jail, picking up clues on every floor until you finally get out."

One of the most haunting features of the prison is its preserved graffiti—poetry, religious messaging, and calendar marking line the cell walls.

"It gives you a window into a person's soul," Sozio says.

"I like to think of it as the prisoners imbuing the walls with themselves," adds Burlington County Commissioners Deputy Director Allison Eckel. "And I think that's why it's haunted."

The free historic ghost tours will be offered every Friday night through October 24, plus Thursday night, October 30 at the Prison Museum. The museum is open weekly Thursday through Sunday.

Spirit boxes, audio tours, and escape game are available for a fee, with proceeds supporting The Prison Museum Association, a nonprofit group dedicated to the preservation of the museum and its history.

For more information visit, https://www.prisonmuseum.net/.