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Autumn activities
Autumn school holidays - a time to cool down.
In response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) guided tours and activities are offered with reduced numbers so they can be delivered under social distancing guidelines.
All guided tours and activities must be pre-booked.
There are three self guided audio tours available seven days a week, each providing a different perspective of life behind bars.
Maitland Gaol Revealed: will give you an in depth understanding of how prisoners slept, ate, exercised and wiled away the many thousands of hours until their release. You will explore each section of the site, revealing secrets straight from the mouths of those who knew it best, the ex-inmates and ex-warders.
Escaping Maitland Gaol: will lead you through the maze of cells, divulging intricate details of the many escape attempts seen throughout the gaol’s 150 year history. You will hear stories of ballsy efforts to break free of the gaol’s gruelling regime that almost always ended up with the crim's back serving an even longer sentence.
Snitch's Gaol Exploration: designed specifically for children the ghostly character ‘Snitch the Rat’ leads them on an adventure through the gaol cells. Snitch tells the children all the secrets of the gaol that he witnessed as the many criminals were brought in from the outside world. This tour is perfect for primary school aged children as it offers a fun and fascinating experience that is full of facts and stories that will entertain and educate.
You must download the app to your own device, simply search Maitland Gaol in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
It makes it easier if as many people in the group as possible (including children) have their own device and headphones.
Working throughout the Gaol, prisoners had all sorts of responsibilities. Some of the most special features onsite were left behind by prisoners, including the painted glass windows in Maitland Gaol's Chapel. Come along and enjoy a one hour guided tour of Maitland Gaol, learn about the Chapel space and all the activities it was used for, before getting the chance to make a special coloured pattern to hang on your window at home.
Date: Tuesday 6 & 13 April
Time: 11.00am
Price: $15 child and adult package, $10 additional child/adult.
Bookings Essential
Prisoners have to communicate in pretty interesting ways to make sure officers don't know what their talking about. So after you've had a captain cook (look) around the Gaol with a tour guide, see if you can decipher some slammer slang and use it in a sentence to baffle your parents.
Date: Thursday 8 & 15 April
Time: 11.00am
Price: $15 child and adult package, $10 additional child/adult.
Bookings Essential
Immerse yourself in the history of Maitland Gaol on this 90 minute family friendly guided tour, discovering stories of all sorts of heroes and villains. Delve into all parts of the site and learn of the changes that have occurred in prisoner treatment throughout the life of the oldest continually operating correctional facility in Australia.
Dates: 5, 9,10, 11, 16, and 17 April
Time: 11.00am
Price:
Adult - $30
Concession - $24
Child - $24
Family (2 adults and 2 children) - $96
Bookings Essential
This 90 minute tours has been specially designed to explore the various stories and exact locations of some of the documented escapes from Maitland Gaol. The stories range from the unbelievable to the ludicrous and are sure to amaze you. Learn about the 'Magnificant Seven' and a raft of other escapees, their reason for incarceration and their method of escape.
Date: 4, 7, 14, and 18 April
Time: 11.00am
Price:
Adult - $30
Concession - $24
Child - $24
Family (2 adults and 2 children) - $96
Bookings Essential
Explore the site with someone who new it best on this 90 minute guided tour and hear stories from the perspective of someone who worked in the facility for 20 years. Stories of famous and infamous characters from yesterday and yesteryear. Your guide will provide you with information on the history of this maximum security facility and what it was like to look after some of the 'worst of the worst'. Be prepared for some harrowing tales.
Date: 12 April
Time: 11.00am
Price:
Adult - $30
Concession - $24
Child - $24
Family (2 adults and 2 children) - $96
Bookings Essential, not recommended for children under the age of 14.
PLEASE NOTE: Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult or concession. Child tickets can not be purchased without adult or concession ticket for online sales, call Maitland Gaol on 02 4936 6482 for more information.