Old Dubuque County Jail

Old Dubuque County Jail was built in 1857 by architect John Francis Rague. The Old Jail is one of only three surviving Egyptian Revival buildings in the entire United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also an official National Historic Landmark. It was constructed between February 1857 and the spring of 1858 at a cost of $40,000. The Old Jail was built with 18-inch thick walls made of gray limestone; cast iron was used for window and door frames and decorative columns. A two-story square section provided living quarters for the sheriff's family. The jail itself was constructed between the family's living quarters and the county courthouse. Three tiers of cells were located along the eastern wall with a catwalk used to reach the upper cells. A cell block in the curved-ceiling basement was used to hold Confederate prisoners during the Civil War; later, it was used to hold troublesome prisoners. In 1874, six cells were added to house juveniles and women prisoners. In 1971, the building stopped functioning as a jail. The Dubuque Art Association signed a lease to rent the building for use as a museum in 1975, even though it still housed the county's juvenile probation offices. The Art Association continued its lease of the jail through 2003, when they moved to a renovated modern style bank building across from Washington Park. Since then, the Dubuque County Historical Society has owned and operated the building as the Old Jail Museum, to display some of its most unique and interesting artifacts. , Visit the Old Mail Museum , The Old Jail Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Old Jail Museum is also available for field trips, group visits and private functions at any time by appointment. , Receive a discount when purchasing Old Jail Museum tickets in conjunction with the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium or the Ham House Historic Site. , Admission is free to members of the Dubuque County Historical Society. Group rates are available.