State paying to reopen Missouri State Penitentiary

Gov. Jay Nixon announced the state will help to reopen the historic Missouri State Penitentiary that was closed to visitors after high levels of mold were discovered.

Nixon said during a news conference Wednesday the state will split the cost of approximately $2 million with Jefferson City.

Officials hope to reopen the facility by next spring.

“You know, once this is open and operating, thousands of people around the world will have the opportunity to come to Jefferson City and touch history directly,” said Nixon.

More than 19,000 people from 23 countries visited in 2012, generating about $275,000 in revenue.

The future has been uncertain for the prison that started housing inmates back in 1836. It was the oldest continually operating prison west of the Mississippi River when the state shut it down in 2004.

The penitentiary overlooks the Missouri River a few blocks from the state Capitol and has become a significant attraction in Jefferson City. Tours were canceled for the remainder of the year after mold was found this fall.