A New Chapter for Carson City’s Most Famous Building
Halloween is coming. And if you like a good scare, there’s something new happening in Carson City this year.
Dark Prison Haunted House just opened at the old Nevada State Prison. It’s a private business turning an empty government building into something people want to visit. And that’s exactly the kind of story conservatives can appreciate.
Dark Prison runs every Thursday through Saturday until November 1st, plus select Sundays in October. It’s now the largest haunted house in Northern Nevada, second only to Universal Studios in the entire state.
A Building Built by Inmates
The Nevada State Prison isn’t some made-up backdrop. It carries real weight and real history. 
In 1862, the Nevada Territorial Legislature turned the Warm Springs Hotel into the state’s first penitentiary. Prisoners quarried the sandstone that later built the State Capitol. Then they rebuilt the cellblocks twice after fires in 1867 and 1870.
Think about that. Inmates built this place with their own hands. They cut stone from the earth. They rebuilt it when fire destroyed it. Not once, but twice.
The prison operated for 150 years, from 1862 to 2012. Over those years, the walls absorbed jailbreaks, riots, a full-blown inmate casino, and America’s first gas chamber execution. From 1924 to 1979, the prison executed 32 inmates, earning national notoriety.
This isn’t a movie set or some haunted house in an old grocery store. It’s quarried sandstone cut by convicts. It’s scarred by fires. It’s patched back together for another century of stories.
Why This Matters
Here’s a building that sat unused for 13 years after the prison closed. The government owned it. The government wasn’t doing much with it. Then private business owners saw an opportunity.
Holly Spahr and her partner Dustin Ring started this venture back in 2022. Spahr says:
“My partner, Dustin Ring, had a home haunt for over a decade in his garage. When we met, I was like, ‘wow, this is so professional. I think we can take this to the next level.'”
That’s the American dream right there. Someone has a skill. They work hard at it. They see a chance to grow. They take a risk and start a business. No government program required. Just hard work and vision.
This is what happens when government gets out of the way and lets entrepreneurs create something. They moved their operation from Reno’s National Bowling Stadium to the historic prison. They’re creating jobs. They’re bringing tourism to Carson City. They’re preserving a piece of Nevada history by giving people a reason to visit it.
What They’re Offering
Dark Prison Haunted House isn’t some small operation. It’s officially recognized by the Haunted House Association as a premier large-scale attraction. The owners built three separate haunted houses at one location: CellBLOCK C, UNIT 15, and the Institute for the Unwell.
All three connect to “the yard” where visitors find live entertainment, projection mapping, and food. The attraction employs 75 live actors who don’t just scare you. They hunt you through the haunt.
Vice President of Operations Guinivere Clark explains what makes this location special. She says:
“It is quite unique to be in a location like this that has a lot of history in and of itself but also has had paranormal tours where haunted things have happened. so really, we’re just elevating the overall experience here.”
The experience is fully immersive. You get blasted, sprayed, and stalked. The creators put serious effort into every detail, from sound design to props to eerie environments.
After the scare, you can grab exclusive merchandise from the gift shop. You can calm your nerves at one of two bars, including one called “The Shiv.” Food trucks rotate through, including Olivier’s French Crepes, Metal Kitchen Chicken, Apuna’s Kitchen, and King Of Kings.
The owners are upfront about what to expect. Dark Prison may be too intense for young children. They don’t recommend it for people with epilepsy, asthma, heart issues, or pregnant women. They use dense fog, haze, loud noises, and strobe lights. Some sets make you feel claustrophobic. No costumes or masks are allowed.
What This Means Going Forward
This is a model worth watching. Across America, old government buildings sit empty. They cost taxpayers money to maintain. Or they just fall apart.
What if more of these buildings could be leased to private businesses? What if entrepreneurs could turn unused government property into something productive? That creates jobs. It generates tax revenue. It preserves history. And it doesn’t cost taxpayers anything.
The Nevada State Prison Preservation Society unlocked the gates. Private enterprise brought the building back to life. Now Nevada’s most storied historic landmark generates economic activity instead of maintenance bills.
What You Can Do
If you believe in free enterprise, support businesses like this one. Go check out the haunted house if you enjoy that kind of thing. Tell your friends about it. Write a positive review if you have a good experience.
More importantly, talk to your local officials about other unused government property. Ask them if private businesses could use those spaces. Push for less red tape when entrepreneurs want to start something new.
The inmates who built the Nevada State Prison with their own hands created something that lasted 150 years. Now Dark Corner Creative is giving that building new life. They’re proving what’s possible when government steps aside and lets people create.
That’s worth supporting. And it’s a lot more fun than a government program.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed
