Public tours to begin at former closed Jelgava prison
The first public tour of the former closed Jelgava prison takes place today, with regular weekly tours planned going forward. Due to strong interest, Saturday tours may be added starting in October.
The Jelgava Regional Tourism Centre is launching public tours of the former closed Jelgava prison, the LETA news agency reported. The tour, titled "Jelgava Prison Then and Now," will be led by guide Inga Piļāne together with an experienced former prison staff member.
While the tours are planned to run regularly every Wednesday at noon, the first public tour takes place today as an exception, since today falls on a Thursday. If visitor interest remains strong, organizers plan to add Saturday tours starting in October.
What visitors will see
During the two-hour walk, participants will be able to explore the prison grounds and view its historic buildings. The tour introduces one of Latvia's oldest places of detention, with a history spanning more than a century, and covers notable events and figures connected to the site.
Organizers note the tour is not suitable for preschool-age children, and any children present remain under their parents' supervision and responsibility. Because the site has been preserved in its authentic state, it is not adapted for people with mobility, visual, or hearing impairments. Individual photo sessions or artistic photography are not allowed during the tour.
Future of the site
The Jelgava municipality recently took over the former prison territory at Palīdzības iela 3 and 7 from the Ministry of Justice for free use and management, and is currently developing a concept for the area's future development. Within the first month after taking over the site, the municipality had already received offers to use the former prison premises for feature film production. As a result, a rental rate for filming and audiovisual production has been approved — 0.15 euro per day per square meter.
