Hunkered on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River, this infamous prison is Yuma's star attraction. Between 1876 and 1909, 3069 convicts were incarcerated here for crimes ranging from murder to 'seduction under the promise of marriage.' The small museum is fascinating, with photos and descriptions of individual inmates and their offenses, and includes a display devoted to the 29 women jailed here. Walking around the yard, behind iron-grille doors and into cells crowded with stacked bunks, you might get retroactively scared straight.
Don't miss the Dark Cell, a cave-like room where troublesome prisoners were locked together in a 5ft-high metal cage.
