The remains of the Rutland Prison Camp can be found deep in the Rutland State Forest in Rutland, Massachusetts. The prison has been abandoned since 1934, and nature has been reclaiming the property as her own ever since.
Note: Usually we write about family-friendly places. While The Rutland Prison Camp is in the middle of a state forest and offers a very interesting and short adventure, I would highly suggest that you either don’t bring young children here or carry them yourselves while walking about. Also, I did not edit any photos that have graffiti in them, so there may be images and words that are not suitable for younger audiences. If you visit the Rutland Prison Camp, you are exploring at your own risk.
Make sure you read the “Know Before You Go” section at the end of the post.
Benny was itching for an adventure, but I had just been too busy with my “real job” to get around to exploring. His nagging, which he refers to as “persistent questioning,” about when we were going to go somewhere was just getting to be too much.
So, one day, I told him that if he kept it up, that I would bring him to prison. Of course, he didn’t believe me. I told him to get in the car. He hopped in, thinking that we would just do something innocent like get ice cream. As I passed the local ice cream parlor (are they called that anymore?) he began asking questions.
Did I answer? No. We kept driving.
And driving.
And driving.
For two hours we were driving, and Benny was starting to get a bit anxious, and I was enjoying the silence too much to speak. He had no idea where I was taking him. At this point, we were about two hours away from home, rolling along a backroad in Rutland, MA, and then I turned randomly down a dirt road.
We drove along this one-lane dirt road for about a mile. After I parked the car, I broke our two-hour silence by telling him to get out.
He was terrified.
Was I a jerk? Absolutely.
Do I regret it? Not really.
“Okay, Bob, seriously, where are we?”
“I’m going for a walk. And you’re going to prison,” I replied tersely.
The First Remains
Benny was utterly spooked by this point, but he really should have known that I wasn’t bringing him to a real prison, or rather, a prison that was still in use. I decided to play along until he realized that we were actually on an adventure.
We walked up to one of the remains.
“We’re going in,” I told him. Benny looked at me quizzically, as if it were finally dawning on him that this was a real adventure. Why else would we walk into a random underground building literally in the middle of a state forest? His demeanor changed as he began to realize that I was ragging on him the whole time. I, however, wasn’t going to admit that I was just up to my own shenanigans just yet.
I decided to continue to make a show of it.
“Hm,” I said, “I guess this isn’t the processing center for the Rutland Prison Camp. We’ll try another spot.”
Benny Hides from the Police
I knew that Benny was on to me, but I continued to play along anyway. I pretended that we needed to find the processing center, and that perhaps it was in this old, dilapidated structure.
“Maybe this is where you’ll be staying!”
At this point, Benny was acting as if he was 100% sure that I was just teasing him about going to prison.
But then, the police came, and pandemonium ensued.
When Benny saw the ranger, he completely lost it. He thought that not only had I really been taking him to prison, but also that he had let his guard down in thinking that it was all in jest. He literally ran away as fast as I’ve ever seen him run. He rushed into a nearby field.
Of course, I had to run after him. The ranger just waved as I ran by his truck. I yelled to Benny, but to no avail. Benny didn’t come out until after the ranger had left.
Benny came out of field shaking with fear. At this point, I felt bad.
“Benny, come on! You’re not really going to prison.”
“Then why are we here at the Rutland Prison Camp?!”
I took a breath. “Benny, we’re exploring an old, abandoned prison. This is what we do, right? Go on adventures?”
He could have been really angry with me, but to his credit, he wasn’t. “Running away from the police was quite an adventure…” he began saying, “and I do like adventures…”
“Not an adventure we should get used to, but yes, I suppose it was. There’s one more building to explore. Are you up for it?” I asked.
Of course he was. Knowing that he wasn’t going to prison and that he indeed did have a clean record, Benny did what Benny does best: immerse himself in the current adventure.
The Last Main Structure
If you’re not careful, you could fall through this hole in the ground into the structure below. Remember my warning? I wasn’t kidding. This isn’t the only hole.
The entrance to the last main structure of the Rutland Prison Camp was right near the car. For those of you who have been following the blog lately, you’ll know that I tend to not always follow the right path and wander off, like what I did when we explored the Cursed Titus Mansion Ruins.
Before we continue, know this: Just like I mentioned at the beginning, you enter any of these structures at your own risk. Benny and I were equipped to enter. Also, while we did have cell service in the forest, THERE IS NO SERVICE INSIDE THIS STRUCTURE. When exploring, always tell someone where you’re going. While my wondahful wife isn’t always in our narrative, she’s always close by in case Benny and I get into trouble.
The inside is damp and flooded. Benny chose to travel in the backpack, which I don’t blame him for at all. He mentioned that he thought it smelled like potatoes, which is interesting because the prisoners used to grow potatoes for other inmates in the state.
Walking across the flooded areas is very precarious (I’ve been waiting a long time to use that word!). I had to be careful walking across slippery logs and rocks. I spooked a couple of frogs, and they, in turn, spooked me. The tunnel goes on for about 15 yards. There aren’t any other passages or rooms to explore…unless we didn’t notice them.
After we got to the dead end, we trekked slowly back outside.
Other Remains
The three structures that we went into are the main attractions of the Rutland Prison Camp. There are a few other remains that we found, though.
Know Before You Go
Before visiting the Rutland Prison Camp, there are a few things you should know:
- The prison remains are in the Rutland State Forest, and you need to drive on a dirt road for at least a mile, depending on what entrance you use.
- Again, you enter any building at your own risk.
- In our opinion, this is a good place to visit if you’re already planning to be in the area. It doesn’t take long to explore.
- The dirt roads are NOT accessible year round. Go to the link below for more information.
- Check this out for more information on the Rutland State Forest.
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[…] you imagine how many times I had to remind Benny of this? Unlike the Abandoned Rutland Prison Camp or Fort Wetherill, there are explicit signs telling you, (note, not warning, not asking – no, […]