PrisonBreak Explorers at Pentridge Prison Tours

Following the closure of the Old Melbourne Goal in the 1920s, Pentridge became the primary remand centre for metropolitan Melbourne. The long history of the site and the changing social, political and legal circumstances of the people who both worked and were incarcerated within its walls are the focus of the education programs.

Our education programs utilise the latest in immersive technologies, including soundscapes and audio-visual displays. Students will hear recorded interviews with past inmates, guards and lawyers and can observe artefacts dating from the early 1800s to late 1900s.

The Education programs at Pentridge Prison provide a unique opportunity to move beyond the theoretical approach to learning and gives the students the chance to experience the setting and implications of social, economic and environmental change borne from our evolving legal system.

About the Program

Students will come together as the latest recruits in the Pentridge ‘Detective Training Program’ to help thwart a daring escape! It is up to the young detectives to unravel the mystery of who is behind the idea, how they plan to escape, where it will happen, and when. Along the way, a senior detective will introduce students to key spots around Pentridge Prison that witnessed daring, and sometimes disastrous escape attempts, share stories of some of Pentridge Prison’s colourful characters, and learn more about what life was like on the inside.

Students will collaborate to follow clues, and complete a booklet detailing the escapee’s plans, and on completion they will receive a certificate to commemorate their efforts.