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05/14/14: A palace and a penitentiary in West Virginia

On our way to the Palace of Gold near Moundsville, WV. The roads to it are not RV friendly. If Curt could have found a place to turn around, he would have.

They advertise tour groups and buses, but there isn't a lot of parking.

The Palace started as a home for their founder, Spiritual Master Srila Prabhuapada. He died before it was finished, and now they are renovating the building, a 5-year, 4.27 million-dollar effort.

The rose gardens. There wasn't much at this time of year.

Painting on the gold trim

A statue of the spiritual guru, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

We weren't allowed to take pictures during the tour, only the beginning and end areas. There is a lot of marble, precious stones, crystals, stained glass, gold. 

New Vrindaban Community, near the Palace.

Peacocks walking around the grounds area

No, he's not alive

Cow Protection Program

11% grade is the most we've ever done.

Grave Creek Mound, we just happened upon this as it is across the street from the penitentiary we toured. We were not able to go into this museum though, as it was closed by the time our tour was done.

West Virginia Penitentiary tour. Our guide was Chuck, a former prison guard.

 A huge building

The bottom right 9 people were the ones electrocuted.  The rest were hanged.

 There's a lot of  display cases

Homemade tattoo machine

The phone area visitor area

3 prisoners escaped in 1992 by tunneling out of the greenhouse where they worked

Old Sparky, the electric chair that was used for 9 prisoners from 1951 to 1959.

The prisoner visitation area, which was painted by some of the prisoners.

The cafeteria, also with paintings by the prisoners.

The separate water fountains for "whites" and "blacks"

This is where the warden and his family lived. Prisoners worked for his family, including taking care of the children. 

The Wagon Gate is where the wagon would drive for the person to be hanged. 

Sandstone blocks that the prisoners used to build the prison.

Guard tower

The door to solitary confinement downstairs.

3 floors

There were some movies done at the penitentiary