10/25/2026
THEN & NOW — MORE THAN 100 YEARS OF HISTORY AT KANSAS STATE PENITENTIARY
What a difference a century makes!
These two photographs show the same location at the historic Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing, Kansas.
The top photograph, dated July 1924, captures an impressive lineup of penitentiary trucks with their drivers standing alongside them. Behind them are the massive stone walls and one of the prison's distinctive towers.
Fast forward more than 100 years, and the scene looks quite different! In 1958, Dock 2 was constructed in this area, changing the appearance of the entrance. Today, we know it as Dock 3, with the familiar Tower 3 standing watch.
Although the trucks are long gone and the entrance has changed, much of that beautiful original stonework remains.
For those who have taken our "Behind the Walls" tour, this location should look familiar. It's where our visitors enter the historic penitentiary!
One location. Two photographs. More than a century of history.
Photographs like these are wonderful reminders of how much has changed over the years and how much of the past is still standing right in front of us. Preserving and sharing that history is what the Lansing Historical Society & Museum is all about.
Historical Photograph Credit: Courtesy of the Hudspeth Family Collection, recently placed on short-term loan with the Lansing Historical Society & Museum by former Warden Robert H. Hudspeth's great-grandson, Thomas Harris. Our sincere thanks to the Hudspeth family for sharing this remarkable piece of penitentiary history.
