Squirrel Cage Jail - Counciul Bluffs, Iowa

This three-story brick historic jail was built in 1885 at a cost of about $30,000, of which nearly 75% was spent on a rotary jail unit in the center. Each floor is divided into 10 pie-shaped cells. This is one of three remaining examples of a “Lazy Susan” type of jail. The cage rotated so that jailers could view all the cells from a single vantage point. The facility is now owned and operated as a museum for the Pottawattamie County Historical Society. Guided tours include an explanation of the history and the workings of the jail. Tours can be arranged for days the jail is not scheduled to be opened.

Admission – $3 for adults, $1.50 for children ages 6-12

Directions – off Exit 3, Interstate Highway I-80, next to Pottawattamie County Courthouse, near the corner of Pearl and Willow Streets in Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501

Hours – noon – 4:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, April 17 – May 15 and September 16 – October 3; 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Wednesday – Saturday, noon – 4:00 p.m., Sunday, May 16 – September 15 (closed November through March, all legal holidays and the weekend after Labor Day)

Phone – (712) 323-2509