National Justice Museum

The National Justice Museum in Nottingham occupies the historic Shire Hall and County Gaol on High Pavement, a site connected with law and punishment for many centuries. Its buildings include Georgian and Victorian courtrooms, prison cells, exercise yards and a network of caves cut into the sandstone beneath, and the site saw real trials, imprisonment and executions over its long working life. Today it is a museum dedicated to the history of crime, law and justice, using its authentic courtrooms and cells to tell those stories.

Unsurprisingly for a former court and gaol, the museum has a strong reputation for the paranormal and hosts ghost-themed events. Visitors and staff report footsteps, disembodied voices, cold spots, the feeling of being touched and shadowy figures in the cells, courtroom and caves. These experiences are anecdotal and subjective, and the museum presents them as part of its atmosphere rather than as proven phenomena.

The museum's genuine value lies in the way its real courtrooms and cells allow visitors to confront the history of justice and punishment. The ghost stories add to its atmosphere, but the documented human history of the site is more sobering and more important than any haunting.

The National Justice Museum is an independent, charity-run museum with paid admission, offering access to its historic courtrooms, cells and caves along with costumed performances and guided sessions. Opening hours are seasonal, and some experiences, including its popular after-dark ghost tours, are ticketed separately and aimed at older visitors.

As a site dealing with real crime, punishment and executions, visitors are encouraged to engage thoughtfully with often difficult subject matter, follow staff instructions during performances and tours, and treat the historic building with respect.