Squirrel Cage Jail

The first guests in this unique building included a killer, a con man, a horse thief and a forger. The Pottawattamie County Jail, built in 1885, is a Victorian Gothic building with detailed brick work and limestone trim. A revolving squirrel cage, one of only 18 ever built – and the only three-storied model – sits in the octagonal rear section of the jail. The Lazy Susan-style jail, containing pie-shaped cells, was designed to provide "maximum security with minimum jailer attention," according to the patent issued in 1881. The Squirrel Cage Jail, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, was in continuous use until 1969 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The signatures of many of the jail’s infamous prisoners remain etched in the cell walls. Only three revolving jails still exist, and all are preserved as museums. In addition to the Squirrel Cage Jail, the other architectural delights are in Gallatin, Missouri, and Crawfordsville, Indiana.