hamilton county sheriff's residence & jail

This small interesting museum is located between the new courthouse and the older one on the square. You need about an hour to take everything in and it is a well spent hour. There is one room that contains a few items from the old sheriff and some items from folks that lived in the county. One room has a few arrow heads, old photos of the class of 1933 at NHS, and various newspaper articles. Upstairs there are a few antique furnishings like a bed, dresser, a dress, and a few other items.You can go into the jail cells where the women were kept and where Charles Manson was held as a 16 year old. The staff is not sure which cell he was in, so use your imagination. You can also go into the cells at the back of the house where the male prisoners were held. Upstairs cells were for women and juveniles like Manson. Give yourself about an hour, it is worth your time. Parking around the square. Admission is free. Hours are Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 10 to 4.

I visited here in January 2015 for a school trip and everyone had a lot of fun! I especially enjoyed hearing the antique music box, and don't miss the exhibit on Hamilton County's great squirrel stampede. It was also fascinating to see the old jail cells, but bring a coat because they can get cold in the winter time. Our tour guide was very friendly and was happy to tell us about her experiences with ghosts in the building, like when she heard someone going up the stairs when she was alone. If you enjoy history this museum is a fantastic place to visit!

What a history! The Sheriff and family lived in the house; prisoners were housed in cells in the back, quite an eye opening for young children....They had no idea cells were so small, and they were behind the bars. An exceptional surprise....Charles Manson was a prisoner there when he was 19 years old, on July 27, for two days....Wow!! There was a volunteer docent, she was occupied on the cell phone, with a tenant she was working with to give a 30 days notice ( I knew far too much)....Obviously, she was not available for our questions.....

The old jail and sherriff's residence is always interesting to walk through. There is an old ice box in the kitchen from the times as well as a lot of pictures and momento's to show how Noblesville used to look. Charles Manson was actually housed in this jail for a bit before his crime spree across the country resulting in the movie Helter Skelter. You can walk completely through the women's and men's area of the old jail as well as the quarters and it does give a feel of what it was like.