The Sonora Regional Museum invites the public to learn about the history of the Old Sonora Penitentiary through the exhibition installed in its site gallery, which presents information about the history of the building and the experiences of the people who were held there.
The exhibition includes infographics, historical photographs, testimonies and life stories that allow visitors to learn about the penitentiary’s past and the social history surrounding the building.
The Old Penitentiary is located at the foot of Cerro de la Campana, in the La Matanza neighborhood of Hermosillo, Sonora. The historic building was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century and operated as a prison from 1908 to 1979. Since 1985, it has housed the Sonora Regional Museum.
The museum’s purpose is to contribute to strengthening the cultural identity and historical memory of Sonoran society through the research, conservation, preservation, dissemination and exhibition of the state’s cultural heritage.
A Look at the History of the Old Penitentiary
The site gallery presents information about the construction of the building, its social and political importance, and its operation as a penitentiary until 1979.
The exhibition also addresses the education and work that prisoners were required to participate in, as well as the idea of social regeneration that formed part of the penitentiary system and was framed by the laws and government regulations of the period.
Among the materials on display are images of graffiti and drawings that serve as testimonies of life inside the penitentiary and of the feelings and experiences expressed by some of the prisoners.
The exhibition also presents historical images related to the construction of the penitentiary, its prisoners, celebrations and some of the most significant experiences of people who were held at the facility between 1908 and 1979.
A Building That Preserves Historical Memory
The Old Penitentiary operated for 71 years, from 1908 until 1979. After ceasing to function as a prison, the historic building was rehabilitated and restored before becoming the headquarters of the Sonora Regional Museum.
The building is considered an important part of the cultural heritage of Hermosillo and Sonora. Its patios, cells, corridors and other spaces preserve evidence of its former function and allow visitors to learn about the history of the institution and the people who lived there.
The museum offers visitors the opportunity to walk through areas of the former penitentiary while learning about its history through interpretive information installed throughout the building.
The site has also hosted special activities focused on spaces that are not always open to visitors. In May 2026, for example, the museum opened the punishment cells of the Old Penitentiary to the public as part of activities commemorating International Museum Day. Guided tours included the cells, courtyards, execution wall and dungeons.
The Museum as a Cultural Space
The Sonora Regional Museum opened in the historic penitentiary building in 1985. Its work focuses on the research, conservation and dissemination of the cultural heritage of Sonora and northwestern Mexico.
In addition to the site exhibition, the museum presents temporary exhibitions and educational activities and provides access to specialized bibliographic and documentary resources concerning the history, archaeology and anthropology of northwestern Mexico.
The museum has also presented exhibitions dealing with different aspects of Sonora’s cultural heritage. Among its recent exhibitions have been “Códices de México”, “Entre cantos, sangre y tierra. Mujeres originarias de los pueblos indígenas de Sonora” and “Mujeres al hilo.”
The institution also celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025 with the photographic exhibition “Amor al patrimonio. Antigua Penitenciaría de Sonora,” which consisted of 20 photographs documenting different areas of the historic building.
The photographic exhibition highlighted the architectural and cultural importance of the building, which by then had reached 117 years since its construction.
The Sonora Regional Museum continues to invite visitors to learn about the history preserved within the walls of the former penitentiary and to explore its exhibitions, courtyards, cells and corridors
Source: oem
