Alcatraz - San Francisco, USA

Most of us take it for granted that we can go outside as we choose, dress in clothes appropriate to the weather, and revel in or complain about the temperature. But for prisoners of the past, being outdoors when they chose to be was an unimaginable luxury. Some, such as prisoners on the French penal colony the Devil's Island, were forced to do hard labor under the scorching equatorial sun. Others, in places like the Old Melbourne Gaol, might only see a sliver of sunlight through a narrow window most days. Even today, prisoners face difficulties with the weather. In a recent report by the University of Texas Law School's Human Rights Clinic it was recommended that inmates be kept in air-conditioned facilities, since 19 convicts died from heat-related illnesses between 1998 and 2014, reported the Houston Chronicle.

To learn more about prisons of the past and the people who served their time in them, click through the following pages. From island fortresses to state penitentiaries, you'll discover some of the most haunting abandoned prisons in the world.

For a unique experience in geology, biology, and history, there's no better former prison to visit than Alcatraz. The craggy island in the San Francisco Bay is often referred to as "The Rock," and with good reason – its geography allowed people to use it as a defensible fortress and a prison for decades. During the 20th century, Alcatraz was used as a penitentiary for the most dangerous and violent of prisoners and those who were considered escape risks, says the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Al Capone, Alvin Karpis and George "Machine-Gun" Kelly all did time on Alcatraz, where the only rights a prisoner had were food, clothing, medical care and shelter. Everything else, including access to the prison library and working, had to be earned by good behavior.

Although Alcatraz is most famous for its stint as a U.S. penitentiary, the island has been the site of many other important historical events. When the island was first discovered by a Spanish explorer in the 18th century, it gained the name "Isla de los Alcatraces" (Island of the Pelicans). Alcatraz remained a rugged, uninhabited island for decades until the Gold Rush brought thousands of people to San Francisco, at which point it became the location of a fortress that was later used by the U.S. military during the Civil War, says the National Park Service. Then in 1969, after the Alcatraz penitentiary was closed, the island was occupied by 79 American Indians for 19 months. The occupation was one of the longest protests by the American Indian community and drew attention to the problems its people faced, reported PBS.

Today visitors who want to see the infamous prison or the colonies of seabirds that make their home on the island can travel there by boat. The National Park Service recommends planning in advance, since tickets sell out quickly, and being prepared for changeable weather, since the island weather is unpredictable.

The worn bars in the cell block are seen at Alcatraz Island, a 22-acre rocky outcrop situated 1.5 miles offshore in San Francisco Bay, Aug. 11, 2011. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

NEXT: An island paradise gone wrong

Devil's Island Penal Colony - French Guiana

A photo on Feb. 12, 2010 shows the Devil's Island, which housed one of the most infamous prisons in history. The horrors of the penal settlement became notorious with the publicity surrounding the plight of the Jewish French army captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was sent there in Jan. 1895. (JODY AMIET/AFP/Getty Images)

To separate society from the most dangerous elements, islands have long been the most natural choice. Surrounded by water, sometimes for miles, islands are difficult to escape from and easy to guard. One of the world's most infamous islands of exile was the French penal colony on Devil's Island off the coast of French Guiana. Dangerous criminals and political prisoners were sent to the colony, established by Napoleon III in 1854, and forced to do hard labor, such as on a road called "Route Zero" that went nowhere, reported Smithsonian.

Among the most famous of the prisoners were Alfred Dreyfus, who was unjustly charged with treason and spent four years on the island, and Henri Charriere, who later described his ordeal in the book Papillon. Charriere later escaped the penal colony and maintained his innocence for the rest of his life.

Today tourists can visit the tropical paradise that's haunted by tragedy and death. According to The Telegraph, one of the nearby island camps, the Saint-Laurent, attracts as many as 30,000 visitors every year, including former prisoners' children and grandchildren.

NEXT: Watched by the eye of God

Eastern State Penitentiary - Philadelphia, USA

When the Eastern State Penitentiary opened in Philadelphia in 1829, it was the first of its kind built in the U.S. meant to rehabilitate rather than punish its convicts. But the cells, with their single skylights to represent the "eye of God" and the regular use of solitary confinement only served to make many of the inmates insane. The prison wasn't closed until 1971, and during its time in use the punishments used on prisoners were almost medieval. From being bound so tightly to a chair that circulation was cut off and sometimes required amputations, to being forced into an iron collar that caused the tongue to be cut with any movement, the prison earned a reputation fro being one of the most haunted places in America even after it was no longer in use, reported NPR.

Constructed to bear a strong resemblance to churches, the penitentiary today is an architectural wonder that is open for tours. Visitors can learn about the history of the prison and the surrounding area and even attend a yoga workshop in the prison. For those who are more interested in a nightmarish experience, the prison is transformed into a haunted house called Terror Behind the Walls every year around Halloween.

NEXT: The last resting place of Ned Kelly, bushranger

Old Melbourne Gaol - Australia

Serving as a prison from 1841 till 1929, the Melbourne Gaol is a chilling reminder of the social conditions that led people to crime in 19th-century Australia. Although the prison was based on prison reform theories of its time, it was consistently overcrowded, says the Only Melbourne tourism site. One of the most infamous prisoners was Ned Kelly, a bushranger who is viewed by some as a murderer and by others as a folk hero. Kelly met his end at the gaol by hanging.

Today's visitors to the Melbourne Gaol can see Kelly's death mask, take a night tour with the Hangman, reenact a famous trip in the Old Magistrate's Court, and learn about the history of the gaol and the early Australian justice system, says the prison museum's website.

NEXT: A place where 36 homicides happened

West Virginia State Penitentiary - USA

The Gothic architectural style of the West Virginia State Penitentiary perfectly matches with its macabre history and the tortured lives of its inmates. Built shortly after West Virginia seceded from Virginia during the Civil War, the prison's location in Moundsville was chosen for its proximity to the city of Wheeling. Conditions in the prison deteriorated as it grew older and came to house more convicts. At one point, three people would share one 5-by-7-foot too, and there were 36 homicides that took place in the prison over the course of its use, reported the Travel Channel. During its time in use, 93 men were executed by their crimes, by hanging and electrocution, says Atlas Obscura.

For an eerie tour into the prison's past, visitors can choose from a daily tour, an overnight investigation stay, and a Halloween season experience. To learn more, visit the museum's website.

NEXT: The prison that inspired Dumas

Chateau d'If - Marseille, France

The mythic Chateau d'If was used to imprison political dissidents from 1580 until 1871, but if not for being a key location in Alexandre Dumas' novel The Count of Monte Cristo, the fortress's infamy might not have survived the passage of time. The hero of Dumas' 1844 novel, Edmond Dantes, spends years in the Chateau d'If prison while plotting his escape and his revenge, and the famous story continues to attract visitors to this day. Located off the coast of Marseille, the Island of If was uninhabited for years until Francois I noticed it for its strategic importance and gave orders for a fortress to be built, says the Office de Tourisme de Marseille.

Visitors today can come and see the abandoned castle by taking a boat from the coast of Marseille out to the island. According to The Insider's Guide to Provence, some of the cells are mud luxurious, with fireplaces and high ceilings, though the majority are small and eerily empty.

NEXT: A place made famous by Nelson Mandela

RobbenIsland - South Africa

Nelson Mandela's old prison cell on Dec. 3, 2009 in Robben Island, South Africa. (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Before Nelson Mandela became the president of South Africa, he was famous for his role in fighting apartheid and for the 27 years he spent imprisoned because of his political activism. Of that time in prison, Mandela spent 18 years on Robben Island, a small island off the coast of Cape Town that was at various points used as a hospital, a mental institution, a military base and a prison. According to UNESCO, which named the island a World Heritage site, "the symbolic value of Robben Island lies in its somber history, as a prison and a hospital for unfortunates who were sequestered as being socially undesirable."

Today a tour at the Robben Island Museum includes visiting the maximum security prison and Mandela's cell, as well as the lime quarry where Mandela and other prisoners did hard labor, says Cape Town Tourism. Visitors interested in seeing the island can take a ferry there from Cape Town four times a day.

NEXT: Where the Japanese held Korean freedom fighters

Seodaemun Prison - Seoul, South Korea

Though the building is surrounded by several courtyards and a park today, the Seodaemun Prison in South Korea has a dark history. Built in 1908, it was used by the invading Japanese from 1910 till 1945 to hold Korean independence fighters. According to Lonely Planet, there was no heating in the building and the prisoners were only given rice, barley and beans to eat. They were also tortured and executed, and the scenes of these tortures can still be seen through the use of mannequins in the museum. "A Place of Experience" is the most horrifying part of the prison, says the Korea Tourism Organization, where scenes of torture are realistically depicted.

The prison stands as a museum in testament to the Korean freedom fighters who suffered and died for their cause. For directions and hours of operation, visit ExploringKorea.com.

NEXT: Get locked up for the night

Ottawa Jail Hostel - Canada

When it first opened in 1862, the Carleton County Gaol was a maximum security holding facility where meals came only once a day and daylight rarely made its way into the cells. According to Examiner, many of the deaths that occurred in the gaol were caused by mistreatmentof the mentally ill. The gaol eventually closed in 1972 because of its lack of sanitation and poor lighting.

But in 2002, new life was breathed into the stone building. Owned and operated by Hostelling International, the gaol became the Ottawa Jail Hostel, offering unique accommodations, free breakfast and a pub in the jail. According to one reviewer on Dangerous Business, the hostel is not a comfortable place at the end of the day. It's clean and warm, but "you stay here for the experience," the writer said.

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