The producers actually wanted to film inside Joliet, but the interior was in such severe disrepair (with asbestos, lead paint, and collapsing floors) that it was deemed structurally unsafe. That forced them to build the interior set in the nearby warehouse.
However, the interior scenes were filmed at a soundstage in Chicago, Illinois. The production team built sets that replicated the interior of the prison, allowing them to have more control over the environment and ensure safety.
When Prison Break began pre-production in 2004, Joliet Prison had been closed for two years. It was a perfect ghost town for Hollywood:
Lincoln’s cell was reportedly the same one that once held notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy . The crew found the atmosphere so unsettling that some reportedly refused to enter it, believing it was haunted.
The short answer is
While Prison Break did not film inside an active penitentiary (due to obvious security, safety, and logistical reasons), the production team achieved something arguably more impressive: they built a fully functional, working prison from scratch.
Was Prison Break — Filmed In A Real Prison Link
The producers actually wanted to film inside Joliet, but the interior was in such severe disrepair (with asbestos, lead paint, and collapsing floors) that it was deemed structurally unsafe. That forced them to build the interior set in the nearby warehouse.
However, the interior scenes were filmed at a soundstage in Chicago, Illinois. The production team built sets that replicated the interior of the prison, allowing them to have more control over the environment and ensure safety. was prison break filmed in a real prison
When Prison Break began pre-production in 2004, Joliet Prison had been closed for two years. It was a perfect ghost town for Hollywood: The producers actually wanted to film inside Joliet,
Lincoln’s cell was reportedly the same one that once held notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy . The crew found the atmosphere so unsettling that some reportedly refused to enter it, believing it was haunted. The production team built sets that replicated the
The short answer is
While Prison Break did not film inside an active penitentiary (due to obvious security, safety, and logistical reasons), the production team achieved something arguably more impressive: they built a fully functional, working prison from scratch.
