Historic Brushy Mountain State Prison Opens For Business - WVLT TV

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From the end of the line to new beginnings, the opening of Brushy Mountain State Prison as a tourist attraction is set to bring attention to a small Tennessee town.

"This is a very legendary place," said John Holland, who is a customer at Brushy Mountain.

Petros, a small town with just over 500 people, has a big problem: economics. The downtown, which doesn't have a stoplight, could see some big changes over the next few years, and that will be because of the former Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary.

Brushy Mountain was once a place where men did hard time; now, it's a place where anyone can enjoy themselves. There's moonshine tasting, shopping and a restaurant at the site of the former prison. No inmates, just happy customers.

"You hear stories about it being haunted," said Holland. "You hear all kinds of spooky things, so I just wanted to come up and see it for myself."

The prison, which opened in 1896 and shut down in 2009, was sold from the state to Morgan County for a whole $10, and they lease it for a dollar a year to the Brushy Mountain Group.

Residents in Petros said this may just be the thing they need to jump start their town and generate some outside interest.

"There isn't a lot of industry or business in this area, and so anything that draws people in and provides jobs for the residents is bound to be good for the area," said Holland.

Right now, you can grab some grub. The group said they plan to improve upon the new tourist attraction over time.

The prison will open for tours on August 4th.

For information about the official opening, visit the Brushy Mountain Group's

website