Kingston Penitentiary officially closed on Sept. 30 and tours of the 178-year-old building began just days later.

The $20 tickets for the 90-minute tours, hosted by Kingston United Way, were snapped up, including a second batch that sold out in less than an hour.

There are 9,000 people who will walk through the former maximum-security prison that, through its long history, faced riots, fires and hundreds of escape attempts.

The country's most famous prison has also housed inmates including Paul Bernardo, Russell Williams, Clifford Olson and members of the Shafia family.