Everything You Need To Know Before Visiting Fremantle Prison

When holidaying in Fremantle, itineraries likely revolve around the beach, bars and restaurants. But if you can tear yourself away from the white sand and gourmet food for a day, a trip to the historical Fremantle Prison is one you won’t forget.

Fremantle Prison – which is the largest convict-built structure in Australia and the most intact convict establishment in the southern hemisphere – is the only World Heritage-listed building in Western Australia. With an impressive range of tours (including an underground adventure through tunnels quarried by convicts), it’s a fascinating place for history buffs and true crime fanatics alike. You can even stay the night in a prison cell if you’re really eager.

Heading to the charming portside city of Fremantle? Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the iconic Fremantle Prison.

The history of Fremantle Prison

Fremantle Prison was built as a convict barracks in the early 1850s. Convicts themselves built the prison out of the limestone quarried from the site itself, with the first prisoners moving into the main cell block in 1855.

The building included four levels of cells, with each cell measuring barely more than two and a half square metres. This exceptionally small cell size was because the cells were intended to be used for overnight accommodation only, as the convicts were sent to work outdoors during the day. However, the cell walls being built with thick limestone – rather than corrugated iron cell partitions like other prisons of the time – made the cells very cramped even just for sleeping, not to mention poorly ventilated.

the exterior view of Fremantle Prison — Fremantle Prison was built as a convict barracks in the early 1850s. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Fremantle continued being used as a prison right up until 1991 and saw more than 10,000 prisoners pass through its doors. Inmates included convicts sent from Great Britain, colonial prisoners and prisoners of war. In addition, during the Second World War, the Australian Defence Department used part of the prison to detain many Italian Australians deemed ‘enemy aliens’ due to Italy’s alliance with Germany. The Prison was a place of hangings, floggings, dramatic convict escapes and prisoner riots.

A Royal Commission was launched into the prison in the 1980s following a number of riots and concerns over conditions, with the facility ultimately being shut down in 1991.

After its closure, the WA state government embarked on a long-term conservation plan to ensure the prison’s preservation for future generations.

the exterior view of the Fremantle cell — Fremantle Prison is the only World Heritage-listed building in WA. (Image: Fremantle Prison)

Why you should visit Fremantle Prison

Fremantle Prison’s significance stems from the fact that it is substantially – and impressively – still intact. The fabric of the Main Cell Block, perimeter walls, hospital and eastern workshop, gatehouse and three of the cottages on The Terrace is little altered from its convict era. Few enhancements were made over the years to allow the site to continue to operate as a prison into the ’90s, however, they didn’t significantly alter the structure. Consequently, the original fabric of Fremantle Prison has an incredibly high integrity.

A visit to Fremantle Prison will leave you captivated for hours. Within the Prison walls is the Prison Cafe, operated by the team renowned for popular Fremantle restaurants Emily Taylor and Sailing for Oranges, and a fascinating Visitor Centre showcasing actual footage of prison life and panels depicting the prison’s history, riots and reform programs.

guests attending a briefing session before the tunnels tour at Fremantle Prison — Travel back in time. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Head over to the Convict Depot, situated in the former prison superintendent’s backyard, to find out if you have a convict past. Visitors can search for convict ancestors on a fully interactive Convict Database, and explore hundreds of photographs and articles relating to the convict era.

There is also a constant roster of exhibitions at the Prison, including things like prisoner art and colonial artefacts. And of course, you grab a souvenir from the award-winning gift shop on your way out – the convict teddy bears are rather cute, and the collection of history books is fascinating.

artefacts on display, Tunnels Tour with Fremantle Prison — Browse the artefacts on display. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

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Best Fremantle Prison tours

Visitors to Fremantle Prison can step inside and do time on one of the compelling tours.

Convict Prison tour

This tour gives visitors an overview of the history of the prison, from its construction to its decommission. You’ll learn about the 10,000 men who were transported to the Prison from Great Britain, how they built their own prison and helped shape the future of Western Australia.

Opening hours: Daily, every hour from 10am until 5pm.
Duration: One hour 15 minutes.
Pricing: $23 per adult.

Behind Bars tour

This tour takes visitors back in time through the Main Cell Block and inmate exercise yards. As you walk through the facility in their shoes, you learn about the daily routine of prisoners and the realities of life on the inside.

Opening hours: Daily, every hour from 10.30am until 4.30pm.
Duration: One hour 15 minutes.
Pricing: $23 per adult.

peeking through a small hole in the corridor of Fremantle Prison — Get a glimpse of Fremantle Prison’s fascinating history. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

True Crime tour

For the true crime fanatics, this tour uncovers the real life stories of some of the Prison’s most notorious inmates – from bushrangers, thieves and murderers, to serial killers, bank robbers and escape artists.

Opening hours: Daily, every hour from 11.45am until 4.45pm.
Duration: One hour 15 minutes.
Pricing: $23 per adult.

Tunnels Tour

Not one for the faint-hearted (or claustrophobic), the tunnels tour sees visitors don a hardhat and overalls and descend below the Prison to explore a labyrinth of tunnels built by prisoners.

Guides lead the trek through dry sections of the tunnels on foot, before boarding replica convict punts to explore the submerged passageways accessible only by boat.

Opening hours: Saturdays and Sundays only at 9am, 10.40am, 12.20 pm, 1.40pm, and 3.25pm.
Duration: Two hours 30 minutes.
Pricing: $66 per adult.

the Tunnels Tour at Fremantle Prison — Trek through the tunnels on foot. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

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Torchlight Tour

Another one for those who are feeling brave, the Torchlight Tour takes visitors to the darkest side of Fremantle Prison. Guides lead you through the prison after dark, regaling you with tales of the loneliness, pain and suffering, of executions gone wrong, of the innocent unjustly imprisoned and the guilty punished.

Opening hours: Every Wednesday and Friday evening – April-Oct from 6.30pm, Nov-March from 7pm.
Duration: One hour 30 minutes.
Pricing: $29 per adult.

the facade of Fremantle Prison — More than 10,000 prisoners have passed through the doors of Fremantle Prison. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Staying at Fremantle Prison

If after all that you still can’t get enough, visitors can also stay overnight at the Prison at the YHA Fremantle Prison – even being able to stay in actual prison cells. If that’s a bit much for you, they have additional purpose-built rooms, either shared dorm-style or private rooms with ensuites. Whatever you choose, you’ll be staying the night in a UNESCO World Heritage site.

the rooms and corridor inside Fremantle Prison — Sleep in either shared dorm-style or private rooms with ensuites. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

What you need to know

Fremantle Prison is open seven days a week. It’s centrally located in Fremantle, a short walk from Fremantle Train Station, the cappuccino trip and Fishing Boat Harbour. Book your tours in advance.

a man going down the tunnel at Fremantle Prison — A visit to Fremantle Prison is guaranteed to astonish history buffs. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Address: 1 The Terrace, Fremantle.
Opening hours: 9am–5pm, seven days a week.
Price: Entry to Fremantle Prison Gatehouse is free and includes access to the Convict Café, Gift Shop, Prison Gallery, Convict Depot and Museum. Tours incur an additional charge.

Prefer to stay elsewhere? Check out our guide to the most charming Airbnbs in Fremantle.

With unhurried mornings, long, sun-filled afternoons, evenings shaped around sunset, this iconic beach offers an all-day experience (and it’s about to get even better).

As the sun slowly rises over the languid waves and fine sand of Broome’s Cable Beach, the morning colours shift from rich apricot to pale gold and frosty pearl. Remnants of life reveal themselves in the subtle shadows – crab claw marks, towel impressions, footprints. Life here is unhurried, but don’t be fooled. This town is continually shifting like the desert dunes that surround it.

And with a $75 million upgrade – offering easier and more inclusive access for people of all abilities – it’s getting even better.

Cable Beach upgrade foreshore redevelopment stage 1 — Discover the Cable Beach redevelopment.

The addition of comfortable and welcoming spaces has begun (and will continue). This means visitors will be able to spend longer enjoying this beautiful environment, while knowing that the upgrade will create a more environmentally protected setting that preserves the natural character visitors come for. Come sunset, soak it in all the better thanks to the already improved foreshore areas, made for lingering while the light changes. And for the kids, a new splash park and accessible dry playground will make it easy to while away the hours.

Think you know what a day at this beach is like? Think again.

Morning colours

car on cable beach at sunrise — Cable Beach comes alive after sunrise. (Credit: Tourism WA)

As the sun colours the sky, Cable Beach shows signs of life (and not just the aquatic kind). Locals and visitors alike float in the cool water as it laps the shore, landlubbers explore the coast on foot, runners pace and beachside yoga classes bring quiet movement to the day.

When the sky is blue and the sun is firmly in position, head down to the well-known Cable Beach House for a long, slow breakfast overlooking the ocean. Think fresh tropical fruit, eggs cooked your way and strong coffee in the warm morning breeze.

Afternoon adventures

camel train on cable beach in broome at sunset — Join a camel train at sunset. (Credit: C J Maddock)

When you’re ready to explore, carve a path along the Minyirr Park Trail – a gentle 1.5-2km track through coastal bushland with spectacular views of the dunes. Refuel at the nearby Spinifex Brewery for lunch with its low-key, outdoor beer garden. There’s even an outdoor playground if you’re travelling with young humans.

Walk off your lazy lunch by watching (or joining) one of the beach soccer or volleyball games, or even try Silent Beats Broome – a silent walking disco through the dunes. Or book a spot on the famous camel trains, watching the sun drop below the horizon along the way. They’re a constant reminder of the fascinating history, landscape and cultural mix in this part of the country.

Evening degustation

server at Cable Beach Club — Stop into the Cable Beach Club. (Credit: Tourism WA)

As the day closes, watch the world-famous Cable Beach sunset from the appropriately named Sunset Grill at Cable Beach Club. This open-air terraced dining spot overlooking the beach is the kind of place where the view takes centre stage.

While you sip on a lychee, lime & lemonade mocktail or a local beer, enjoy the bustle of life and nature outside as the day comes to an end.

For dinner, nab a table at the Bali Hai Cafe, where they offer pan-fried crispy barramundi, Abrolhos Island scallops and deep-sea snow crab. When you’re ready for bed, check in to Pinctada Hotel Broome – a lush, tropical resort with palm-dotted gardens and a large, lagoon-style pool to cool off in.

Beyond the beach

Beyond the wide, open beach and never-ending sky of Cable Beach, there are many more reasons to visit North West Australia. These are just a few.

Unmatched experiences

Shinju Matsuri Festival's popular Long Table Dinner on cable beach — Join Shinju Matsuri Festival’s popular Long Table Dinner. (Credit: Tourism WA)

Engage with the history of the land and its people on an Indigenous cultural tour exploring everything from the local wildlife to the tastes of bush tucker. To understand the importance of pearling to this town, take a tour of Chinatown, or head outside of town to the live pearl harvests at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, one of Australia’s oldest pearl farms.

Learn why Japanese pearlers were central to Broome’s pearling success and visit the largest Japanese cemetery in Australia, where 900 Japanese pearlers were buried – a testament to the risks and rewards of this dangerous profession.

And book ahead every spring for when communal tables, freshly cooked local fare and festoon lighting fill the beach for the extremely popular Long Table Dinner on Cable Beach. It’s a highlight of the Shinju Matsuri Festival, along with the Floating Lanterns Matsuri, where you can personalise a lantern and gently release it into the sea to honour those you love.

Dining discoveries

Further your culinary adventure at the laid-back Sunday Sesh at Matso’s Broome Brewery. Chow down on smoked crocodile or Aussie barramundi while kicking back to a local DJ as the heat of the day fades.

For more tunes, the beautiful outdoor Bay Club at the Mangrove Hotel is a great choice for dinner with live music, DJs or an event that stretches on into the early hours. Still hungry? Pop by Johnny Sausage for Italian-influenced meals paired with impeccable wines.

Natural beauties

Gantheaume Point cabnle beach broome — Experience the striking colours of Gantheaume Point. (Credit: Tourism WA)

Avoid the crowds and head to Town Beach for a quieter vantage point to see the phenomenal Staircase to the Moon – a natural illusion where the rising full moon is reflected on the tidal flats, creating a shimmering ‘staircase’ stretching up to the sky.

Just south of Cable Beach are the deep red cliffs and dramatic ocean views of Gantheaume Point, where 130-million-year-old dinosaur footprints can be seen, revealed at low tide. Or head to Roebuck Bay to visit the internationally significant wetlands, where vast tidal flats are home to shorebirds and coastal fauna.

Between October and March, watch turtles nesting and hatchlings emerge from the sand. You’ll be holding your breath as they make their way down to the shoreline, ready to start their life in one of Australia’s most beautiful landscapes.

For more on Cable Beach and Australia’s North West, visit australiasnorthwest.com.

The ultimate guide to visiting the fascinating Fremantle Prison

When holidaying in Fremantle, itineraries likely revolve around the beach, bars and restaurants. But if you can tear yourself away from the white sand and gourmet food for a day, a trip to the historical Fremantle Prison is one you won’t forget.

The history of Fremantle Prison

Why you should visit Fremantle Prison