# Pitești Prison Memorial

[Romania](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/attractions) › [Muntenia](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/region/muntenia) › [Argeș County](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/county/arges) › [Pitești](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/city/pitesti)

> The former Pitești prison, where in 1949–1951 students held as political prisoners were subjected to “re-education” through torture, now a private memorial museum; on the UNESCO Tentative List since 2024.

**At a glance:** Museums and memorial houses in Pitești, Argeș County. Opening hours: Monday–Wednesday closed, Thursday–Sunday 11:00 – 18:00. Ticket: 25 lei. The visit takes 1 – 1½ hours. Information verified on 21 October 2026.

## Key facts

- **Opening hours:** Monday–Wednesday closed, Thursday–Sunday 11:00 – 18:00 — Thursday–Sunday 11:00–18:00; closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Museum of Communism for Children, in the same building, keeps the same hours. The museum is private and hours may change on public holidays: check the website before you go.
- **Ticket:** 25 lei — free for people with disabilities
- **Visit duration:** 1 – 1½ hours — longer with a guided tour
- **With kids:** No — admission from age 12
- **Best season:** All year round — open Thursday–Sunday
- **Address:** Strada Negru Vodă 30, Pitești, Argeș County
- **Coordinates:** 44.86514, 24.8645
- **Phone:** +40 734 365 102
- **Website:** https://www.inchisoareapitesti.org/
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pite%C8%99ti_Prison
- **Wikidata:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1165196
- **Categories:** [Museums and memorial houses](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/muzee-si-case-memoriale), [Monuments and historic sites](https://peplaiuri.ro/en/monumente-si-situri-istorice)

## About Pitești Prison Memorial

Pitești prison was built between 1937 and 1941, on what was then the edge of the town, as one of the most modern prisons in the country. After 1944 it held mostly political prisoners, and from 1948 almost all students arrested for opposing the communist regime were brought here. Between 1949 and 1951 the prison was the site of the “re-education”, later called the “Pitești phenomenon”: prisoners led by Eugen Țurcanu, under the direction of the Securitate, tortured their cellmates to force them to denounce their friends, renounce their families and faith, and in turn become torturers themselves. According to the memorial, more than 600 students were tortured here and at least 11 died; the method was later extended to other prisons.

The prison was closed in 1977, and the buildings became the headquarters of a construction company, then offices for several firms. Since 2014 the Pitești Prison Memorial Foundation, founded by Maria Axinte, has run a private museum in the wing it owns; the permanent exhibition opened in 2018. In 2023 the whole complex was listed as a category A historic monument, and in 2024 the former prison was added to the UNESCO Tentative List, in the nomination “Former communist prisons in Romania”, together with Jilava, Sighet, Făgăraș and Râmnicu Sărat.

### What you can see

The permanent exhibition occupies the basement of the former “correction” section and traces the history of the prison, of the “re-education” and of its survivors through archive documents, photographs and testimonies, set against the communist takeover, the anti-communist resistance and the last years of the regime. Upstairs, in the former Room 4 Hospital, one of the most important rooms of the prison, there is an Orthodox chapel with weekly services. The same building houses the Manuscris bookshop and, since 2022, the Museum of Communism for Children, with workshops and games for younger visitors.

### Good to know

This is a small museum, supported by a foundation and open only from Thursday to Sunday. The subject is harrowing: children under 12 are not admitted to the memorial, but they can visit the children's museum. Only part of the former prison can be visited; the other buildings have other owners. A memorial church is being built next to the building.

## Don't miss

- The permanent exhibition in the basement of the former “correction” section, on the “Pitești phenomenon” and its victims.
- The Orthodox chapel set up in the former Room 4 Hospital, on the upper floor of the prison.
- The guided tour, which takes you through the former prison drawing on survivors' testimonies and archive documents.
- The Manuscris bookshop, with memoirs of former political prisoners published by the memorial's own press.
- The Museum of Communism for Children, in the same building, where the regime's history is explained through games and workshops.

## Good to know before you go

### Getting there

**By car:** from Bucharest it is ~117 km on the A1 to Pitești, then through town along Calea Bascovului and Strada Victoriei to Strada Negru Vodă (~1h20). From Craiova, ~127 km on the DEx12 expressway and the DN65 (~1h30); from Sibiu, ~155 km on the DN7 through the Olt Valley (~2h30–3 hours). The memorial is in the residential district of apartment blocks north of the centre, ~1 km from the town hall.

**Public transport:** Pitești railway station has trains from Bucharest Nord (~2 hours); from the station to the memorial it is ~3 km, by city bus or taxi. From the town centre it is a ~15-minute walk.

### Where to park

The memorial does not advertise a car park of its own; you park on the streets of the surrounding residential district, where spaces are scarce in the evening and at weekends.

### Fees & discounts

Memorial (official website, 2026): 25 lei per person; free for people with disabilities. Museum of Communism for Children: 10 lei, free for memorial ticket holders. Guided tour, booked on arrival if a guide is available: 40 lei per person for 2 people, 30 lei per person for groups of 3 or more, 50 lei per person in English. Groups of more than 10 book by phone or email; school groups get a 45-minute tour at 10 lei per pupil (40 lei in English), with the accompanying teacher free.

### Rules

Children under 12 are not admitted to the memorial because of the subject matter; the Museum of Communism for Children is there for them. This is a place of memory: quiet and respect, especially in the chapel, where services are held. Groups of more than 10 should book in advance. Do not touch the exhibits.

### Facilities

Guided tours in Romanian and English · Manuscris bookshop · Orthodox chapel · Museum of Communism for Children in the same building · the basement exhibition and the upstairs chapel are reached by stairs

## Details

- **Collection type:** history of communism
- **Guided tour:** Yes
- **Historical period:** 1949–1951

## Frequently asked questions about Pitești Prison Memorial

**How much is a ticket to Pitești Prison Memorial?**

A ticket to Pitești Prison Memorial costs 25 lei (free for people with disabilities). Memorial (official website, 2026): 25 lei per person; free for people with disabilities. Museum of Communism for Children: 10 lei, free for memorial ticket holders. Guided tour, booked on arrival if a guide is available: 40 lei per person for 2 people, 30 lei per person for groups of 3 or more, 50 lei per person in English. Groups of more than 10 book by phone or email; school groups get a 45-minute tour at 10 lei per pupil (40 lei in English), with the accompanying teacher free.

**What are the opening hours of Pitești Prison Memorial?**

Opening hours at Pitești Prison Memorial: Monday–Wednesday closed, Thursday–Sunday 11:00 – 18:00. Thursday–Sunday 11:00–18:00; closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Museum of Communism for Children, in the same building, keeps the same hours. The museum is private and hours may change on public holidays: check the website before you go.

**How long does a visit to Pitești Prison Memorial take?**

A visit to Pitești Prison Memorial takes about 1 – 1½ hours (longer with a guided tour).

**Can you visit Pitești Prison Memorial with kids?**

No, Pitești Prison Memorial is not recommended for visits with children (admission from age 12).

**How do I get to Pitești Prison Memorial?**

Pitești Prison Memorial is located at Strada Negru Vodă 30, Pitești, Argeș County. By car: from Bucharest it is ~117 km on the A1 to Pitești, then through town along Calea Bascovului and Strada Victoriei to Strada Negru Vodă (~1h20). From Craiova, ~127 km on the DEx12 expressway and the DN65 (~1h30); from Sibiu, ~155 km on the DN7 through the Olt Valley (~2h30–3 hours). The memorial is in the residential district of apartment blocks north of the centre, ~1 km from the town hall. Public transport: Pitești railway station has trains from Bucharest Nord (~2 hours); from the station to the memorial it is ~3 km, by city bus or taxi. From the town centre it is a ~15-minute walk.

**When is the best time to visit Pitești Prison Memorial?**

The best season for Pitești Prison Memorial: All year round (open Thursday–Sunday).

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Last updated: 21 October 2026
Source: Pe Plaiuri (https://peplaiuri.ro/en) — Guide to tourist attractions in Romania