Hoa Lo Prison

A: Hoa Lo Prison
H: Baoson International Hotel

The Hoa Lo Prison, later known to American prisoners of war as the "Hanoi Hilton", was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners and later by North Vietnam for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Hoa Lo Prison Museum is a blunt reminder of the horrors of colonialism and wartime imprisonment. Here, through the front gates of the old French Maison Centrale (Central House, or Prison), built in 1896, you can get a handle on what life was like for Vietnamese prisoners held during France's occupation of Vietnam. (The number of prisoners under the French grew from 615 in 1913 to 2,000 in 1953.

The museum is open from 8 to 11 am and 1 and 4 pm; entry is 10,000d (US$0.80)

  Location Off of Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem District Phone 04/3824-6358