Hoa Lo Prison, Hanoi: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Hoa Lo Prison is a museum at 1 Hoa Lo Street in central Hanoi, housed in the remaining section of a prison built by French colonial authorities in 1896 for Vietnamese political prisoners. During the Vietnam War, North Vietnam held American POWs here—they nicknamed it the Hanoi Hilton. Senator John McCain was detained from 1967 to 1973. The museum displays French-era shackles, a guillotine, and cells alongside exhibits on Vietnamese revolutionaries. Most of the original prison was demolished in the 1990s for the Hanoi Towers development. is just one of many options in Hanoi. Major attractions worth considering include Hanoi Train Street, Lake of the Restored Sword (Hoan Kiem Lake), and Tam Coc.