How to Visit Facility

Timing rules can make or break your trip. Visitors are allowed on facility grounds no earlier than 15 minutes before visiting hours begin, so arriving too early means waiting off property. On the other end of the schedule, two cutoffs matter. There is no admittance into the institution one hour before the end of scheduled visiting hours (for example, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday through Sunday). Entry is also blocked within the last 30 minutes of a scheduled visit. If you're cutting it close to either deadline, leave earlier. Showing up late means getting turned away at the door.

Once you arrive, pay attention to the parking lot rules. No loitering is permitted in the parking lot area. If you are denied visitation, you must leave state property immediately. Think of your vehicle as part of the check-in process. Roll up the windows and lock the doors. If your vehicle is found unsecured, your visit may be terminated. Also, do not leave a vehicle on state property for more than 48 hours. Vehicles left over 48 hours will be towed at the owner's expense.

Plan for pets before you leave home. Pets are not permitted on state property except for service animals assigned as such. If you have personal items you can't bring inside, lockers are available in the lobby for 25 cents. The quarter is refundable at the end of your visit.

Steps to Follow

• ✓ Arrive no more than 15 minutes before visiting hours begin.
• ✓ Do not try to enter within the last hour of scheduled visiting hours.
• ✓ Do not try to enter within the last 30 minutes of a scheduled visit.
• ✓ Leave pets at home (service animals are the exception).
• ✓ Park, lock your doors, and roll your windows up so your visit is not cut short.
• ✓ Do not loiter in the parking lot, and if you are denied visitation, leave the property right away.
• ✓ Bring a quarter for a lobby locker if you need to store personal items (it is refundable at the end of the visit).
• ✓ Do not leave a vehicle on state property for more than 48 hours to avoid towing at your expense.

Before you drive over, confirm the current visiting hours and how the entry cutoffs are being applied that day. Both the "one hour before the end of visiting hours" rule and the "last 30 minutes of a scheduled visit" rule can trip up late arrivals. It's also worth confirming that lobby lockers are available and how the refundable quarter is returned. If you have a service animal, check for any current instructions about bringing one on state property. And if your situation involves waiting in the lot or leaving a vehicle on-site, verify enforcement expectations so you don't accidentally trigger the no-loitering rule or the 48-hour towing policy.