Hỏa Lò Prison

Hỏa Lò Prison is a historic prison complex in central Hanoi, Vietnam, originally built by French colonial authorities in the late 19th century. It later housed prisoners during the Vietnam War and is now a museum documenting those periods.

Museum displays occupy preserved cell blocks and exhibition rooms that interpret the site’s use under French rule and its later role during the Vietnam War, including sections about American prisoners who were held there. Many visitors examine narrow cells, original doors and photographs that illustrate detention conditions and the prison’s evolving functions.

The prison was built by French colonial authorities in the late 1800s to detain Vietnamese political prisoners and criminals. During the 20th century it continued in use and became notable internationally during the Vietnam War; part of the complex has since been preserved and repurposed as a museum.

The site stands in central Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district, within the city’s historical core and close to the Old Quarter.

• Construction and nickname: The complex was constructed by French colonial authorities in the late 19th century and later became widely known internationally as the "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam War.

What to See #

• Cell block and museum exhibits: A preserved block of original prison cells and corridors that now form the core of the museum; several cells and displays focus on inmates' conditions during the French colonial era and the Vietnam War.
• Exhibition halls: Curated exhibition rooms that present artifacts, documents and photographs on the prison's use under French colonial authorities and later as a detention site for American prisoners of war.