In Council Bluffs, Iowa, there stands a jail unlike any other in the United States.

Built in the late 1800s, the Squirrel Cage Jail was designed as a rotating prison, with pie-shaped cells that could be turned on a central axis. The goal was simple: control movement, limit access, and keep inmates contained.

But the design created something far more unusual.

In this episode of The Midnight Drive, we make a stop inside one of the most unique structures in American history and explore the strange atmosphere that still lingers inside its walls.

Tonight we explore:

• How the rotating jail system worked • Why the design was eventually abandoned • What it felt like to be locked inside a moving cell • Reports of strange sounds, footsteps, and unexplained activity • Why some visitors say the building still feels… occupied

Topics covered in this episode:

Squirrel Cage Jail Council Bluffs

rotating jail design history

haunted jail reports

paranormal investigations in Iowa

As the Midnight Drive continues across Iowa, the road leads to places where history and atmosphere collide in unexpected ways.

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