Hotels near Hoa Lo Prison Museum (Hanoi Hilton)

Built by French colonial authorities in 1896, Hoa Lo Prison (sarcastically nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton by American POWs in the 1960s-70s) is now a museum covering 2 distinct historical periods - French colonial imprisonment of Vietnamese revolutionaries (1896-1954) and detention of US pilots shot down during the Vietnam War (1964-1973). The Vietnamese state museum emphasises both sides of the prison's history, with notable emphasis on the conditions Vietnamese political prisoners endured.

The visitor route includes original guillotine room, solitary confinement cells, recreated communal cells, and the US POW section displaying Senator John McCain's flight suit (he was held here 1967-1973). The Vietnamese narrative of US POW treatment differs from American accounts; the museum is an interesting study in how history is presented. Admission 50000 VND adults. Open daily 08:00-17:00. Allow 90 minutes.

Pro Tip: The evening tour (Night Tour, 19:00-21:00, 250000 VND) is dramatically lit and includes live theatrical performances by actors playing prisoners - controversial but memorable. Book online a few days ahead.