Colorado is full of history, much of which is still around and allows for visitors. However, in a certain part of the Centennial State, much of the history is somehow related to one thing: prisons.

Read More: See Inside Supermax + Other Notorious Colorado Prisons and Jails |

In case you're not familiar, just east of Pueblo along Highway 50 sits a historic, and unique, quiet little town known as Cañon City. Cañon City and the surrounding towns including Florence are widely known for being home to a number of prisons, including the notorious ADX Florence, commonly known as Supermax.

On the other hand, Cañon City isn't just known for prisons, it's also home to things like The Abbey and a cool little road with an interesting backstory called Skyline Drive.

Cañon City Colorado's Skyline Drive Arch Built by Inmates

Skyline Drive is a popular tourist destination for those passing through Cañon City, notable for having a large, stone arch at the entrance.

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The stone arch that welcomes visitors to Skyline Drive usually comes and goes pretty quickly as motorists are eager to check out the view from the mountain road.

However, the arch itself is full of history as well. Built back in 1932 by local inmates, the Skyline Drive arch deserves a second look as you'll find numerous stones with state abbreviations carved into them.

Each of these stones is carved with the state from which they came and because of the time period in which the arch was built, stones from 48 of the current 50 states that make up the U.S. can be found in the unique piece of architecture.

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