What Can They Do With La Tuna?

It's kind of a funny name but "La Tune" is the real name of a real, federal prison that has stood in the upper valley, near Anthony, for almost a century.

The feds are shutting down a number of prisons across the USA and La Tuna, in Anthony, west of El Paso, will be one of them. Originally opened in 1932 as a "self sustaining, agricultural" federal prison, La Tuna will be closed due to, (mostly) maintenance and staffing issues.

La Tuna was named for the nickname of a cactus, (the nopal cactus), that grows abundantly in the area. It was an "agricultural" prison for medium security inmates who tended the fields, growing fruits, veggies and tending a few head of cattle for dairy products for the inmates.

Fun Fact: My Dad and  a couple of his buddies got in trouble in their teens for breaking in to La Tuna ... not out, IN. Somehow, they found out there was a pool inside and they wanted to go swimming.

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Yeah ... my whole family is weird. I was on the grounds myself once. A balloon I was flying in during the KLAQ Balloon Fest one year caught a bad wind while trying to land and we came down within La Tuna's perimeter. Not in the actual prison "yard" but close enough that 2 truckloads of heavily armed guards raced out to meet us. Good times.

As far as prisons go, La Tuna is probably the coolest looking one ever thanks to its southwestern inspired design. 

Once the prison is fully deactivated, I wonder what they'll do with it? Spirit Halloween store? Haa - Or, maybe they'd let us use it for the KLAQ Haunted House? (How cool would that be??)

What Could La Tuna Be Now?

I'm kidding. (Sorta.) Seriously though, with all that history, space and amazing architecture, they can't just tear it down.

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They could do so much with all that space. Maybe a new shopping center or hospital for the area. (Or both - it's freakin' huge.) Part of it could be used for office space or maybe a hotel for visitors ... especially those that want to visit Wet 'N Wild Waterworld. It's right next door.

La Tuna After Hours

They should leave a few cells "as is" in the hotel part for those freaky tourists that get off on that stuff. They could totally sell out nightly ghost tours - the place is supposed to be haunted AF.

What do you think they should do?