Mt Eden Prison has remained deserted since it was closed in 2011, but could become a tourist attraction.

One of New Zealand's oldest and most iconic prisons could become home to a world-class tourism attraction.

During its 160-year history, Mt Eden Prison in Auckland has housed some of New Zealand's worst criminals and seen dozens of grisly executions.

But it has stood empty since being closed in 2011 after a replacement was completed next door.

GRAHAME COX/FAIRFAX NZ The mothballed Mt Eden Prison is one of the country's oldest.

The Department of Corrections will on Monday release a feasibility study tender calling for ideas on possible uses for the mothballed facility.

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Built in 1856 as a wooden stockade, prisoners dug stones from a nearby quarry themselves to erect the infamous wall in the mid 1870s that surrounds the prison to this day.

In the past few years several possible uses for the building have been suggested, including Auckland mayoral candidate Phil Goff recently calling for it to be used to house the city's homeless.

Corrections corporate services deputy chief executive Vince Arbuckle said using the prison for accommodation purposes had been ruled out for a multitude of reasons.

These included seismic issues, parking problems and the fact it was located next to an operating prison.

Using the space as offices or for rehabilitation rooms had also been discounted because of the cost of structural renovations.

The feasibility study was no guarantee the building would be used in a specific way and it was outside of Correction's core business to operate the facility.

But it was hoped a supportive party could be found so the building could be preserved for the benefit of the public and to preserve the building's history.

"There's some great international examples in some major cities that have become core parts of tourism and we see it as an ability to showcase the history of crime and punishment over the years," said Arbuckle.

"Failing that we'll be stuck with a building we don't have a clear purpose for, that no one is engaged with and no one gets to see and it'll only go one way, it'll remain standing but the internal of the building will deteriorate progressively."

Another option was to include a cafe or restaurant as part of a museum and to incorporate prisoner rehabilitation into the facility with inmates in the kitchen, similar to what took place annually at Rimutaka Prison with the Wellington on a Plate festival, he said.

Auckland's tourism and events organisation ATEED have contributed $10,000 towards the study and advised Corrections on what should be considered as part of it.

Visitor general manager Steve Armitage said it was an interesting concept with several successful example across the world of turning prisons into tourism hotspots.

Both Melbourne and San Francisco have successfully turned their historic prisons into tourism attractions.

ATEED welcomed further investigation into the feasibility of the project and if it proceeded further would be able to provide further advice and connections to the public and private sectors, he said.

"A core part of the Auckland Visitor Plan includes finding more ways to enhance the visitor experience by providing visitors with more things to see, do and spend money on."

Heritage New Zealand architecture adviser Robin Byron said the prison was both a nationally significant building and a distinctive Auckland landmark.

Architects at the time of its construction often modelled prison exteriors on castles or fortresses drawing on classical or gothic styles and Mt Eden was an important example of this.

Much of the bluestone and kauri building remained intact but it would help to try to find a use that did not require substantial modification.

"It's important that this significant heritage place is retained and conserved, and there would definitely be scope for its adaptive reuse," said Arbuckle.

"As with any heritage place that undergoes a prospective adaption there are challenges, and Mt Eden prison would be no exception."

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