Historic US home comes with its own private jail in the basement

It’s got stained-glass windows, traditional architecture and a jail in the basement.

And it can all be yours for the bargain price of US$350,000 (AUD$484k).

Yes, the real estate agents aren’t kidding when they call this historic Missouri home an “extremely unique opportunity”.

Built in 1875, the property reportedly served as a sherrif’s house and jail. It currently features nine jail cells — complete with steel bunk beds — and a booking room in the 2500 square foot (232 sqm) space connected to the main home through a door in the kitchen.

In case you were wondering, the cell-door lock “appears to be operational”, according to Realtor.com.

The stark grey cells are quite a dramatic shift from the actual living space, which boasts plenty of light and a soothing neutral colour scheme on three levels.

The two-bedroom home received extensive renovations in 2005, said to be around the tune of US$1.5 million.

The cheeky listing, by House of Brokers, states “the possibilities are amazing with this property”.

While we’re not quite sure what those possibilities would be, it’s certainly captured the attention of many on social media.

This story originally appeared on stuff.co.nz