Truman Capote once described the Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing, Kan., as a “turreted black-and-white palace” with “a dark two-storied building shaped like a coffin,” where prisoners were held on death row, awaiting execution.

Now, tourists will be able to get a glimpse for themselves of the fortresslike sandstone prison, where Capote interviewed Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, two drifters who were convicted of murdering four members of the Clutter family on their farm in Holcomb, Kan., on Nov. 15, 1959.

Those gruesome murders formed the basis of “In Cold Blood,” the book that cemented Capote’s status as a literary celebrity and helped propel the enduring American fascination with the true crime genre.

Hoping to save the former penitentiary from demolition, the Lansing Historical Society recently reached an agreement with the Kansas Department of Corrections to open the former prison for tours, beginning on Friday. The historical society also plans to hold a car show at the prison on Sept. 28.

The historical society hopes the tours will attract visitors to Lansing, Kan., a city of about 11,000 residents, 25 miles northwest of Kansas City, Mo.