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The prison has been turned into a museum and “dark tourism” attraction — like Chernobyl — that serves as a reminder that Ushuaia owes its existence largely to the labor of the inmates.

The kitschiness fuels a debate about whether commodifying “dark tourism” is distasteful or makes history more accessible.

Faarlund, 52, has visited places that fall under a category of travel known as dark tourism, an all-encompassing term that boils down to visiting places associated with death, tragedy and the macabre.

Eighty-two percent of American travelers said they have visited at least one dark tourism destination in their lifetime, according to a study published in September by Passport-photo.online, which surveyed more than 900 people.

The growing popularity of dark tourism suggests more and more people are resisting vacations that promise escapism, choosing instead to witness firsthand the sites of suffering they have only read about, said Gareth Johnson, a founder of Young Pioneer Tours, which organized trips for Joyce and Faarlund.