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Eastern State Penitentiary

The radical nineteenth-century prison designed to create social change...

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Location & Contact:

• 2027 Fairmount Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19130
• (215) 236-3300
• Visit Website

When Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829, spectators from around the world marveled at its grand architecture and radical philosophy.

The experiment, to reform criminals through strict isolation other than daily visits from the warden and guards, soon became a model for prison design worldwide.

Once built, it was the most expensive construction in the United States at the time.

After 142 years in use, Eastern State finally closed its doors as a prison in 1971. It has since been named a National Historic Landmark.

An estimated 300 prisons on four continents used Eastern’s distinctive “wagon-wheel” floor plan as a blueprint.

Located in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, Eastern State Penitentiary remains one of the most famous prisons in the world, with a list of former inmates that includes bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton and legendary gangster Al Capone.

In its day, Eastern State set the standard for penal reform, with its soaring, castle-like Gothic architecture and its founders’ Quaker-inspired belief that solitary confinement could help reform criminals. An estimated 300 prisons on four continents used Eastern’s distinctive “wagon-wheel” floor plan as a blueprint.

Today, tours offer a glimpse of life inside the prison’s historic cell blocks through exhibits like Al Capone’s restored 19th-century cell, stories of inmate escapes, and critically acclaimed art installations.

Events & More

Each year, Eastern State hosts Terror Behind the Walls , one of the region’s most anticipated Halloween haunted houses.

Designed with a high-startle factor, the terrifying attraction includes Hollywood-quality special effects and lighting, digital sound, animatronic creatures and custom props. More than 200 performers help instill fear in all who dare to enter.

Zombies roam the former prison during Terror Behind the Walls, the popular annual haunted house at Eastern State Penitentiary.   — Photo by M. Edlow for Visit Philadelphia

Admission & Info

General admission tickets i nclude “The Voices of Eastern State” audio tour, hands-on interactive experiences, history exhibits and artist installations.

If space is available on the day of your visit, you may also reserve a spot at the admissions desk for a guided group tour and discussion at no additional cost.

Visit Official Website

Tours at the penitentiary offer a glimpse at life inside the prison’s historic cell blocks.   — Photo by R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia

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Visiting Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary, The Complete Guide

Established in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary (“ESP”) was a pioneering correctional facility with a mission to cultivate genuine remorse, or penitence, in its prisoners. Its innovative approach to solitary confinement set the stage for worldwide prison reform.

On the outside, ESP had an imposing Neo-Gothic exterior with 30 foot walls, turrets, and gargoyles. Inside, it resembled a monastery, with high vaulted ceilings and cells with “eye of God” skylights.

Following Enlightenment ideas, prisoners were kept in isolation, away from others. This tactic was meant to encourage reflection on their misdeeds and instill a desire to repent and reform.

While the intent of the Quaker prison reformers was honorable, their theory of remediation was flawed. Isolation didn’t miraculously cure the prisoners. (No surprise!)

Rather, as Charles Dickens had foretold, the extreme isolation was “cruel, wrong, and tampered with the mysteries of the brain.”

Many of the prisoners were never remediated and became recidivists. On top of that, ESP became overcrowded, disease ridden, and its infrastructure broke down. As a result, the collapsing prison was closed for good in 1971.

In this Eastern State Penitentiary guide, I give you a history of the now ruined prison and tell you everything to see on a visit.

>>> Click here to book a ticket to ESP

History of Eastern State Penitentiary

ESP opened on October 25, 1829 and operated until 1971. The penitentiary was designed by architect John Haviland based on the principles of the “Pennsylvania System,” a pioneering approach to prison reform.

The system was the brainchild of civic-minded Quakers who wanted to alleviate the miseries of mass incarceration in public prisons. The would be reformers included Benjamin Rush and Benjamin Franklin.

The prison was designed with these reformist principles in mind. The goal was to provide a humane and rehabilitative environment that would allow inmates to reflect on their crimes and improve morally and spiritually.

Key to this mission was the principle of solitary confinement.

Previously, prisons were just detention pens where criminals, murderers, thieves, and even children were all thrown together with little to sustain them. They often died from violence, cold, or starvation.

The antidote to mass incarceration, the reformers thought, was the other extreme — isolation and confinement in more humane conditions that would deter violence.

If crime was a “moral disease,” it could cured in a church-like environment where the prisoners could experience spiritual remorse.

The prison they envisioned, and which opened in 1829, was unlike anything that had been designed before.

Seven wings of cell blocks radiated from a central hub. This gave guards stationed there a clear line of sight down the long, straight cellblocks extending from the center. And made it easier for guards to monitor inmate activity and respond quickly to any issues.

The cellblock design was copied around the world, making ESP a historically influential prison.

The interior of ESP was designed to appear like a church or a monastery. The cellblocks had tall vaulted ceilings. The cells were also vaulted, and each had a glass skylight called the “eye of God” from which light streamed in.

The doors to the cells were small. Prisoners had to stoop to get in, as if they were bowing to god. They were fed through a tiny “feed door.”

The prison infrastructure was a vast improvement from other prisons.

The private cells all had central heat, flushing toilets, and shower baths. Even the White House didn’t have these luxuries at the time. When completed, ESP was the most expensive building ever constructed in the US.

For 23 hours a day, prisoners ate, slept, worked, and lived in their 8 x 12 foot cells. Their only reading material was the Bible.

And they were only let outside, to a tiny courtyard through the back door of their cell, for two half hour sessions a day. Schedules were synchronized so that the prisoners couldn’t see each other or communicate.

Exposure to other humans was considered an evil. When inmates left their cells, they were hooded so they wouldn’t see anyone.

People were fascinated with this new penal system. For a time, the prison received more visitors than Independence Hall.

Europeans and philosophers from around the world came to inspect the prison. Alex de Tocqueville praised the reform system. He thought it was “severe,” but that it would promote reflection and religion.

Not everyone was convinced though. Charles Dickens was horrified by the concept. He thought isolation would “tamper with the brain” and was worse torture than beating or physical punishment.

Failure of ESP’s Prison Theory

In the end, Dickens was right. The controversial Enlightenment thinking had not been so enlightened after all.

It was, in fact, naive. In reality, solitary confirmation only worsened the mental health of most inmates.

In 1913, ESP gave up on its lofty ideal of splendid isolation, which really just broke people and was another form of punishment. Instead, the prison had inmates work, play, and share cells together.

As time went on, more and more prisoners came to ESP. More cells were built, including ones below ground. Severe overcrowding eventually undermined the prison.

Over the years, ESP held 750,000 prisoners. Some never left. ESP closed in 1971.

Government officials thought about re-purposing the prison, rather inappropriately, as a shopping mall or apartment complex. But, in the end, ESP opened as a museum in 1994.

Though preserved, ESP remains in a state of stabilized semi-ruin. And the museum points out that you assume all risk of bodily harm. Though it seemed perfectly safe to me.

You’ll see peeling walls, crumbling cells blocks, and furniture askew. There is dust everywhere. It will be spooky to some. (Children under 7 are not allowed to visit.)

But the abandoned prison also has eerie beauty, with its unique architecture, historical significance, and the passage of time. The combination of aged stone and a storied past creates a haunting atmosphere that’s akin to “ruin porn.”

Guide To Eastern State Penitentiary: What To See

Here are the highlights and best things to see on a visit to ESP.

The audio tour begins just outside the Visitor Center. You can see the prisoner’s exercise yard. Once inside, you’ll be in cellblock 1.

There are a total of 15 cellblocks within the penitentiary, each with its own unique features and history. These cellblocks contain hundreds of individual cells.

Visitors can explore the prison’s various wings, yards, and outdoor spaces. In addition to the cellblocks, ESP has several central areas like the rotunda, the synagogue, the hospital block, and the administrative offices.

There are also exhibits and plenty of information signage.

Cellblocks 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 15 are open to the public. These crumbling cellblocks once held some of the most notorious criminals in American history.

In particular, you’ll want to explore cellblock 7. It’s often referred to as the “Two-Story Block.” You can walk through the tall rusty iron gate and climb the stairs up to the second level.

There are two tiers of cells, with the upper tier overlooking the lower tier. The cellblock was built in 1836 to house a growing inmate population.

The two-tiered layout allowed for increased capacity while maintaining the principles of solitary confinement. Each cell in cellblock 7 had a small exercise yard attached to it, providing some outdoor space for the inmates.

Al Capone’s Cell: Cellblock 8

ESP’s most famous prisoner was the infamous gangster, Al Capone, nicknamed “Scarface.” He was arrested outside a movie theater for carrying a concealed unlicensed revolver.

Capone was hit with the maximum sentence, one year in prison. It was his first stint in the slammer. He served 8 months, getting out a bit early for good behavior.

Capone’s reconstructed cell is just off the central hub near cellblock 8.

ESP doesn’t know exactly what cell Capone was really held in. At first, it was thought that he was housed in a luxury cell on “Park Avenue” with a radio playing waltzes.

But an article in the Philadelphia Recorder in 1029 suggested a more humble cell. Capone most likely even had a roommate. Still, it had a plush decor with a desk, lamps, chair, and paintings on the walls.

The photos above show a past recreation of the supposed luxury cell (left, cell 1) and a new reconstruction of what was more likely Capone’s actual cell (right, cell 3).

The redesign featured less ostentatious period furniture, an added cot for Capone’s roommate, and a prison made rug. The walls are patched up and washed in limestone. This setting was, apparently, not much different than the other ESP prisoners.

The cell to the right of Capone’s is an interesting one. It has traces of paint that were once artistic frescos on the walls.

Other Famous Prisoners

Capone wasn’t the only mobster at ESP. He was just the most famous.

Other notorious lawbreakers included Slick Willie Sutton, Victor “Babe” Andreoli, Ralph “Whitey” Tropiano, and Morris “The Rabbi” Bolber.

Some prisoners had organized crime connections when they arrived at ESP. Others formed new criminal organizations while there.

“The Four Horseman” were a powerful ESP clique in the 1920s. They ran an alcohol, drug, and prostitution ring at ESP. In fact, they nearly took over control of the prison.

They had been appointed by a well-meaning warden to represent the entire prison population and handle small disputes. He hoped, in misguided fashion, that the appointments would instill a sense of accountability and responsibility.

But just the opposite happened. The Four Horsemen used their power to take over everything “from mail privileges to private grudges” in what was called a “unique carnival of lawlessness.”

They even stole a guard office from which to run their seedy operation. Among other things, they operated an elaborate heroin trafficking operation.

The warden was fired and replaced. And the Four Horsemen eventually squelched.

Hospital Wing: Cellblock 3

In cellblock 3, you can tour the remnants of the prison’s Hospital Block, where inmates received treatment.

Once lost to time from dilapidation, it was stabilized and re-opened in 2017. The gate has an iconic Red Cross.

The wing was entirely dedicated to health care, and was unusually well-equipped. It had an operating room, lab, pharmacy, hydrotherapy rooms, and recovery ward.

On the second floor, there was treatment rooms for mental health issues and tuberculosis. Nearly 50% of the prison inmates died from the disease.

Al Capone twice visited the Hospital Block, once for a tonsillectomy and another time for treatment for syphilis.

You’ll see rusty doctors chairs and patient beds, medical artifacts and equipment, and bedpans.

Catholic Chaplain’s Office

This was where Catholic chaplains provided religious counseling to inmates.

The office is decorated with murals by Lester Smith, a self-taught artist who converted to Catholicism while serving time in 1955. He landed in ESP after a string of armed robberies. He was one of the few prisoners who was successfully rehabilitated.

At first, Smith painted saints. But the staff noticed his talent and asked him to paint the Catholic Chaplain’s Office.

Using the pseudonym “Paul Martin,” Smith painted a total of 23 murals during his incarceration, paying homage to his two favorite saints and souls in purgatory. They were discovered in 1995, became part of the public tour in 2011, and were restored in 2014.

These delicate and striking paintings transformed the Catholic chaplain’s quarters into a unique space within the prison. Of particular significance is a mural depicting a kneeling prisoner seeking absolution through confession.

The murals are still extremely fragile and crumbling.

Barber’s Chair

In cellblock 9, you’ll see an abandoned barber’s chair from the early 1900s. It was a Koken classic vintage design and is displayed in a decayed cell.

This particular cellblock housed inmates, provided workshops, and had spaces for activities like barbering and shoe repair. Prisoners would get hair cuts in this cell.

The chair is sometimes referred to as the “Mad Chair.” That’s because it wasn’t just used for haircuts, but to punish uncooperative inmates. They were chained and strapped to the chair, rendered unable to move.

The punishment would literally drive some prisoners insane.

This was the first prison synagogue in the US. It was built in 1924 and served the Jewish inmates at the penitentiary.

It’s situated between cellblocks 7 and 8, in a space that had been four separate exercise yards.

The synagogue has been restored and reopened. There are information placards on display.

You can also see the original Star of David, which was once on the door to the synagogue.

Liberation Library

The “Liberation Library” was a ESP project aimed at providing books and reading materials to inmates.

It was an initiative designed to encourage education and personal development among incarcerated individuals.

Libraries like these are now common in many correctional facilities. They serve as a resource for inmates to access reading materials, including a wide range of books, magazines, and educational materials.

The Klondike

Down a creepy flight of stairs is The Klondike. It was a part of the prison where inmates were placed in solitary confinement as a form of punishment or for disciplinary reasons.

The windowless cells were directly below death row. Prisoners were confined here for up to 2 weeks. Horrifyingly, there was no natural or artificial light. (The lights there now are for museum visitors.)

The Klondike was known for its harsh conditions, including extreme isolation and deprivation. The prisoners had no human contact and very little water and food.

Fortunately, this practice was abandoned in the 1950s.

Death Row: Cellblock 15

Death row inmates sentenced to death were housed in cellblock 15. This was where the most violent prisoners ended up.

There was a panel on the wall with buttons corresponding to each of the cells. This was the only cellblock with electric doors.

This was just an inmate waiting station. No executions took place at ESP.

Prison’s Today Exhibit

This exhibit was installed in 2016. This is where you can learn about the history and different types of incarceration and today’s American model of punishment. The thesis is that mass incarceration isn’t really working.

The exhibit shows how your upbringing might affect your chances of going to prison. In fact, when you walk in you have to make a choice.

You walk to the left if you’ve been incarcerated or to the right if you haven’t. As I walked to the right, it informed me that I was very lucky indeed.

The exhibit features a range of multimedia installations and informational displays that address topics such as mass incarceration, the impact of the prison-industrial complex, the experiences of incarcerated individuals, and efforts at prison reform. You can listen to confessions of prisoners and visitors.

The highlight is a video installation with archival video and C-Span clips. It examines the burgeoning prison population over the decades.

The audio tour ends at The Big Graph. it’s a $100,000 steel structure erected in the exercise yard.

It’s 16 feet tall and weights 3,500 pounds. The monument is essentially a 3D infographic, giving the viewer a set of statistics depending on your vantage point.

From the south, it shows the number of people in prison per a 100,000 population. Through 1980, the figure was low. But then the rate took off and there was unprecedented growth.

From the north, you can see the racial breakdown in prisons. From the east, it charts the rates of incarceration and capital punishment policies around the world.

Seasonal Events

The prison is known for its haunted attraction, Halloween Nights . It takes place on selected evenings from September to November.

It’s an immersive experience with five haunted houses. There are historic tours, live entertainment, and themed bars.

I haven’t been to this event. But, with ESP’s eerie setting, I can imagine it’s as spooky as a horror movie.

Practical Guide & Tips For Visiting ESP

Here are some must know tips for visiting ESP.

Address : 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130

If you are visiting ESP on a weekday, you may be able to find free parking on the street. On a Friday in September, I was able to park right across the street.

If not, there are several parking garages within walking distance of Eastern State Penitentiary, including the Parkway Corporation Garage and the Philadelphia Parking Authority Garage.

The Hop On Hop Off tourist bus stops at ESP. The prison is also close to several bus lines and is a designated stop for both the Big Bus and The Philadelphia Trolly Works.

Hours : Open daily 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Self guided tours are $21. Click here to pre-book a ticket. Entry is also included in the Philadelphia Go City Pass . They will need to scan the QR code on your paper or digital pass.

The audio guide is excellent and narrated by Steve Buscemi from the HBO show The Sopranos . It guides you around the property, giving you the history of the place along the way.

Guided Tours:

Guided tour are $21. If you are lucky, you may get a former inmate as a guide. If you take one of the tours, you will go into some cells that the general public can’t, such as the half-collapsed kitchen and communal dining hall.

The schedule for tours is:

• Every Saturday & Sunday at 10:30 am
• (Beginning March 20, 2023) Monday through Friday at 2:00 pm

Searchlight Series : ESP partners with criminal justice experts to present lectures on crime, justice, and the American prison system. Check the website under “events” to see what’s on.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to visiting Eastern State Penitentiary. You may enjoy these other Philadelphia travel guides:

• 2 Days in Philadelphia Itinerary
• Top Attractions in Philadelphia
• Guide to Independence National Historical Park
• Guide to the Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Guide to Philadelphia’s Rodin Museum
• Guide to The Barnes Foundation
• Guide to the Mütter Museum
• Guide to the Betsy Ross House

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Last Updated on September 22, 2023 by Leslie Livingston

Eastern State Penitentiary: Philly’s Haunting Abandoned Prison

There are a lot of historic sites in Philly: the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Elfreth’s Alley, Betsy Ross’ House. However, there is another facet of our beloved Philly that many people are not aware of. We are home to the world’s first penitentiary: The Eastern State Penitentiary.

Today, this massive stone prison sits abandoned. But it is an important historic landmark and a very popular site for both locals and visitors.

We love visiting Eastern State and it is one of our favorite places to photograph in the city. There’s just something so photogenic (and creepy) about this incredible site!

This prison holds a special place in history. It opened in 1829 as the world’s first penitentiary where prisoners were kept in isolation. This prison was built with the grand idea of evoking repentance in the hearts of the prisoners instead of only punishing them.

As background, the Pennsylvania Prison Society was worried over the state of the prisons in the state and met under the leadership of Benjamin Franklin in 1787 to revolutionize the system. The rational and humanistic principles of the age radicalized the prison system – or so they thought.

Eastern State Penitentiary was born as an experiment to reform the prisoners. The prison aimed to bring social change through solitary confinement. Upon completion, this ambitious prison was one of the largest and most pricey buildings in the United States. The concept of isolation and the ultimate prison design was adopted by over 300 prisons all over the world.

Architecturally, this structure holds a special place in history. John Haviland designed seven cellblocks radiating from a central rotunda – a first in a building of incarceration. The design of this famous Philly penitentiary provided enhanced security and control for the guards, and further isolation for the prisoners.

The penitentiary housed inmates from 1829-1971 – more than 140 years. Once closed, the facility remained in ruins for several years before plans came about to turn the facility into an attraction. However, many sections of the prison still remain in ruins.

The Abandoned Prison

Eastern State is located in Fairmount , the area immediately north of center city and near the art museum. From the courtyard, you can see the towering skyscrapers of the Philadelphia skyline. The ruins of the penitentiary, now a National Historic Landmark, showcase an important and bleak phase in American history.

In Fairmount, it’s hard to miss this towering structure that looks like a castle, complete with high walls and big windows. It is an imposing fortification. And that’s by design. However, visitors will learn on the tour, many of the imposing features of the prison are fake.

At first sight, the imposing building may send chills down your spine. The grey walls look menacing. The medieval façade of the prison is intimidating. As you roam through the blocks, you will witness 30-foot barrel-vaulted hallways, skylights, and tall windows. Terror seems to reside at every nook and corner of the building.

The grim feeling increases as you move along the corridors.  The cells are preserved along with the furniture. The vaulted cells still evoke fear amongst visitors. Each cell was equipped with a toilet, central heating, skylight, and running water. The cells also had an attached running yard, confined by a ten-foot wall where the inmates exercised.

The prisoners here led a severe life. They were barred from meeting relatives or friends. Even talking to the guards was restricted. You can read chilling stories of prisoners who spent years here without meeting a soul (or listen to their stories in their own words on the audio guide). The designers of the system didn’t want the inmates to mingle with anyone, nor have any understanding of the building. So, they were hooded when taken out of their cells. The prisoners had to maintain silence. They were severely punished if they tried to talk to each other through cracks in the walls.

Initially, the prison had a plan of 450 cells in 3 blocks, but the project proved to be too costly. Later, second and third stories were built, retaining the same footprint.

The Self-Guided Tour

The Eastern State Penitentiary tour is extremely popular tour with both tourists and locals. The abandoned prison is a unique tourist site that lures visitors with its creepy ruins, history, and famous inmates. And visitors report eerie feelings as they walk through the cell blocks and grounds.

The self-guided tour takes about 90 minutes with the audio guide, plus additional time to explore on your own. The audio guide covers the artistic installations and is narrated by actor Steve Buscemi. As audio guides go, it’s actually quite well done and we recommend using it.

The tour usually begins from Cell Block 1. Here, you get a real feel for what it was like to be an inmate. Each cell had only a feeding hole and skylight. The prisoners engaged themselves in jobs like weaving and shoemaking.

As you pass through the hallway, you will hear narrations by prisoners recounting their prison life. The cellblock tour ends at the yard. You might want to take a break here for fresh air before visiting other sections of the prison. We enjoy sitting on the park benches that are added here during the summer.

There are two more sites of interest – the morgue and death row. The morgue looks gloomy, but it is the Eastern State Penitentiary death row that receives more attention. No execution was held at the penitentiary, but death row inmates were holed up here. The eerie silence that prevails beyond the walls touches the soul.

If you want to see the medical facilities in the prison, visit the Hospital Block. Medical artifacts that are displayed here are among the most interesting objects in the whole prison. You can see the remains of the laboratory, operating room, x-ray lab, dental office, and psychiatric department.

Visiting Eastern State Penitentiary is extremely popular with photographers who use the natural light to document the abandoned structure, the empty cells, the crumbling walls and wide-open yards. This prison is also a popular venue for filming movies and TV shows (and has inspired about every prison in cinema history). It’s also been used in Philly music videos.

Famous Inmates

This penitentiary had its own share of glory. It housed famous criminals like gangster Al Capone and bank robber Slick Willie Sutton.

Al Capone was imprisoned for the first time for possessing a concealed weapon. He was afforded a grand cell here right inside the main entrance. Capone’s cell had a cigar stand, radio, and an additional bed for his cellmate. On the tour, his cell has been recreated to give you a glimpse of his stint of two years in this prison way back in the 1920s. The cell is located in the ‘Park Avenue’ section of the prison and is a favorite on the tour for its realistic looks.

Halloween Night Tour

Yearning for goosebumps? If you want to ‘feel’ the creepiness of the prison, go for the night tours. These tours will make your blood curl as you pass through the dimly lit cells at night. The broken walls and dim arches create a scary feeling that is hard to describe.

However, you are not alone. Eastern State Penitentiary inmates and officers have reported mysterious happenings at the site that have resulted in many paranormal research projects. In fact, this is considered one of the most haunted places in Philadelphia .

For more blood-chilling experiences, visit the prison during the Fall, to take part in the Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary, a special tour designed for brave hearts. The tour will allow you to visit 5 different haunted houses, live performances, and special narrations for Halloween Nights . This replaces the long-running Terror Behind the Walls – the most famous haunted house in America.

The tours of the prison have a gripping effect on the visitors. As you listen to the stories of escapes attempted by prisons and their harrowing experiences, you will be shocked. We were.

Visiting Information

Here are some tips if you plan to visit Eastern State Penitentiary:

Ticket prices vary by time of admission and also whether the tickets are purchased in advance. Daytime admission (10am-5pm, last admission at 4pm) ranges is $21 adults, $19 for seniors (age 62+), and $17 for students and children. Night admission for Halloween nights range from $39-59 in advance ($45-79 at the door), depending on day of the week and time. Tickets can be purchased on the Eastern State Penitentiary website .

Parking near Eastern State can be a bit of a challenge. There is a lot of on-street parking in the Fairmount neighborhood, but requires excellent parallel parking skills and patience to find spots. Check Wallace Street just south of the penitentiary for on-street parking (we’ve had goo luck there before).

The most convenient parking lot is located just one block away at 2201 Fairmount Avenue.

What to Wear

The site hasn’t been restored. You’ll experience an abandoned prison in its raw form. The floors are stone, concrete, and even dirt in the courtyard. You should wear comfortable, safe shoes. Avoid sandals and open toed shoes that don’t offer protection.

In some sections, walls have collapsed and are open to the elements. It can be cold and windy in the winter, so consider bringing a sweater or jacket.

Nearby Restaurants

There isn’t a restaurant on-site at Eastern State. So, we recommend eating in the adjacent neighborhood. La Calaca Feliz for Mexican food and A Mano for handmade pasta, both located along Fairmount Avenue, are good options.

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Eastern State Penitentiary

22nd Street & Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130 Region: Philadelphia & The Countryside

Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers. Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world's first true "penitentiary," a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of prisoners. Its vaulted, sky-lit cells once held many of America's most notorious criminals, including bank robber "Slick Willie" Sutton and Al Capone.

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The penitentiary is open seven days a week, year round. Admission includes "The Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour, narrated by actor Steve Buscemi; Hands-On History interactive experiences; history exhibits; and a critically acclaimed series of artist installations.

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Eastern State Penitentiary

Price & Hours

• Facilities 4.0
• Atmosphere 4.0

The castle-like Eastern State Penitentiary is one of Philadelphia's most important historic sites. Having opened in 1829, this Quaker-inspired prison sought to reform prisoners using isolation and reflection rather than capital punishment and physical abuse. Although it was shut down in the 1970s, the Eastern State Penitentiary led the way to reform in the judicial system. Today, you are welcome to tour this National Historic Landmark; the highlight for many is American gangster Al Capone's cell. 

Bear in mind that this attraction may not be appropriate for younger children due to its rather frightening nature. To embrace the terror, visit around Halloween when the prison celebrates the spooky season with five haunted attractions.

The Eastern State Penitentiary offers both self-guided (with audio) and guide-led tours during the day. You can also take a nighttime tour (6 to 10 p.m., Thursday through Sunday) in the summer months. Evening visitors have the benefit of enjoying craft beer at the Fair Chance Beer Garden, a collaboration between the prison and Triple Bottom Brewing. The beer garden employs individuals who may not otherwise be able to find work, such as those who have experienced homelessness or incarceration.

Hours and Admission

The Eastern State Penitentiary is open for tours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (excluding major holidays), with extended hours for Night Tours: Summer Twilight from late May through early September. Tickets are $21 for adults and $17 for kids age 7 to 12 when purchased online, or $23 and $19, respectively, at the door. While tickets are free for kids age 6 and younger, the Eastern State Penitentiary is not recommended for children younger than 7.

Getting There

The Eastern State Penitentiary is located in the Fairmount section of Philly.

• Parking : The closest place to park is the public garage at 22nd and Fairmount Avenue.
• Public Transportation: If traveling by public transportation, SEPTA bus routes 49, 48, 43, 33, 32 and 7 all stop here. The Philly Phlash (seasonal transportation to major attractions), Big Bus and Philadelphia Trolley Works all stop here as well.

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Eastern State Penitentiary Tour: Behind Eerie Walls in Philly

This post contains affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you book or purchase through these links. You can read my full disclosure policy  here .

A photogenic prison. That’s not something you hear every day, is it? In all seriousness, the same spooky feel that makes the penitentiary seem haunted is also the one that makes the walls and structures seem to “come alive for the camera”. Hey, that’s what you get from this travel photographer! 😜

I’m sure at this point you’re wondering if I was temporarily possessed while taking this Eastern State Penitentiary tour. I promise nothing of the sort happened, but it was a completely different experience from any other.

About the Eastern State Penitentiary

In operation from 1829 to 1971, Eastern State Penitentiary or ESP is the world’s first penitentiary. Designed to inspire penance, it drove its prisoners insane instead.

Originally, ESP followed the system of separate incarceration where the prisoners couldn’t talk to each other or the guards. They did everything alone and if they left their cells, hoods were placed over their heads so they weren’t able to learn the layout of their surroundings. So instead of reflection on their wrongdoings, the inmates were said to have been driven insane.

At the time of its completion, the ESP was considered the most expensive public building ever constructed in the United States . It maintained the separate incarceration system until 1913 when it became a congregate prison until its closing in 1971.

The prison reopened to the public in 1994 as a museum conducting tours of its history.

Eastern State Penitentiary Tour

The self-guided audio tour is narrated by Steve Buscemi-can’t you hear that haunting voice now? Steve’s voice is the perfect choice to create the scene and set an eerie mood.

On average, the tour takes 1.5 to 2 hours depending on individual pacing and costs 14 USD for adult general admission.

Left: View of the guard tower from the inside walls

British architect John Haviland designed the prison giving it a neo-gothic look to inspire fear in those thinking about committing a crime. He drew his inspiration from 1780s prisons in England and Ireland.

Hallway where the audio tour begins

When the design was completed in 1836, it housed 450 prisoners.

Each cell was lit only by a single source of light usually a window or a skylight. This was considered the “Window of God” or the “Eye of God” in hopes that the light of God would shine down on the prisoners and help them to reflect on their crimes.

To me, the design of the lighting contributes to the prison not only feeling eerie but also gives it the perfect lighting to be quite photogenic. Anyone else agree?

Keep that bit of info in the back of your mind as you read the rest of this post.

The cell blocks were considered advanced and lavish for their time. Each cell had its own toilet with a uniquely designed system where every flush went straight to a central sewer. This prevented the inmates from sending messages to each other. The design wasn’t perfected on the first try and had to be redesigned a few times before proving successful.

Individual cells also featured faucets with running water and pipes up against one wall where hot water ran to act as central heating during winter.

Although no one seems to know for sure, speculation on why the doors are so small includes making it harder for the prisoners to escape, minimizing the risk of an attack on a guard as well as making a prisoner bow when they enter their cell.

The original design of the prison was “radial” calling for seven one-story cell blocks extending like spokes on a wheel (or sunbeams) from a central tower. This made it easier to monitor the prisoners in their individual exercise areas.

The entrances to cell blocks 2 and 3

As you may have guessed from the red cross on cell block 3, it was the Hospital Block. As of 1907, the block was dedicated entirely to healthcare and had its own operating room, recovery ward, kitchen, pharmacy, and lab. The second story was expanded to include x-ray, a treatment room for tuberculosis and a mental health area.

The entrances to cell blocks 10 and 11

Due to overcrowding, a total of 15 cell blocks were ultimately built with blocks 4-15 constructed with second stories. This is the downstairs of one of those two-story cell blocks.

And, this would be the view from the upstairs of that same cell block. Once again, notice the lighting and how it creates a haunting yet somewhat fascinating photo.

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This is one of the outdoor recreational areas between the cell blocks. Originally during the separate system (also known as the Pennsylvania System), the prisoners had individual outdoor recreational areas with 30-foot high concrete walls. To prevent communication, the inmates’ recreation times were synced so that next-door neighbors were never out at the same time.

One of the corridors at Eastern State. Creepy!

Here’s another look up at what seems and looks like an intricately cool castle in Ireland but is in fact, one of the most famous United States prisons of all time.

ESP Fun Facts

• Concept conceived in the home of Ben Franklin
• Most famous inmate was Al Capone who had a lavish cell complete with Asian-style rugs and oil paintings
• Said to have cost $770,000 making it the most expensive public US building of its time
• Number of Cells: 1,000
• Featured indoor plumbing and central heat before the White House
• Over 300 prisons took their inspiration for design and operations from ESP
• 80,000 is a rough estimate of the number of inmates who served time at ESP

ESP Tour Info

2027 Fairmount Avenue Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130

• Open Wednesday through Monday 10 am to 5 pm (closed Tuesdays and Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Day)
• Average time needed: 1.5-2 hours
• The audio tour, guide-led tour, hands-on interactive tour, art installations, and history exhibits are all included in your ticket price but are subject to availability.
• During the fall (select dates September-November) try the nighttime Terror Behind the Walls tour and truly get your spook on!
• Buy your tickets online ahead of your trip to save money and guarantee your chosen date and time.
• For more information including directions, parking, and FAQs, see the ESP Plan Your Visit page.

Now, do you see what I mean? Quite fascinating, right? It’s one of the top things you can NOT miss when visiting Philadelphia ! There just isn’t another prison quite like it (that I’ve visited) including Alcatraz which is probably the closest with a similar feel. However, Alcatraz isn’t nearly as “photogenic”. Back to that photogenic prison thing…ugh! 😂

After you finish your Eastern State Penitentiary tour, pair one of these unique places to eat in Philadelphia with your unique prison experience and make it a completely unique day! Also, I highly recommend where I stayed in Philadelphia for the level of service, especially the concierge.

Have you toured Eastern State Penitentiary? If so, what were your thoughts? How did it make you feel? If you haven’t been, would you want to visit?

‘Til next time…

Trimm Travels,

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16 Comments

This looks like a really interesting tour! So creepy and eerie and perfectly in time for the Halloween season! I feel like I would have chills for the whole tour!

Hi Sam-Yep, that is pretty much how I was half the time during the tour. The other half of me was like “oh that’s so pretty for a photo”. I felt like Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde! Great for Halloween for sure! LOL! Thanks for reading! 🙂

It seems like the entire design is contrary to humane treatment. I hope, as a society, that we have learned from the ESP model and focus more an rehabilitation than punishment. Despite (or perhaps because of) the atrocity, it looks like a fascinating place to visit.

Hi Ed-I agree and I think we have learned a lot since then. It does, however, make for a very fascinating tour! Thanks for reading! 🙂

I’ve never visited a prison, but this one sounds so interesting and at first, I would have never guessed it was a prison from its castle-like structure. I can’t believe it’s one of the most expensive public buildings and I can see why their prisoners went insane having no communication at all with other people. I also was surprised that Steve Buscemi did the audio for the self-guided audio tour. I wonder when they approached him to do it if he was all for it or thought it was weird. lol

Hi Candy-That is a very good question about Steve Buscemi. I wonder how that went down too. I’m guessing he was all for it and made a funny, sarcastic remark! But yes, it’s easy to see how people went insane there. Thanks for reading! 🙂

I have never visited prison as it creates with many mixed emotions to me. It is sad to see how prisoners were kept in solitude and the construction was such that they could not meet or talk with each other. Visiting Eastern State Penitentiary tour looks somewhat very emotional tour for me.

Hi Yukti-It can most definitely evoke a lot of emotion. Thanks for reading! 🙂

I wonder what the appropriate treatment for prisoners really is. Clearly, this was a bad idea if the prisoners were driven insane. Gracious. Have we progressed since then? ( I am no expert on the treatment of prisoners…. just pondering!) Glad the tour was interesting. I bet there are a few ghosts floating around there.

Hi Alison-I’m not either, I assure you! I think from what I’ve read we have progressed, but like you, I don’t know what the right or appropriate treatment is and I’m glad I don’t have to decide. Thanks for reading! 🙂

The modern world’s fascination with 19th century prison is really odd, isn’t it? Australia is really big on prisons, due to its convict history. I find it both depressing and fascinating. But you’re right, this prison is photogenic and it’s an interesting change from pretty scenery! Well done on the photos…

Hi Delphine-I do find it interesting our fascination but then I’m one of the ones fascinated! Thanks for your compliment on the photos. I’m glad you enjoyed them and the post. Thanks for reading! 🙂

Wow, it must have been a very interesting visit. I visited only one jail in Romania, now turned into the Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance. It was overwhelming to learn what the prisoners went through. Like any dark tourism destination, a visit to prison takes an emotional toll.

Hi Mirela-I totally agree that it does take an emotional toll. Thanks for reading! 🙂

First of all, I LOVE that photo of the entrances to cell blocks 2 and 3, excellent shot! Alcatraz in San Francisco is the only prison I´ve visited, but I do like visiting eery spots like abandoned water parks and theme parks. The Eastern State Penitentiary definitely looks like it´s seen its fair share of history, I would love if they had maintained a replica of the Al Capone cell complete with rugs and paintings!

Hi Erica-Thank you! There actually is/was a replica of the Al Capone cell. I didn’t see it while I was there but a friend of mine did the year before I was there. I was looking for it but never saw it. Not sure if I missed it or it isn’t still maintained. I love eerie stuff like what you mentioned too! Thanks for reading! 🙂

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I toured the abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, and what I saw seriously creeped me out

• Eastern State Penitentiary is a 9.8-acre abandoned prison in Philadelphia.
• In 2019, I took a tour of the ruins and walked through the former cell blocks and prison cells.
• The crumbling facades, rotting walls, and haunted history are what creeped me out the most.

The first time I visited Philadelphia was in 2019, and I was struck by the abandoned prison's dark force as my family drove past.

The Eastern State Penitentiary looms over Philadelphia like an ominous fortress. Once a prominent prison for famous inmates, today Eastern State is abandoned but does offer daily tours for $17 .

After finally making my way to tour the prison and spending three hours inside its walls, I left with goosebumps.

This is what it's like inside the now-abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary.

I sheepishly walked up to the Eastern State Penitentiary, awestruck by its size and architecture.

The looming and ominous building sits on 9.8 acres of land in Philadelphia's Fairmount neighborhood. 

When the prison was built in 1829, it was on the outskirts of Philadelphia. But the city expanded around the prison walls, so it now stands awkwardly within the metropolis.

The odd placement was jarring. Across the street from trendy bars and restaurants sits this 19th-century prison that resembles a fortress.

The fortress-like architecture was meant to scare people away and keep prisoners inside its walls. In fact, the towers and windows on the exterior are not functional and are all for show.

It was surprising to find out that on the other side of the wall, the windows don't exist and the towers have no entrances. The whole exterior is just a facade. 

Once I stepped through the main lobby, I was given a map of the premises and learned about the intricate layout of the inner prison.

The fortress-like exterior hides the radial structure of the inner prison. At the center of the premises, there's a circular room. Off the circular room, there are several hallways that act as cell blocks. The prison was designed to look like a wheel, with each cell block as a spoke. 

When the prison first opened in the 1800s, there were only seven cell blocks . Eight more were added as prison capacity increased. 

Inmates would enter the prison through this hallway and go through the intake process.

Before there were mugshots and fingerprints, inmates were identified solely based on characteristics. In the early days of the prison, the rooms down this hall were where guards took note of a new inmate's physical appearance and behavior to identify him later on. 

The first prisoner was booked with this description : "Charles Williams, Prisoner Number One. Burglar. Light Black Skin. Five feet seven inches tall. Foot: eleven inches. Scar on nose. Scar on Thigh. Broad Mouth. Black eyes. Farmer by trade. Can read. Theft included one twenty-dollar watch, one three-dollar gold seal, one, a gold key. Sentenced to two years confinement with labor. Received by Samuel R. Wood, first Warden, Eastern State Penitentiary ..."

When inmates completed their sentences, they would pass through this hallway for the second time to reenter the outside world. 

Today, the intake hallway is dilapidated with paint peeling off the walls. 

At the end of the hallway is an open room with vaulted ceilings.

This space foreshadows the elaborate designs that the architect John Haviland used throughout the penitentiary. 

At the center of the prison is this room, which was designed to give a view straight down each cell block.

If a guard stood in the center of the room and spun around 360 degrees, the guard could see down every cell block. Today, the room has been refurbished for tours. 

Stepping into cell block one, I was instantly transported back to the 1800s.

In 1787, some thought criminals were victims of their environment and the only way to curb criminal acts was through solitude.

The Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons was formed to create a "house of repentance," or a prison where each inmate never left his or her cell. The goal was to prompt inner reflection and to ensure regret or penitence for one's actions. The Eastern State Penitentiary was the first prison in the world to do this. 

The doors seen in the cell block today were actually installed much later. When the prison first opened, these doors were actually just small openings to pass food through so the inmate could live in solitude.

In fact, prisoners slept, ate, and went to the bathroom in their cells. 

For 23 hours a day, the only light inmates saw came through a small window in the ceiling.

The Eastern State Penitentiary became known for its vaulted ceilings that were made to resemble a chapel. The small skylight in the vaulted ceiling was meant to be a direct view of the heavens, but, in reality it was the inmate's only connection to the outside world.

For one hour each day, inmates could walk through the door at the back of their cell and enter an enclosed space with an open roof.

The outdoor space was a cramped square with walls built up high. Even outside, the inmates did not come in contact with one another. 

Most inmates did not interact with another person — other than guards — until they completed their sentence.

Instead of using corporal punishments on inmates like other prison systems, the Eastern State Penitentiary was meant to be more humane, encouraging prisoners to reflect on their behavior in silence. 

But in some ways, the new system harmed inmates even more. Since some terms lasted several years, many inmates had mental breakdowns . 

This system of isolation as a correctional practice became known as the Pennsylvania System.

This system of isolation was implemented throughout the world after the Eastern State Penitentiary became famous for it.

I stepped inside one of the jail cells and the walls instantly felt as if they were closing in on me. I could not imagine staying in one for 23 hours straight.

People slowly realized that the Pennsylvania System of pure isolation was unbearable on the human condition. 

Charles Dickens visited the prison in 1842 and said, "The System is rigid, strict, and hopeless solitary confinement, and I believe it, in its effects, to be cruel and wrong."

In 1913, the Pennsylvania System was abandoned and the isolation practices ended.

The prison started bunking two people in each jail cell so they could socialize .

As the years went on, inmate life began to emphasize socialization. For example, prisoners were eating together in the dining halls by 1924.

The dining hall is located in cell block five.

Inmates were even allowed to hang out in barbershops, which were located in almost every cell block. Today, the rooms are empty.

While inmates would usually cut each other's hair, they sometimes even gave the guards a new do. In fact, the guards often brought their families to the prison to get their hair cut as well. 

There was also a synagogue on the premises so inmates could gather with people who practiced similar faiths.

The synagogue today has been remodeled and restored to its original look. 

But violence could also be part of the day-to-day. Sometimes there were fights, riots, and even killings.

Guards used these mirrors to see down hallways to ensure every prisoner was behaving. 

It became increasingly difficult to control the inmates as the number of prisoners began to increase over the years.

When the prison first opened, there were 250 prisoners . By 1930, there were 1,800 inmates serving time at Eastern State Penitentiary.

Standing in the abandoned hallways today, it's difficult to imagine more than 1,000 people crammed into this prison. 

To accommodate the growing inmate population, the prison built more cell blocks.

Eventually, the prison expanded to 15 cell blocks, up from seven .

In all, the Eastern State held 80,000 inmates throughout its time in operation, and some of those prisoners were famous.

The bare bed frames still stand in most of the jail cells, but today the doors are unlocked and open, unlike the way they were when the prison was in operation. 

Al Capone was one of the best-known inmates to have served time in the prison.

From 1929 to 1930, the Chicago gangster Al Capone served eight months  at Eastern State for concealing a weapon. His cell was dubbed "Park Avenue" because he enjoyed more luxuries than the other inmates did. 

"The whole room was suffused in the glow of a desk lamp which stood on a polished desk ... On the once-grim walls of the penal chamber hung tasteful paintings, and the strains of a waltz were being emitted by a powerful cabinet radio receiver of handsome design and fine finish," the Philadelphia Public Ledger reported in 1929. 

Today, the jail cell has been refurbished to look as it did when Capone was serving his sentence. Peeking my head into the cell felt like jumping through time.

While Capone's cell is refurbished, the rest of the prison still eerily stands in ruins.

Some parts of the prison are in such bad shape that I was not allowed access, like cell block 12.

From crumbling ceilings ...

The hallways in each cell block were lit by sunlight pouring through the crusted windows and holes in the ceiling. 

... to the broken furniture, the entire prison felt like it was haunted — not with ghosts, but by its dark past.

Broken beds, chairs, tables, cabinets, and toilets were littered throughout the prison as if each inmate left behind a piece of themselves. 

As my tour of the Eastern State Penitentiary came to an end, I was left with a chilling feeling.

While the building closed in 1971 , Eastern State Penitentiary stands today as a monument to the American prison system. Though I didn't see or feel any ghosts on my tour, I did leave feeling haunted by the way prisoners were treated, and by all the people who passed through those now-crumbling walls.

• Main content

Purchase Tickets

• Eastern State Penitentiary
• Halloween Nights

• Directions & Parking

Plan Your Visit

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The penitentiary is currently open Wednesday through Monday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. We are closed on Tuesdays and on the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

Tickets are available  online  and at the door, subject to availability.  All of our daytime programming ( “The Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour ,  Guide-Led Tour and Discussion ,  Hands-On History  experiences,  artist installations , and  exhibits ) is included in one admission price.

Below you'll find answers to frequently asked questions. Don't see what you're looking for? Contact us at [email protected] .

There are lots of tours, exhibits, and programs on your website. What's the best way to see the penitentiary?

All of our daytime programming ( “The Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour ,  Hands-On History   experiences,  artist installations , and  exhibits ) is included in one admission price. 

When you arrive, you'll get an mp3 player and headphones that will guide you through the penitentiary complex and explain the prison's history. This audio guide contains a main audio tour route, plus additional stops for subjects like escapes, sports, sexuality, race, and more.

First, we recommend that you listen to our main audio tour (audio stops 1-10), which lasts about 40 minutes. The main audio tour ends at  The Big Graph  and its climate-controlled companion exhibit  Prisons Today .  From there, you can explore freely and tour at your own pace, listening to (or skipping) stops based on your interests. While you're taking the audio tour, you'll encounter  artist installations  and exhibits throughout the property. Most of them are accompanied by audio tour stops that you can listen to for more information.

Throughout the day, we offer quick, interactive tours led by our educators. This program is what we call Hands-On History . They're a great way to explore otherwise-off-limits areas of the prison and learn more about life at Eastern State and in prisons today.  Our  Hands-On History  schedule changes daily. If you're interested in taking one or more of these short tours, ask any staff member for more information.

When are you open?

Eastern State Penitentiary is currently open Wednesday through Monday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Last entry is at 4:00 pm. 

We are closed on Tuesdays and on the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

How do I buy tickets?

Tickets are available  online  and at the door, subject to availability.

How much do tickets cost?

When purchasing online , daytime tour admission is $21 for adults, $19 for seniors, and $17 for students and children ages 7-12. When purchasing at the door, daytime tour admission is $23, $21, and $19, respectively. (Not recommended for children under the age of seven.)

Eastern State members  always receive free daytime admission to Eastern State Penitentiary.

Do you offer group rates?

Yes!  We are currently accepting reservations for guide-led group tours, self-guided audio tours, and virtual group tours.

Visit our Group Tours page  for more information.

Do you offer any special discounts?

Yes! In addition to our student, children, and senior rates for daytime tours and our group rates , we offer a variety of special discounts.

• Discounted admission is available by request for  Museums for All ,  ACCESS Card , and  SEPTA Key REDUCED FARE card holders . These card holders will be granted $2 admission for up to four guests for daytime historic tours or  Night Tours: Summer Twilight . Visiting guests must present their valid ID upon arrival. Offer not valid for  Halloween Nights.  
• Upon request, visitors with a disability will receive $2 admission for daytime historic tours or  Night Tours: Summer Twilight .  Paid Personal Care Assistants are always provided complimentary admission when accompanying a visitor with a disability. Offer not valid for  Halloween Nights.  
• Philadelphia high school students may use their student ID to gain entrance to Eastern State during daytime tour hours for FREE, thanks to STAMP, a city-wide initiative led by Art-Reach. Offer not valid for  Night Tours  or  Halloween Nights.  For more information, visit  www.art-reach.org/STAMP .  
• Have a SEPTA Key Card? You can save $2 on adult daytime tour admission! Offer valid online only. Not valid for pre-arranged, private tours or special events, including Night Tours or Halloween Nights . Visit the  SEPTA Perks website  for more information.  
• If you’ll be visiting several different Philadelphia attractions you can save 40% or more on admission to 3, 4 or 5 top attractions with Philadelphia CityPASS .

Can I cancel or reschedule my visit once I have tickets?

Yes! We offer a worry-free online booking policy for our daytime tours. This policy allows the flexibility to make reservation changes, including cancellations and refunds, up to 24 hours in advance of your visit, without incurring fees. Simply send an e-mail to  [email protected]  and let us know if you'd like to reschedule or request a refund.

Please Note:  There are no refunds or exchanges for special events, including Halloween Nights.

I'm visiting from out of town. Can you recommend a hotel?

The Visit Philly Overnight Hotel Package is the best way to experience Philadelphia during your visit. The offer includes FREE parking at your hotel and other valuable perks. Click here now to search rates and availability. 

Where does the money go?

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc. is a charitable nonprofit organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Proceeds benefit the preservation and interpretation of this National Historic Landmark. Thank you for your support!

How do I get there?

Eastern State Penitentiary is located at 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130. You can access customized driving directions on Google Maps .

The penitentiary is accessible to Philadelphia Trolley Works, Big Bus, The Phlash, Philadelphia Bike Tours, and several SEPTA bus routes. Visit our Directions and Parking page  for more information.

Where can I park?

While we do not have our own parking lot, there is a parking lot neighboring us at 22nd St & Fairmount Ave. Parking costs vary. For exact pricing, please call Parkway Corporation at (267) 765-3665.

Additionally, you can find parallel parking bordering the penitentiary. Eastern State is so large that it occupies one full city block. Bordering Eastern State on the west (to the left if you are facing the entrance) is 22nd Street. On the Eastern State side of 22nd Street, parallel parking is free and unlimited. The same is true of Brown Street, which borders our back wall. Again, parking is free and unlimited only on the Eastern State side of the street. If you choose to park anywhere else in the neighborhood, just exercise caution and read all signs.

Eastern State Penitentiary is also accessible by public transit.

Visit our Directions and Parking page  for information about alternate transportation options.

Is the neighborhood safe?

Eastern State Penitentiary is located in beautiful, historic Fairmount, a neighborhood of Victorian homes and some of the best restaurants in the region. We are located in the Parkway Museums District, just five blocks away from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

We are fortunate that Fairmount is quite safe. You should, of course, take all the safety precautions that you would normally take. Lock your car, and don’t leave valuables in clear view inside the vehicle.

When should I arrive?

Eastern State Penitentiary is currently open Wednesday through Monday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The last entry is at 4:00 pm, but most visitors spend about two hours on site.

How long does the tour take?

When you arrive, you’ll follow a one-way route through the site, which begins with our main audio tour. The main audio tour, which provides a general overview of the penitentiary’s history, includes ten audio stops and lasts about 40 minutes total.

From there, you can end your tour or continue to explore additional audio stops, artist installations, and exhibits. Depending on your interest in doing this and the time you have, this could take several hours.

What should I wear?

Eastern State Penitentiary is open rain or shine, and the building does not have climate control. Summers can be quite hot, and winters can be quite chilly. Please dress for the weather, and be sure to wear appropriate footwear. Sandals, flip-flops, open-toed shoes, and high heels are not recommended.

Do you have a cafeteria?

While there are no dining facilities within the penitentiary complex, there are several wonderful restaurants in the surrounding neighborhood. Here you'll find a list of select restaurants within walking distance of the penitentiary. We strongly recommend calling ahead to make reservations for large groups.

Can I take pictures?

Yes! Eastern State Penitentiary may be the most picturesque place you’ve seen in years. We encourage you to bring a camera when visiting the historic site, but we ask that you honor our Non-Commercial / Personal Photography policies when photographing during your visit.

In addition to the general admission fee, non-members must purchase a daily "photography equipment pass” if they wish to use a tripod, monopod, or easel while on site. Equipment passes are $10 per person and are valid only on the day they are purchased. While we recommend you  purchase your tickets online in advance , photography equipment passes can only be purchased at the admissions window on site. Want free daytime admission and free photography equipment passes all year long?  Become a Member today!

Any photographer (professional, amateur, or student), ad agency, or other commercial entity wishing to photograph models (professional or amateur); wear costumes or use props; photograph the building without visitors; photograph in non-public spaces; or conduct shoots that require equipment (other than a tripod, monopod, or easel) must make reservations in advance. Visit our Photography and Filmmaking page  for more information about setting up a private photo shoot.

Is there a weapons policy?

If you have to ask, it’s best that you leave it in the car or, better yet, at home. We are dedicated to providing a safe, fun, and educational experience for every visitor. Therefore, weapons of any kind, pepper spray, pocketknives, lighters, flashlights, alcoholic beverages, and any other potentially dangerous objects are not permitted inside the penitentiary.

We have a strict "no guns" policy, which means that even persons licensed to carry a firearm, including off-duty law enforcement officers, will not be permitted to bring their weapon into the penitentiary complex (and we can't hold them for you, either).

Is it appropriate for kids?

Eastern State Penitentiary is a wonderful place to bring kids ages seven and up. Our Eastern State Challenge booklet, free with admission for kids, provides an engaging scavenger hunt throughout the prison complex.

Eastern State is not recommended for children under the age of seven. The building is in a state of semi-ruin and can pose safety hazards to unattended children. There are also some audio tour stops that contain adult content. (These stops are appropriately marked.) Although we do not offer programming for children under the age of seven, they are welcome to visit and their admission is complimentary.

Is the penitentiary accessible?

Eastern State Penitentiary offers a wide range of services for our patrons. For information on ADA accessibility, service animals, captioning, ASL interpretation, sensory-friendly touch tours, and other accommodations, please visit our Accessibility page . 

Our staff is available to assist all guests to the best of their ability.

If you have additional concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact our administrative offices at [email protected]  or (215) 236-3300.

Is the penitentiary safe?

Thousands of visitors tour Eastern State Penitentiary every week without incident.

That said, Eastern State Penitentiary was abandoned for more than 20 years and remains in a state of semi-ruin. Visitors should exercise caution and stay within the clearly marked public areas. Ground surfaces can be uneven, and stone edges can be sharp. Please watch children carefully, as the building can pose safety hazards to unattended children. For visitors’ safety, the penitentiary complex is monitored by a closed circuit surveillance system.

Download our public statement regarding lead-based paint hazard.

Is it scary?

Our daytime tour programming is not meant to provide a scary experience. Most visitors find the historic cellblocks to be surprisingly beautiful.

The tour content can be disturbing at times, but our goal is to explain and interpret the penitentiary’s complex history, to place current issues of corrections and justice in an historical framework, and to provide a public forum where these issues are discussed.

If you’re interested in a more immersive, theatrical experience, you'll enjoy our annual fall fundraiser  Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary , which features five haunted houses plus historic tours, themed lounges, live performances, and more.  Halloween Nights  raises funds for the year round historic preservation and educational interpretation of Eastern State Penitentiary and does not affect daytime operation of the historic site.

Is it haunted?

Many people believe that Eastern State Penitentiary is haunted. As early as the 1940s, officers and prisoners reported mysterious visions and eerie experiences in the ancient prison.

The penitentiary has been featured on the Travel Channel’s  Most Haunted Live ,  Ghost Adventures , and  Paranormal Challenge ; Fox Television’s  World’s Scariest Places ; TLC’s  America’s Ghost Hunters ; and MTV’s  FEAR . Footage captured on the second tier of Cellblock 12 by paranormal investigators during filming of SyFy’s  Ghost Hunters  may be the most controversial ghost sighting in history.

During the filming of  Paranormal Challenge , host Zak Bagans called Eastern State Penitentiary “one of the most haunted places in the world.” Jack Osbourne, host of the Travel Channel’s  Portals to Hell,  agreed. After filming the series, he noted, “Eastern State Penitentiary really freaked me out… The place is terrifying… Easily one of the most haunted places I’ve ever been.”

Can I conduct a paranormal investigation at Eastern State?

Paranormal investigations (including the use of EVP recorders or other pieces of paranormal investigation equipment) are not permitted at Eastern State Penitentiary. While we know this is an area of interest for many, our mission  drives our work. At this time, we are focusing our resources on maintaining and expanding programs that explore the penitentiary's history and connections to contemporary criminal justice reform.

Eastern State does not allow third parties to conduct unauthorized events or sell tickets to the general public. Any persons conducting unauthorized events will be asked to leave the site without a refund. 

Thank you for your understanding!

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RoadsideAmerica.com Your Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions

Attraction:

Eastern State Penitentiary Tours

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eastern State Penitentiary was the largest building in America when it opened in 1829. Its grounds still cover a dozen acres; its 30-foot-high walls extend for nearly a mile.

At the time, the prison site was just outside of Philadelphia (which has since grown up around it). A brooding and looming pile at the top of a hill, grim and castle-like, it was purposefully designed to inspire dread.

It was also a tourist attraction, even back then.

In fact, by the mid-1800s the Penitentiary boasted that it was the second most popular tourist attraction in America, trailing only Niagara Falls.

Mingling convicts and tourists may not seem wise, but it worked because the convicts didn't mingle with anyone. They spent 23 hours a day locked in isolation cells -- which were as spacious as some modern efficiency apartments -- and the other hour they spent outdoors, alone, with leather bags over their heads. Guards wore socks over their shoes to hear any attempts to communicate between cells. Visitors often remarked on the unearthly silence of the place.

This monkish system, designed to inspire penitence (hence the word Penitentiary), was unique in the U.S. -- and it led to charges that Eastern State was a "maniac-maker." "Inmates were going insane in their cells," conceded tour guide April. "This was like something out of Europe."

Crowding eventually closed the Penitentiary in 1971. For 20 years it sat abandoned, overrun by weeds and feral cats. The city boldly talked of turning it into a shopping mall or condos.

But in 1992 Eastern State Penitentiary reopened as a wild and woolly tourist attraction. Visitors had to sign safety waivers and wear hardhats. April reassured us that those days are over, and that the Penitentiary is now a "stabilized ruin."

Wooden 2x4 arches and netting keep the ceiling from collapsing on the guests. April said the goal is to keep the Penitentiary as a ruin ("We're not looking to restore it") and that it's really a safe place to be, since it's so old that it has no lead paint or asbestos.

Eastern State Penitentiary is unlike any other prison-turned-tourist-attraction in America. There are no clanging metal doors, no tiers of tiny cells stacked atop each other.

The barrel-vaulted ceilings suggest a cathedral, while the long halls lined with wooden doors reminded us of a stable. Formerly whitewashed walls have blackened with age; stalactites hang from the ceilings; crumbling plaster and big chunks of flaking paint are everywhere, as if the building had leprosy.

"Unstabilized" wings can be glimpsed through metal gates, and resemble the rotting interiors of a sunken ocean liner.

The Penitentiary provides guided tours, self-guided audio tours, or you can just walk around and read the signs and ask questions of the seated guides, who occupy strategic spots formerly used by guards. People on audio tours always seem zombie-like to us, but here it's especially noticeable, as people stare, glassy-eyed, and bump into you in the half-darkness.

The place is still eerily silent.

April offered many prison wonders for our inspection. There's second floor view from Cell Block 7 ("one of the most beautiful cell blocks"), and the well-appointed cell of former star prisoner Al Capone , and Cell Block 12, "the haunted cell block" where people pay to be locked in overnight to see ghosts (It's also the location for " Terror Behind The Walls ," one of America's creepier Halloween attractions.)

The gift shop at Eastern State Penitentiary is amply stocked, with Al Capone shot glasses and Hooded Prisoner coffee mugs , iron duplicates of the Penitentiary's original giant keys, and copies of Going to Prison? , "A practical guide for the first-time offender."

Asked if she actually enjoyed working at Eastern State Penitentiary, April's answer echoed the lure of horror that's drawn people here for over 150 years.

"Being here, for me, it's just the scariest thing," she said. "This is the awesome-ist place ever."

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Philadelphia Department of Prisons

Focusing on rehabilitation while providing safe, lawful, and humane correctional facilities.

The Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP) provides a secure correctional environment to detain people accused or convicted of illegal acts. The PDP operates four facilities:

• Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (CFCF)
• The Detention Center (DC)
• Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC)
• Riverside Correctional Facility (RCF)

To prepare incarcerated people for successful re-entry after their release, we also offer the following programs and services:

• Workforce development
• Educational services
• Parenting classes
• Substance abuse services
• Behavioral health therapy
• Counseling, individual, and group therapy
• Vocational training

Interested in working with the PDP?

We’re looking for qualified candidates to work in our jails as correctional officers. Learn more and begin the application process today!

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Press releases, mayor cherelle l. parker appoints new philadelphia prisons commissioner, philadelphia department of prisons reports escape of incarcerated person, philadelphia department of prisons reports death of incarcerated person, city provides updates on response to may 7 escapes from philadelphia industrial correctional center.

Philadelphia Department of Prisons Commissioner Michael R. Resnick, Esq. has spent more than two decades working in a variety of public safety and criminal justice system positions for the City of Philadelphia and the state of Maryland. In 2016, he served as Acting Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner, including during a period when the City received a MacArthur Foundation grant to implement reforms to ease prison overcrowding. Resnick also served the State of Maryland as Commissioner of Pretrial Detention and Services in the state’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, where he was responsible for overseeing the Baltimore City Jails. Prior to his service as acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner, Resnick served as the City’s Director of Public Safety (2011 to 2015), overseeing Police, Fire, Prisons, the Office of Emergency Management, and other public safety entities. Resnick has also served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, and Chief of Staff and Director of Legal Affairs to the Philadelphia Prison System.

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Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker delivered her first budget address to council at City Hall on March 14, 2024. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

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Civil rights groups say Philly’s understaffed, violent jail system is in contempt of court

Despite a class-action lawsuit alleging unconstitutional jail conditions, Philadelphia has failed to meet benchmarks set by a federal judge. The result, advocates say: deaths, escapes, and violence.

Nearly two years after the city of Philadelphia settled a federal class-action lawsuit over a jail system so understaffed that prisoners were stuck in their cells 23 hours a day or more, the staffing crisis is worse than ever, according to city data.

Now, civil rights groups representing the more than 4,600 people incarcerated in the Northeast Philadelphia jail complex say the city should be held in contempt for its “pattern of systemic violations of the constitutional rights” of prisoners.

The contempt motion, filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia Monday, seeks $5 per prisoner per day in damages until two baseline conditions are met: correctional officer vacancies are reduced to 30% of budgeted positions and all prisoners are getting at least an hour a day out of their cells. That roughly $23,700 in daily fines, proposed to be payable directly to incarcerated people upon their release, would far exceed any sanction so far imposed during the lawsuit.

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David Rudovsky, one of the lawyers handling the case, said the proposed sanction aims to inspire the urgency the situation demands. “It’s been going on so long, with so many deprivations, that action has to be taken immediately on these issues.”

Four people have escaped custody within the past year — including two men who were able to sneak off a unit where a guard post was unfilled , leaving the lone staffer monitoring three areas at once. The chaos contributed to elevated violence and deaths, advocates say, including three homicides in the past six months.

A city spokesperson said Monday “the Philadelphia Department of Prisons continues to work with our Federal Monitors regarding compliance with the [jails] litigation . We otherwise have no comment at this time.”

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The most recent report from the court-appointed monitor, Cathleen Beltz , noted that the city has already agreed to extend its monitoring period into 2026 after failing to meet most of the benchmarks set out in the settlement.

Almost half of correctional officer jobs are now vacant, and the department’s overall job vacancy rate is 44%. At the same time, the prisons’ population — composed of people awaiting trial or serving short sentences — has risen to pre-pandemic levels .

“Frequent staff assaults, fights, stabbings, rampant contraband and extortion, and security breaches have been made possible or exacerbated by the staffing shortage,” Beltz wrote. “Any recruitment or hiring gains are negated by attrition and an expanding incarcerated population.”

The report said the city had made “noble efforts,” and recognized that the context includes a nationwide correctional officer shortage . But, it concluded, the city had adopted “a course of half measures steeped in bureaucratic and political rigidity with devastating consequences” for both prisoners and staff.

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“You can solve this issue two ways,” he said: “You can get more corrections officers, or fewer people in the prisons.”

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'Stand Up and Drink' comedy trolley tour returns to Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, how about a roving comedy trolley tour!

The "Stand Up and Drink" tour kicks off its Spring series Friday April 12th in Fishtown, with four Philadelphia comedians taking you on a journey through the city with laughter, drinks and of course plenty of fun.

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Millar has been doing stand up comedy for a decade and says he's so excited to see this comedy trolley tour come back to the city. He says this isn't your traditional comedy show. Some of Philly's best comedians will board the Founding Footsteps Trolley outside the Punch Line and take guests on a two-hour intimate experience. Don't forget to bring your own drinks, this trolley is strictly BYOB.

"Its a variety of comedians. They're great joke writers...Jake Wexler, Joe Mattera, Peggy O'Leary...so it's a nice array who are all great joke writers. But this throws us all out of our element. We can't just rely on our jokes, we're reacting to what's happening at the crosswalk what building are we going past," said Philadelphia comedian, Chip Chantry.

Chantry is another hilarious comedian you'll get to see on this tour. He says every show will be different. The "Stand up and Drink" trolley tour kicks off Friday April 12th from 7 to 9pm.

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You can purchase tickets on Foundingfootsteps.com

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A year after coming to the Wells Fargo Center for their farewell "Peace Out" tour, Aerosmith is coming back to Philadelphia one more time. (we think?)

Aerosmith announced on Wednesday that the tour would continue into 2024, with the legendary band returning to Philadelphia on Monday, Sept. 23 with special guest The Black Crowes.

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When they announced the farewell tour last year, the band admitted the tour could be extended. They didn't say for sure if each show would be the last in a respected city, and hinted at the possibility of a prolonged farewell event.

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"It's the final farewell tour, but I have a feeling it will go on for a while," said frontman Steven Tyler last year. "But I don't know how many times we'll be coming back to the same cities. It could very possibly be the last time."

Every member of the band is over 70 years old, so the tour's extension will likely be its last. But there's no way to know for sure.

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Every night of the tour will pay homage to the five decades of Aerosmith's biggest hits. Tickets for newly added shows will go on sale Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster.

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President Biden will swing through Scranton and Philly next week for an ‘economic tour’ across Pa.

President Joe Biden is heading back to his childhood home next week to kick off an economic-themed tour across the state.

Biden is averaging nearly a trip a month to Pennsylvania in his bid to hold onto the state — and the White House. He will visit Scranton on Tuesday as part of a three-day swing that will also bring him to the Pittsburgh area Wednesday and the Philadelphia region on Thursday, his campaign said.

The campaign did not say what part of the Philadelphia area he’ll visit or what he’ll do here.

In Scranton, the day after Tax Day, Biden will deliver “a major address,” scrutinizing the nation’s tax code and drawing a contrast with former President Donald Trump, on whether the system should work for the rich or the middle class.

“The president has made it clear what he thinks the answer is,” a campaign spokesperson said. “And so has Donald Trump.”

Biden’s visit to the state will come on the heels of Trump’s Saturday stops in Bucks and Lehigh Counties, two key battlegrounds in the state.

The economy has been an ongoing problem for Biden, who had just started seeing some improvement in his polling around it when inflation soared to its highest level in six months, according to the Consumer Price Index report issued Wednesday.

Biden has struggled to connect with voters on his record given the price pains felt at gas stations and grocery stores. He’s acknowledged the need to bring prices down while trying to highlight his administration’s work driving down health-care costs, student debt, and junk fees.

Trump is more trusted on the economy , which remains a top issue for voters, polls show.

Biden and Trump have polled incredibly closely in the state, with the most recent poll from Franklin & Marshall College showing Biden up two points, within the survey’s margin of error.

Scranton Joe

Expect Biden to tie his economic message to his upbringing in Scranton, much like he did in his last campaign.

Biden lived on Washington Avenue, a tree-lined street in the Green Ridge neighborhood until he was 10 years old. He used anecdotes from his upbringing — including when his dad lost his job and the family had to move to Wilmington — throughout the campaign. He often described the race as a fight between “Scranton and Park Avenue.”

The state’s sixth-largest city voted overwhelmingly for him, took to the streets the day he won , and renamed a main thoroughfare that runs through the city after him.

But four years later, Biden is vying for reelection and a key variable will be whether he can hold onto smaller Northeastern Pennsylvania cities and towns like Scranton. While Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and suburban areas helped Biden, they wouldn’t have been enough without his ability to increase margins in working-class communities with an appeal to his working-class upbringing.

Biden won Scranton’s Lackawanna County by 10,000 votes, a 6,000-vote increase over Hillary Clinton in 2016. More than half of his votes came from Scranton, where he won every precinct.

Visiting Scranton on the campaign trail in the 2020 Democratic primary , Biden introduced himself as “the proud son of Jean Finnegan” and fondly reminisced about “walking the pipes across the Lackee” (the Lackawanna River).

That visit was seen as something of a reset amid a tight race and in the face of a fundraising disadvantage. Biden has been known to return to his beloved Scranton when he needs a boost from what is typically a welcoming crowd.

Trump — and many of his supporters — have scoffed at Biden’s claims to the Electric City, given that he spent only a fraction of his 77 years living there. During rallies in Pennsylvania, Trump made a point of saying Biden had “abandoned” Scranton.

Biden last returned to Scranton in August after the death of Sen. Bob Casey’s mom, Ellen . Casey, a lifelong Scrantonian, grew up just a few blocks away from Washington Avenue, where Biden lived.

©2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.