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Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
Rating Details »
Category: Landmarks & Historical Buildings [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Fairmount, Francisville2027 Fairmount Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19130
(215) 236-3300
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
75 reviews for Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
A MUST-SEE if you're in Philly.
Unless you're an ex-con.
"Be afraid... Be very afraid."
Despite it being broad daylight, the Eastern State Pen had that creepy feel to it, like you weren't the only ones there (and I don't mean, other visitors, I mean the other worldly kind).
Outside, it looks much like a fortress (it basically is) and is completely out of place in the north part of the city.
If you're a student, well worth it to bring your student ID (save $4!). Everyone gets an audio guide (even though I ended up not listening to it at all). Even though there are plenty of other visitors, there are some times when you're the only ones in the long corridor of cells. The pen is big enough that you can find that deserted corridor.
Dirty, rusty, grimy, it was the perfect kind of off-the-beaten-path visit. Made for a lot of amazing photos and was a great way to spend the afternoon exploring a place most people would never think of visiting.
Highly recommended if you're in Philly! Will try out the haunted house next year. I heard you have to get the tickets FAAAAR in advance.
Coolest place EVER. Eastern State is the most underrated tourist spot in the Northeast. It's a relatively untouched prison since it's closing in 1971. ESP was opened in 1829 and was the first Penitentiary (each prisoner had his own cell with no interactions with others) and the first truly modern building (with electricity and indoor plumbing). Al Capone stayed here for nearly a year in 1929, his cell is one of the most popular spots along the audio tour (narrated by none other than Steve Buscemi). ESP recreated the cell to look identical to how it was when he stayed there.
They've opened a few spaces to art installations (which I think detracts from the eerie feeling of the place) but on the other end of the spectrum they've kept a couple cell blocks closed and 100% uncleaned and untouched where you can see the abandoned state of the prison which are great opportunities for a photo down the block from the end. The prison is completely self guided and you can stay as long as you want, the audio tour comes with admission at no extra cost and the map offers stops and information not included on the tour. ESP is also available (at a price) to rent out for photo and video shoots. The people here are really nice and the gift shop has some cool items at a decent price as well.
Special events throughout the year are also held here like the haunted house during Halloween time.
If you think there's even a small possibility of liking this place, you have to go, it's my favorite place in Philly.
Other than the fact that we chose the coldest and wettest day of our trip to visit, this place is pretty cool. I think we explored just about every section and got a good feeling for how this place once was. All of the staff were very friendly despite having to sit outside with no heat. There are plenty of great photo opportunities. We did the recommended audio tour first and then went back and visited the other spots. You'll need about two hours to visit. After that all the empty cells start looking a like. There is a great little gift shop too.
Visited for the "Terror Behind the Walls" haunted house.. Lots of fun but the actors and effects were not as frightening as the environment itself. Lots of screaming females who are screaming simply for the attention factor which made it a bit miserable. I admit though, it's a bit tough to frighten me but I wish many of these famous haunted houses and tours would go for a bit more authentic quality over quantity of actors dressed-up and saying silly things and banging pipes onto walls.
Organization of getting people in and out is above par and guests are bussed from the parking area to the penitentiary about a 10 minute ride away and back again.
Once visitors reach the end of the haunted tour, there are a couple of kiosks in an outdoor area selling t-shirts and funnel cake and such, not so bad and a nice way to end the chaotic 45 minute tour through this crumbling old American Gothic-style prison.
Staff is a bit gruff with visitors, herding people in and out quickly and at times, getting a bit rude to the people who are there for a good time.. Wooa guys! I know crowds are frustrating, especially for us, the crowds.. But a little more show of appreciation might go along way; no need to be ghoulish.
Amanda D, Jean S and I went to Terror Behind the Walls the other night. I was nervous. I am a fraidy-cat- I don't watch scary movies and I don't do haunted houses.
But, turns out I had nothing to be afraid of. TBTW was hilarious. The "monsters" made me laugh-out-loud and did more startling than scaring.
#1 Haunted House in America? I would say not. But, we enjoyed laughing at the actors, that's for sure. Thankfully Amanda got free tickets for us, otherwise I would've been pissed to spend $20.
It piqued my interest about the actual penitentiary however, and I look forward to returning for the tour someday.
This place was ok. The audio tour was pretty neat, but I would rather take an actual guided tour with a person. I started to fall asleep just walking around and listening to the tour. Guess I just need something with more interaction. Sit in on one of the talks (we listened in on the one about the escapes), those are worth the trip.
Sorry, but I think it's overpriced at $12/person when there are so many more interesting things to do in the city that are free.
We went for the haunted tour they have during Halloween and it was simply amazing. My only complaint is that there were so many people it was not scary because we could see the folks jump out at the people in front of us. Despite this it was just awesome walking around and taking in all the work they put into making this place "haunted" There were parts where you wore 3D glasses and people would reach out covered in 3D paint from 3D painted walls. Parts were ptich black and you were given a tiny flashlight in (if you were scared of the dark!). It took almost 40min just to walk through. I really would like to go back during the day. Its such an amazing historic site.
I assumed the tour at Eastern State would be all about famous prisoners and escape attempts. That stuff doesn't much interest me so I was thrilled to be completely wrong. The audio tour guides you through the prison gives a lot of really interesting historical information. I especially enjoyed the discussion of the ideas on correction prevalent in the early 1800s, the philosophy behind Eastern State's design, and the difference between the Philadelphia and New York styles of imprisonment. I wasn't so big having Steve Became as a narrator--I find his voice a bit irritating--but I got used to it. In addition to the main portion of the audio tour we went around to several of the optional spots. I liked seeing the synagogue and the women's cell block.
Eastern State is creepy, even during the day time. Peering into those teeny cells have me the chills. As soon as I walked into one I wanted out of there. You can come here at night for the "Terror Behind the Walls" haunted House, but there's no way a fraidy cat like me is going to do that. Uh uh. NEVER.
The staff here is great. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. They seemed to know their stuff, too.
Eastern State is a good place to visit when you feel like going to a museum but the weather is too nice to be inside. You get to spend fair amount of time outside between the cell blocks and many of them are in such a state of ruin that the sun shines right in. Pleasant when the weather is too nice to be trapped indoors.
Maybe the real reason to visit Eastern State is to see the funniest photo/caption combo I've ever seen. In one cell block they have a section set up that gives little snapshots of daily life in the prison. There's pictures of prisoners and guards doing things like eating, playing games, working, etc. The audio tour provides narration from actual former prisoners and guards. One of the photos on display shows two men squatting on the ground, holding a tiny clothesline between them. Tiny little clothes are hung on the line. In the foreground, a table fan is set up. That's funny already but the best part is the caption, which reads "The meaning of their project has long been forgotten." Hilarious.
I'm still such a sucker for this place. I even put the star back. :)
Visiting from NYC for the weekend, me, bf & best friend stopped in.
I've been dying to come back. I love how random it is in the middle of the city. The first look of it as you're driving up N. 22nd street is an awesome smack in the gut.
Did the audio tour again and got more out of it this time, and even listened to extra sections that I skipped the first time. A highlight was the section on Ghost Cats, who symbolized a feral cat colony that resided there after it was finally shut down for good. A guy fed them for years. They were TNR (Trapped, Neutered & Returned), and eventually died off That was pretty interesting.
I noticed that one of the hallways makes me nauseous. It happened the first time too. Weird, but whatever.
Anyway, whatever, I freaking love it. And we all filled out a survey afterwards that means we each have 2 free passes for our next visit. :) Not bad.
I think next time I'll try not to visit in the DEAD of summer though!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/3/2007
I freaking loved this place. I only took a star off because I wanted to hear more about creepy… Read more »
I went for the Terror Behind the Walls Haunted House, and I thought it was a really cool venue for a haunted house. Yes, you can be too cool to be scared, but then why go to a haunted house at all? Just stay home and wear your sunglasses at night, man. I mean, I didn't squeal or screech or any of the other things people seem so derisive of, but I have to admit a few times they got my ass pretty good. I won't spoil the surprises cuz it seems they recycle the same act each year (the setting sort of dictates it), but there was one time when I was truly surprised by what happened in one of the rooms, and then one time when I was truly CREEPED when this dude said something really shivery spooky deranged to me. It was just a moment but it's frozen in time forever for me: he asked me something, like maybe was I scared or whatever, and I probably said something like "as if" and he said "wrong answer, kitty cat." doesnt sound like much, but funnel-cake candy-ass BS aside, if some crazy-ass rolly-eyed psycho dude can make something stick in your head like that, well nice job. fun haunted house in a naturally scary historic monument. now go get a beer at Jack's and deconstruct.
I read the reviews and had high hopes. I was not disappointed. The audio tour was interesting and informative. The tour stopped periodically so you could: wait for other group members, slow down if you were in a crowded area, stop to take pictures, etc.
The photo ops are fantastic by the way.
The additional audio options allowed you to continue on if you were interested in learning more.
I would recommend this to anyone and will be back the next time I'm in Philly.
Audio tour, plenty to see, al capone, ghosts, how could anyone give less than 5 stars?
The ESP is freakin huge, and a great historic place to get lost in. The audio guided tour is extremely interesting, and hosted by Steve Buscemi. I would recommend watching the Ghost Hunters episode filmed here to give yourself that extra creepy feeling while walking around. Did I mention how big this place is?
BTW, don't go to the haunted house here they have close to Halloween... it's a total rip-off.
If you love cheesy halloween haunted stuff, then Terror Behind the Walls is the haunted destination in Philly for you. I didn't really know much about this October evening tour at the ESP, but I decided to try it out. Sure, it was a bit on the tacky side, and the neon black-lit paint on the walls was a bit over-done, and yes, I may have laughed my a** off when some of the "actors" attempted to scare me with things like, "Good luck making it out of here,.... alive!" or "Let's see if you are still smiling in five minutes! ahhhH!!!!" (note: I was laughing hysterically at the cheese of it all) but ultimately, we had a good time, and that was what mattered. One word of warning though: there are TONS of little snotty teenage boys at this thing, so if that's not your thing, I would skip.
I struggle to define exactly why I waited so long to take a tour of the Penitentiary - years, in fact - but last week I finally put my money where my mouth was. Perhaps the notion of walking through the dreary unknown of leaky, damp cell block halls is not exactly the most inviting thought when faced with the prospect of having a day off to relax at the end of the long work week. How could I have been so narrow minded?
This Penitentiary is so rich in history - able to leave everyone who passes through with an indelible mark of appreciation for what it truly means to be a Philadelphian, a civilian of this country, and above all, a free man.
I came and took the headset audio tour on a rainy Sunday with my boyfriend, and I must admit, the narration of Steve Buscemi blended nicely with the feeling of cold isolation when walking through the tiny, decrepit old cells. Add a few holes in the ceiling to let the rain in, and it had all the mood of a horror movie in the making. I'm sure that the Terror Behind the Walls is scary and exhilarating, but I'm very thankful to have taken the daytime tour first, in the off season, with just a handful of other visitors around. I believe I got a better understanding of the true essence of the building. The stories we heard, the pictures we saw, the lore of thousands of past inmates and guards was so vivid and creepy - and surprisingly - enlightening.
When the audio tour was over, we walked around for quite a while, letting the walls tell their own story - just as gradually as the rain began to soak into our bones. Learning the simplicity of the layout, the isolation that each inmate endured, and just how groundbreaking a fixture this building was in the growth of Philadelphia could be enough for even the most ardently stubborn addict of technology based recreation to stop for a minute and smell the roses. Or in this case, the smell of rotting cell blocks vs. the smell of fresh air.
Highly recommend!
Went for the Halloween event, "Terror Behind The Walls". Extremely well put together, incredible location, great makeup and acting. Even my father and brother got scared! A little pricey, but well worth it. A once-in-a-lifetime experience I would totally recommend for Halloween aficionados!
* This is a review for Terror Behind the Walls, not the historical tour... *
So... I went to Terror Behind the Walls at ESP, expecting to be scared sh**less. I was not, I was actually rather disappointed. Terror Behind the Walls was ranked the #1 Haunted House in America - 2008 according to AOL. Really? I don't see how. Sure, there was some scary moments, like things jumping out at you, and a bunch of annoying strobes, but that was about it. I also felt that the actors really didn't enjoy what they were doing. But, the ultimate question about TBTW is... Is it scary? And the answer is... No, not really.
Best tour known to man, totally worth degrading one's self to touristdom.
Mi esposo and I visited in October of 07 upon the recommendation of a bum hustling by taking pics of tourists in Love Park (of course we had to have a pic). We aren't really the types to chat up the local homeless community (or any humans for that matter) but this guy was just gushing with info in the hopes of getting a tip (which we supplied).
I am normally the type to have a detailed hour-by-hour itinerary for trips (ahem: anal) so when my husband urged that we check ESP out I was somewhat reluctant. I am so glad we did, it was definitely a highlight of the trip. The scheduled tours are extremely entertaining and the guides are very knowledgable. Also, the cell set up as a replica of Al Capone's is hilarious and worth a visit on its own. Also, they have a haunted house in October which we unfortuntaely had to miss (the reason escapes me now).
Definitely planning on going back this October to check out the haunted house.
With 30 foot walls covered in climbing plants and bird nests, crumbling cells and peeling paint, Eastern State Penitentiary is a must visit. It caters to the haunted/creepy type, those that for some weird reason love old houses, history and crime buffs alike.
Definitely do the audio tour. Steve Buscemi is the voice (seriously) and although it can drag at times that is when you explore the cells, grounds and imagine how terrible it would have been to be incarcerated there in silent isolation your entire term.
The Staff is very informative and will answer any question you ask. Look for the Ghost Cats and be sure to see Al Capone's cell; then feel a little free as you walk out the gates.
Freaking fantastic, this place. The country's oldest penitentiary ceased to function as a prison in 1971 and almost got sold to developers who wanted to put a shopping mall and condos in its place. Luckily some historians were all "OMG NOES it's a totally historic place!!" and turned it into a tourist trap. But a really really cool tourist trap.
The cost is $12 and it's SO worth it. The price includes an audio tour narrated by Steve Buscemi - who's just a little creepy to begin with. His voice walks you through cell blocks and explains how the Pennsylvania system of corrections came to be. The halls are spooky and the cells are even spookier. I was surprised to see that each cell had a small skylight and its own private outdoor "yard" for exercise (probably 6x8 feet).
The first hour or so of the tour is structured by Steve, and after that part ends you're free to wander around the rest of the grounds and cell blocks and listen to more historical details about the prison and its prisoners - including Al Capone.
There are some random art installations which are pretty cool. One of them is all about the sanitation system inside the prison (aka...how they dealt with the prisoners'...waste). And it's pretty amusing.
Absolutely wonderful. Not only is the tour really informative, but the place is gorgeous and eerie at the same time. It literally looks like a castle from the outside. In the middle of Philly.
Go. Visit. Now.
Definitely a highlight of our five days in Philadelphia! And I can't believe that someone wanted to tear it down and turn it into a mall... ick.
I was in a group of three, all hobby photographers, who went out to Eastern State specifically to try to capture some great pictures. We were not disappointed!
Reluctant to participate in the audio tour feature, we all strapped on our headphones for a taste, and never took them off. The audio portion was informative and entertaining, and recognizing Steve Buscemi's voice was a bonus.
The sights and the stories are amazing, but what also sticks out in my mind are the smells. The musty odors coming out of a couple of the cells really surprised me.
Put this on your list when visiting Philly, then head down the street to Bishop's Collar to relax with a drink!
The daytime historic tours are legitimately interesting and a really nice way to spend a free afternoon.
The artist's installations are generally really strong (and the space is amazing). A few are chosen every year, so they change pretty frequently.
And the haunted house is among the best in the country. I won't expand because I'm totally biased, but I don't think it will disappoint.
I am a History geek, so there was no resisting Bastille Day @ Eastern State. It was fun to see the Storming of the Bastille that was staged and I got to finally take a tour of the Penitentiary. My recommendation - take the audio tour - the tour guides are good and knowledgeable but there is way more on the audio tour. What more can I say than if you like visiting old historical sites this is a must see even if it can be a little disturbing or depressing at times. Fun times with crazy Quakers.
This is perhaps the best historic site in Philadelphia. I strongly recommend this tour. Grab one of those audio things too. The voice is Steve Buscemi. Who better?!
Anyway, I would go back to this place every year. I love it. It's spooky and interesting and fun. From what I hear, the halloween event is great too.
Check it out. The neighborhood restaurants are nice too.
Thia place rocks. Creepy and totally full of amazing history. With admission, you get a free audio tour narrated by Steve Buchemi. Great and a must do. The history and architecture are really great. Highly recommended. $12. Open till 5
I am no fan of haunted houses. I can trace the exact origin of my extreme hatred of them back to Somerset, KY, circa 1984, when I was 10 years old and went to a Jaycees event. After being chased and pawed by some seriously scary-ass dudes in creepy costumes (I HOPE they were part of the show!) I hyperventilated and ended up in the back of an ambulance, humiliated and looking like a fright myself in my purple Esprit knickers, rainbow top, perm and oxygen mask. Needless to say, the object of my fifth grade affections thought I was a big dork. Which I clearly was.
Anyway, I have successfully avoided haunted houses for the past 23 years, until a friend roped me into going to Terror Behind the Walls last Halloween. Maybe because I was hoping that I had outgrown my phobia of all things spooky (but probably because I wanted to seem like a badass. Which I clearly am not.) I agreed to go. I spent the entire time wedged in between as many people as I could, screaming "Monster, be good," to the realistic looking zombies at the top of my lungs. I later found out that this handy dandy trick only works for the youngsters on Sunday nights. Crabs.
So it looks like I am still afraid of haunted attractions, and I shall be avoiding them for the rest of my life. However, I did take in the Eastern State Penitentiary's audio tour recently, and I was totally impressed. Not only did I get a history lesson courtesy of everybody's favorite Reservoir Dog, Steve Buscemi, but I got to wander the corridors of America's most historic prison pretty much by myself. And I'm pretty sure I saw a ghost, too, which only added to the awesomeness factor.
There are also artist installations and helpful tour guides stationed around the place should you get turned around or need some extra info. This place is so cool that I'm planning on bringing some people back here and touring it again. This is probably the only place in the universe that could make me actually want to visit a prison. Now THAT's scary!
Eastern State is one of the most photographic places you will ever visit. The prison is beautiful, disturbing and thought-provoking. Usually places with this level of decay are closed from public viewing and left to rot. It is a good opportunity for wannabe urban explorers or those who enjoy abandoned spaces to experience a ruin without risking much personal injury.
The site is generally stabilized at this point, previously visitors had to wear hard hats so they wouldn't be injured by the cracking ceilings. There are renovation projects going on all the time so new areas can be opened to the public. I have had a membership for a few years and it is amazing how much it changes from year to year and season to season. I just hope they don't fix it up too much, I love its rawness.
The audio tour is a good way to take everything in and it is narrated by Steve Buscemi (awesome). But for the most part they let the structure do a lot of the talking for itself, as it should be given its disturbing history.
I like the artist installations, I think they provide a bridge between the past and the future, as well as between the prison and the community. Everyone I take here absolutely adores the ghost cats. Who doesn't love a good animal story?
The only thing that drives me crazy is parking in the neighborhood when Terror Behind The Walls is happening. I know they get complaints about it all the time and it has gotten better in the last couple years since they started using the lot on Broad & Spring Garden and the shuttles. Still, it is a pain for the locals and their visitors.
Still, it is a fun thing to have in your hood. I love turning the corner with an out-of-towner and hearing them cry, "what the HELL is that?!"
This place is fascinating! It's kind of weird that the mentioning of Steve Buscemi as the audio-tour voice was the deciding factor for me that this was a must see place. I'm glad I'm a Buscemi fan though, because I may not had made the effort to see this place had it not been for Mr. Pink.
Moving on. You should really go to the bathroom before coming here, because I think that the port-a-potties were originally there when they built this historic penitentiary. Pretty nasty!
If you are a photographer, you will most likely need half a day or day to be hypnotized by this place. It's beautiful. . . a photographer's dream. Aside from the visual presence of the site, the history is very fascinating. Buscemi's audio tour is awesome!
Other things I didn't know is that films have been made here. Most notable to me is 12 monkeys! How cool is that?
Definitely check it out. Unless you hate old stuff.
ESP brings chills. Take the audio tour! You walk at your own pace and select only the pictures/cells you want to learn more about. You get to walk inside a jail cell while you listen to the inmates talking about various experiences. The prison has not been completely restored so most of it has been just sitting there throughout the years. That makes it creepier. You could hear stories of how inmates tried to escape and how they lived their daily lives in such a small, dark, smelly cell. You could even look inside Al Capone's cell. There is alot to learn here. Its a must see.
This place is wide open with barely any windows left so make sure you come on a sunny day and dress warm. I remember it being pretty chilly even during the summer since the sun doesn't shine inside much.
Terror behind the walls is great during Halloween. Its the only haunted "house" I could continue going to over the years. They change it up every year and their goal is to make it as lifelike as possible. They never fail to scare the crap out of me. Lines move fast but its best when you buy your tickets in advance. Also, try to stay a couple steps behind the group in front of you so that they don't ruin the surprise behind every corner. Just leave enough space so you hear them scream but don't know exactly when its coming.
Finding parking during Terror Behind The Walls is horrible. Make sure you arrive early enough before your time slot to find parking a few blocks away and walk down. Or you could pay an additional $20 to park in the lot. There is a trolly service too.
Came here for their winter tour. Our guide was pretty knowledgeable, and she (thankfully) dropped the audience participation shtick pretty early. I was surprised by the hot chocolate offered midway through the tour, but was OCDing a bit as we were walking. Didn't want any bits of wall or ceiling to flake their way into my cup.
Overall I really enjoyed learning the history of the place, which appealed to me more than being in the place where inmates lived. Not a bad value for a good hour and a half of learning.
Went there for the Terror Behind the Walls haunted tour. It was interesting. The best and easiest way is to park away ($10) and take the shuttle bus (it is easy to find and there are signs everywhere). There are prison guards on stilts which is kinda circus-y. And on the bus a person will tell a tale about the prison in full zombie costume (cheesy part 1).
Then you get to the prison and it seems pretty chaotic but it is actually pretty well organized. You just find your time slot line and fill out a waiver (everyone has to since the building was deemed abandoned in the 70s). Then you go in to the prison.
The tour is about 40 minutes and you are pushed through a few rooms. Unfortunately, some of the more interesting things are what you pass, like the halls of cells. The Zombie's growling and laughing and breathing down your neck is just eh (cheesy part 2, 3, 4). I did let out a few screams but it was because I was startled more then scared.
I am definitely creeped out by this place so I am forced to give it 3 stars to ward off the evil spirits. I have a feeling if I go back and take the tour it will be bumped up to a 4.
But I would suggest that people just visit the Penitentiary for a regular tour. There is a lot of interesting history here.
I spent four years in Philly as a student, and never had the doubloons ($30 bucks on Fridays/Saturdays) to check out the Terror Behind the Walls Halloween haunted grounds gig. But, since I was there for a wedding this time around, I thought why not give myself the gift of a good scare. No, the mere thought of a wedding was not quite enough.
The line was long, the monsters more or less obvious, but the atmosphere most creepy. Let me say this, there are few sites as inherently creepy as Eastern State Penitentiary. Even in the daytime, the cramped cells and musty smell can send a shiver down even the most teflon of spine.
Add some smelly fog, a few dark corners, and some Ghost Hunters video footage to add to the frightfulness, and you have a damn good way to spend a chilly evening in Philly.
Apparently, you can bring a child as a safety net of sorts--the safe phrase is "Monster be good" and the actors will lay off of the kid. But, the biggest safety net is to hide behind someone even more scared than you. Monsters--even fake ones--can spot fear faster than an Obama bumpersticker can spot, and affix to a Prius.
Great history, great audio tours, great staff. A+
History buffs, be sure to go across the street and visit Bookhaven after!
The curators of the Eastern State Penitentiary have interpreted it so that in addition to seeing a old prison, you learn about how ideas regarding the punishment and reform of criminals has changed over time, and how these ideas are reflected in prison design. Lots of effort has gone into showing what it was like to live or work in prison during the time this prison was in use. One time when I went, I attended a demonstration on "prison cuisine"!
Kids will like it more than most museums because they are free to explore, and they don't necessarily need to be calm and quiet. The exhibits are light on the text and glass cases, although they do keep the collection of shanks behind glass! The ESP is on my top ten of Philly historical sites.
Definitely one of the more unique things to see in Philadelphia. We've steered some friends that were visiting to this and none were disappointed.
This place is friggin creepy, btw.
I went last night to watch the Shawshank Redemption and while I'm sure it's not completely the Penitentiary's fault, they showed the movie on a side of a truck with a big black bar through the middle of the screen.
What did stink about the Penitentiary was that we had to sign a waiver to get in and that it took ages to get to the yard where they were showing the movie and then they let us get the short cut out. All so that we had to go through the gift shoppe on the way in.
I really don't give enough of a crap about a Prison to buy their stuff. srsly. I also don't care enough to ever go back again unless there's something cool like a movie or the haunted house going on.
Eastern State Penitentiary has a 12 dollar admission per person for the winter tours. Lots of old historic things inside, the design of this place is awesome. Al capone was incarcerated for about 8 months in When it was built the treatment for prisoners (extreme isolation) was considered a model for everyone else to follow. Winter tours have large areas blocked off or inaccessible.
probably the most phenomenal historical landmark in philadelphia, and that's kind of saying a lot. no need to go on and on... everyone's pretty much covered it.
don't miss TERROR BEHIND THE WALLS every halloween season, ranked the #1 haunted attraction in the nation by AOL in 2009!! all proceeds go to the preservation of the site!
As far as tourist attractions go, Eastern State Penitentiary does fairly well for itself.
The space was essentially abandoned in 1971 and the state it is in today makes evident the intervening decades of decay. Which is great! The claustrophobic cells and tiny doorways give a good indication of what life in the prison must have been like. Additionally, the informational signs provide tour enhancing details from various points in the prison's history.
The few drawbacks became evident fairly early in the tour. First, the guided tour leaves a little bit to be desired and the audio tour isn't verbally offered at the beginning. Also, the guided tour was no longer than 10 minutes in our case, and we were left to wander accidentally into the rest of the sites of interest.
All in all, a good time and definitely something worth doing at least once. I would recommend not going on College day though, unless you are fond of 18 year olds.
I went on the day time Eastern State historic tour this past sunday and all I can say is "WOW!". Very cool. It was pretty crowded, which sucked a little, but obviously this time of year is their prime time, so it was to be expected.
Anyhow, aside from them running out of audio tours, it was an amazing experience. In place of the audio tour, we had a tour guide, which was fine. I wish I'd had the full audio tour experience, but I'm sure I'll go back and visit again.
All in all it was a very interesting and fun experience. Completely recommended.
