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Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

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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 convicts. Its vaulted, sky-lit cells once held many of America's most notorious criminals, including bank robber ''Slick Willie'' Sutton and Al Capone. Tours today include the cellblocks, solitary punishment cells, Al Capone's Cell, and Death Row. A critically-acclaimed series of artists' installations is free with admission.  Just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

• At-a-
  Glance

  • Contact Info

    Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

    2027 Fairmount Avenue
    Philadelphia, PA 19130

    Phone: 215-236-3300   |   Official Website

  • Map

    Full map and directions

  • Accessibility Services

    

  • Accessibility Details

    Access Information: There is no running water on site. All bathrooms are portable. There is one wheelchair accessible bathroom on site.

    Eastern State Penitentiary offers a virtual tour of the facility on their website. This tour in combination with a site visit, ensures that individuals with disabilities will truly be able to experience all aspects of the facility.

    Deaf/Hearing Access: ASL interpretation can be provided with advanced notice

    Wheelchair Access: Please note that not every section of Eastern State Penitentiary is wheelchair Accessible. Due to the existing structure of the museum, some areas cannot be reached in a wheelchair. In addition, there are gravel paths through out the site, which are not wheelchair accessible.

  • • Current Events

      05/23/11- Ongoing

      Hands-On History Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Hands-On History Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site May 23, 2011 - Ongoing New for 2011, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site literally hands visitors the keys to the cellblocks with new Hands-On History interactive experiences. These short demonstrations take place throughout the penitentiary complex, each lasting five minutes or less. An expert Eastern State tour guide leads each activity, although visitors do the bulk of the physical activities themselves. These interactive experiences run throughout the day and change monthly so be sure to check our website...

      04/06/09- Ongoing

      Daytime Historic Site Tours Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Daytime Historic Site Tours Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site April 6, 2009 - Ongoing Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site 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. Tours today include the cellblocks, solitary punishment cells, Al Capone's Cell, and Death Row. Admission includes “The Voices of Eastern State” Audio Tour narrated by actor Steve Buscemi. Want to get tickets for this event and others like it at half-price?

  • • Upcoming Events

      06/09/12- 06/10/12	Prison Break Weekend Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Prison Break Weekend Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site June 9-June 10, 2012 All New Restored Bocci Court and Living History Most inmates didn’t literally escape from prison; they found meaning, friendship and recreation, when possible, inside the walls. This weekend, visitors can try their hand at Bocci Ball, a traditional Italian recreation practiced by aging inmates at Eastern State throughout the 20th century. The original courts were built at the base of Eastern State’s massive wall, and are now open, fully restored, for the first time...
      07/14/12	Bastille Day Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Bastille Day Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site July 14, 2012 It's one of Philadelphia’s most popular summertime events! Eastern State Penitentiary teams with Philadelphia cabaret act The Bearded Ladies and local businesses for a playful reenactment of the Storming of the Bastille (influenced more by Monty Python than the French Revolution), followed by a French-themed street party. Come early and take a tour of Eastern State, or stay late and take a 25-minute evening tour following the reenactment.
      08/17/12	Film Screening: Breath Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Film Screening: Breath Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site August 17, 2012 Eerie and emotionally charged meetings between a betrayed woman and a death row prisoner mark the course of South Korean auteur Ki-duk Kim’s 2007 Cannes Film Festival Best Film nominee. Breath stands as a complex meditation on grief, the redemptive human spirit, and the desire for true communication in the fragmentation of modern times.

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    NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate. However, it's a good idea to visit the website or call the venue to verify the information.

• Current &
  Upcoming Events

  • Current Events

    05/23/11- Ongoing

    Hands-On History Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Hands-On History Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site May 23, 2011 - Ongoing New for 2011, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site literally hands visitors the keys to the cellblocks with new Hands-On History interactive experiences. These short demonstrations take place throughout the penitentiary complex, each lasting five minutes or less. An expert Eastern State tour guide leads each activity, although visitors do the bulk of the physical activities themselves. These interactive experiences run throughout the day and change monthly so be sure to check our website...

    04/06/09- Ongoing

    Daytime Historic Site Tours Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Daytime Historic Site Tours Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site April 6, 2009 - Ongoing Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site 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. Tours today include the cellblocks, solitary punishment cells, Al Capone's Cell, and Death Row. Admission includes “The Voices of Eastern State” Audio Tour narrated by actor Steve Buscemi. Want to get tickets for this event and others like it at half-price?

  • Upcoming Events

    06/09/12- 06/10/12	Prison Break Weekend Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Prison Break Weekend Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site June 9-June 10, 2012 All New Restored Bocci Court and Living History Most inmates didn’t literally escape from prison; they found meaning, friendship and recreation, when possible, inside the walls. This weekend, visitors can try their hand at Bocci Ball, a traditional Italian recreation practiced by aging inmates at Eastern State throughout the 20th century. The original courts were built at the base of Eastern State’s massive wall, and are now open, fully restored, for the first time...
    07/14/12	Bastille Day Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Bastille Day Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site July 14, 2012 It's one of Philadelphia’s most popular summertime events! Eastern State Penitentiary teams with Philadelphia cabaret act The Bearded Ladies and local businesses for a playful reenactment of the Storming of the Bastille (influenced more by Monty Python than the French Revolution), followed by a French-themed street party. Come early and take a tour of Eastern State, or stay late and take a 25-minute evening tour following the reenactment.
    08/17/12	Film Screening: Breath Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Film Screening: Breath Presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site August 17, 2012 Eerie and emotionally charged meetings between a betrayed woman and a death row prisoner mark the course of South Korean auteur Ki-duk Kim’s 2007 Cannes Film Festival Best Film nominee. Breath stands as a complex meditation on grief, the redemptive human spirit, and the desire for true communication in the fragmentation of modern times.

• Past
  Events

  • Past Events

    05/12/12	Alumni Reunion Day Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    05/05/12	Fairmount Flea Market Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    03/31/12- 04/01/12	Life and Death Weekend Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    03/30/12	2012 Season Sneak Peek Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    02/11/12- 02/14/12	Valentine's Day at Eastern State Penitentiary Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    12/15/11	Holiday Concert and Book Drive Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    10/15/11	Neighbors for Bache-Martin Fall Festival Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    09/23/11- 11/12/11	Terror Behind the Walls Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    09/12/11- 09/17/11	Christie in Love by Howard Brenton Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    09/10/11	Fairmount Antique and Vintage Flea Market Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    08/19/11	Book Signing with Author Carrie Hagen Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    07/26/11	Haunting Histories: The Intertwined History of Prisons and Mental Asylums Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    07/20/11	Philadelphia Film Society and Eastern State Penitentiary present: 12 Monkeys Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    07/16/11	Bastille Day Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    07/03/11	Field Day Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    06/25/11- 06/26/11	Behind the Scenes Tour: Death Row Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    06/19/11	Father's Day Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    06/11/11- 06/12/11	Prison Break Weekend Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    06/03/11- 08/26/11	Twilight Tours Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    05/24/11	Pennsylvania Innocence Project's 2nd Anniversary Celebration Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    05/15/11	Alumni Reunion at Eastern State Penitentiary Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    05/13/11	Reception for the 2011 Season at Eastern State Penitentiary Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    05/08/11	Mother's Day Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    05/07/11	Fairmount Antique & Vintage Flea Market Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    04/02/11- 04/03/11	Hands-On History Weekend Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    02/14/11	Valentine's Day Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    11/13/10- 11/14/10	Behind the Scenes Tour: Film Locations Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    09/17/10- 11/06/10	Terror Behind the Walls Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    09/11/10	Release: Vijay Iyer on piano Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    09/10/10	Decasia Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    08/07/10- 08/08/10	Prison Break Weekend Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    07/10/10	Bastille Day Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    06/12/10- 06/13/10	Behind the Scenes Tour: Parole, Intake and New Staff Offices Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    06/02/10- 08/25/10	Twilight Tours Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    05/22/10	Alumni Reunion Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    05/14/10	Reception for 2010 Artists Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    04/10/10- 04/11/10	Tunnels and Towers Weekend Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    03/29/10- 06/27/10	Ceramic Interactions: Crosses, Bones, Cherry Trees Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    12/01/09- 03/15/10	Winter Adventure Tours Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    10/21/09	Gay Community Night at Terror Behind the Walls Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    09/18/09- 11/07/09	Terror Behind the Walls Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    09/05/09	Rusted Gates Volume 1: Leopard's Mouth Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    08/01/09- 08/02/09	Willie Sutton Tunnel Escape Weekend Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    08/01/09- 08/02/09	Prison Break Weekend Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    07/11/09	Bastille Day Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    06/03/09- 08/26/09	Twilight Tours Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    05/17/09	Alumni Reunion Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    05/08/09	Reception for 2009 Artists Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    04/27/09- 05/03/09	Museum Week at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    04/24/09- 05/03/09	Cellblock: Stories of Eastern State Penitentiary Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    04/04/09- 04/05/09	The Restored Synagogue/Lost Chaplains Office Weekend Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
    03/31/09	2009 Season Sneak Peek Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

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