Eastern State Penitentiary

2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130, USA

Address:	2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19130, USA
Phone:	+1 215-236-3300
Site:	easternstate.org
Rating:	4.5
Working:	10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 6

A Private User

Im from Jersey and a group of friends of about 13 decided to take a trip to Philly to check out this haunted prison. I must say the history behind the prison is pretty amazing but for the 4 hr drive back and forth, long wait in line and horrible experience it was defly not worth it. I would expect the money collected from all sold out show times would go into making the haunted attraction absolutely amazing but NO, it was cheaply and poorly organized and what the hell so scary about it ????? I must admit the part where you had to wear the 3d shades was really cool but thats about it. We left Jersey around 6:30pm got there about 9:00pm, after finding parking. As we get there we over hear people talking about it being sold out, so we go to the ticket box and the only show available was the 12:30- 1:00am show...the last one for the night. We basically had to wait from 9pm to 12:30am outside in the cold weather. When it was finally 12:30am we walked in and it felt like everything was rushed. There was a point where there were about 20 people altogether which sucked because when u heard someone scream from the front you already knew something was coming, unfortunately it was nothing very scary or spooky. This was my first and last visit. I would recommend this place to only those who want something to do for the Halloween season and who live near by or if you have young children and do not want anything to scary. I would not recommend this place for those who have to drive far to get there and want something very thrilling and scary. I would also recommend buying the tickets online before its sold out and your stuck to wait for the next available show which may be hrs from then. I know that most of the money is used for perserving the historic prison but I think a little more attention and a few more dollars should have been spent on at least paying the actors more so that they can at least be scary or decorating the prison because I honestly and truly expected something really greatly organized, performed, and thrilling. Like I said this will be my first and last time. If you thought this was scary you have no idea what scary is......or your probably a 7 year old child....Wayyyy Overrated!

Al N.

Do this. I am struggling for words to describe the power of this museum, so I will start with the easy stuff. The pricing is very good considering you get the run of the entire facility and can easily spend half a day at least. The tour is very good. It is self guided and they provide you with an audio player. There are also guided parts that are free and have times and locations listed clearly throughout the facility. The Prison is stunning and largely a ruin. In fact the operators have resisted restoring or updating the buildings choosing instead to keep them as they are and simply stop any further deterioration. I think this is the right choice and it makes for a powerful experience. It was cold though so bring a sweatshirt (or maybe dont and remember what the men and women incarcerated here felt on a daily basis). The tour itself, as well as the exhibit on prisons in the US today were powerful reminders of what we, in mainstream society, go to great lengths to cover up and forget. We lock up more people per capita in this country than anywhere else in the world and Eastern State was the first modern prison. I think the museum does an incredible job of putting together all of the historical lessons learned at that prison and educating us, the visitors. 10/10 would feel really bad about myself and my country again.

J.R. Neumiller

An amazing experience. Like visiting the Titanic if they raised it up somewhere. Completely unique experience. This and Alcatraz are the only two former penitentiaries in the US that you can visit. Left derelict for over 30 years, Eastern State was opened back up in 1996, and has been progressively cleaned and stabilized since then. It is a remarkable structure. The walls are 30 feet high, and guards werent posted because theres no way to get over them. (The wall was tunneled under for a jail break, but nobody got away for more than a few hours.) Quite intimidating place. Fascinatingly, the penitentiary had a TOTAL SILENCE policy until the early 1900s. You couldnt talk, speak, make noise, or do anything to disturb the QUIET. (Was supposed to create a "repentant" environment where prisoners could contemplate the error of their ways with no distractions.) Problem is, its now known as a recipe for INSANITY, as depriving people of their senses causes massive brain issues and works the exact OPPOSITE effect intended. Anyway, youll have a great time. Its fully staffed and there is an excellent Steve Buscemi walking tour with headphones you can rent. The whole experience is unforgettable, and I cant imagine this place ever going away. The demolition costs would be astronomical.

Patricia Flinsch-Rodriguez

Great place to visit. Been here on a rainy day and on a sunny day. The rainy day was much scarier because there just isnt as much light so it was way creepier. The self guided audio tour is pretty good. Lots of stops and information. Definitely bring a bottle of water because you will get thirsty. The gift shop sells water 2 bottles for $3, so not a bad deal. Would be great if water was available elsewhere on the tour but this is a minor complaint. Warning-this is still a structure in ruins so it isnt the cleanest place. Lots of water bugs and thousand leggers all around the place so you may want to wear closed toe shoes in the summer. Some areas are only open at certain times of the day with a tour guide so check the schedule. You wont want to miss the hospital wing! Parking is available at an adjacent lot. You will need a minimum of two hours here. They have a recharging station for smart phones and it is in an air conditioned room. Woo Hoo! Some exhibits change as do the art installations. Currently July 2017, there is an exhibit on crime today. There is a place where you can detail your crime or confession and it gets posted as part of the exhibit. Pretty eye opening as to what people have written.

Ευαγγελος Αδαμακης

Built in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiary is a former prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It’s known for being the very first prison of its kind to introduce solitary confinement, or what they used to call, the Pennsylvania System. Prisoners were sent to solitary during this time as a form of rehabilitation. They would be completely isolated, living alone, eating alone, and even exercising alone in their own individual yards. Whenever an inmate left his cell, a black hood would be placed over his head to assure he remained in confinement. Due to Eastern States’ harsh approach, many prisoners were drove to insanity, and as a result the Pennsylvania System was scrapped in 1913. From then until 1970 it was used as a regular prison, and held the likes of Al Capone and the bank robber, Willie Sutton. Reports of the paranormal have been going on since the 1940’s, but ever since the stone prison was abandoned in 1971, paranormal experiences have seemingly increased. Reports include: Shadowy figures that seem to quickly turn away when approached a dark figure that is occasionally seen in the guard tower..

Kripton B

Please dont watch the preview video before you go. The Haunted house was a HUGE JOKE. I been to Haunted Attractions way better then this in my home town. Way over priced and not scary. I was highly disappointed about Break Out. The Preview movie and the haunted attraction for Break Out are tooo totally different things. Hell I think the preview for it was way better. Also the haunted attractions were very small. Need to work on timing groups really ruined the effect of the haunted attraction. People were scared and screaming right in front of me and no actors got to reset in time. I tried to wait it out and the actors kept on telling me to move on. Very disappointed this Attraction was my last stop in Philadelphia and it ruined my whole Philadelphia trip. If you have haunted attractions at your place stay there or try something else out. They were all hyped up about OPT IN. Thought they were going to have a shirt that said ( Are You Brave Enough To Opt In ) well they had that for only STAFF. Really disappointed about that. The building its self was great. Save your money people or do the day tour.