Eastern State Penitentiary - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Address:2124 Fairmount Ave.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tel: (215) 236-3300

In the mid 19th century, tourists began flocking to Philadelphia to see the famous 11 acre Eastern State Penitentiary an architectural wonder covering 11 acres of ground surrounded by an impressive half mile wall.

The prison which operated from 1829 to 1913 quickly became one of the most expensive and copied buildings in the United States. Some 250 prisons are modeled after Eastern State Penitentiary, which boasts such criminals as Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton. After 142 years as a prison, the complex is now a national historic landmark, and operates as a museum and historic site offering fascinating guided tours.

Quakers involved in the prison reform movement in the early 1800s employed a new system of prisoner rehabilitation through solitary confinement, which they believed would lead to penitence. In reality however, the years of loneliness drove many prisoners to insanity.

A few parts of the prison have been restored, though most of it has been left in disrepair, as can be seen from the crumbling buildings and peeling frescoes from the prison's chapel.

A guided tour is available several times a day delivering hands-on interactive experiences showcasing the main exhibit on the history of the prison. Be sure not to miss daily shows like "Escape!" in which actors re-enact the famous 1945 tunnel escape of 12 inmates from the Penitentiary. Visit the cellblocks and learn what life was like behind the prison walls, and what happened during a riot. Examine personal items inmates carried with them, such as photographs, diaries, bibles and crafts.

Those who are daring enough can visit "Lockdown" a haunted house tour available only at night which can only be described as a most electrifying experience. Also featured at the Eastern State Penitentiary are numerous artist installations such as "Ghost Cats", depicting the colony of white cats that took home in the prison after it was closed in 1971, and Dayton Castleman's "The End of the Tunnel" representing theoretical escape routes all over the penitentiary. There are a series of dioramas depicting daily prison life, as well as other expressive and moving sculptures and artistic works. The prison store features everything from clothing to DVDs, books, pens, postcards, magnets, and playing cards, all with the E.S.P. logo and other impressive prison imagery.

Located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the museum is easy to get to. Take the 7, 32 or 48 to 22nd and Fairmount Avenue. Walk east one block and the entrance to Eastern State Penitentiary is on the left-hand side of Fairmount Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets.

Opened in 1829 as part of a controversial movement to change the behavior of inmates through "confinement in solitude with labor," Eastern State Penitentiary quickly became one of the most expensive and most copied buildings in the young United States. It is estimated that more than 300 prisons worldwide are based on the Penitentiary's wagon-wheel, or "radial" floor plan.