Former American prison where notorious criminals such as Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton were held
General Information
Hours:
Daytime tours open daily 10:00am to 5:00pm
Night Tours Summer Twilight: May 25 to September 4 Thursday to Sunday 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Night Tours Summer Twilight: May 25 to September 4 Thursday to Sunday 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Fees:
Adult: $21.00
Senior (Ages 62+): $19.00
Child (Ages 7-12): $17.00
Child Ages 6 and under: Free
Night Tours Summer Twilight: $21.00
Senior (Ages 62+): $19.00
Child (Ages 7-12): $17.00
Child Ages 6 and under: Free
Night Tours Summer Twilight: $21.00
Pet Policy:
Pets NOT allowed
Closest cities with hotels:
Philadelphia
Seasons:
All year
Location:
Website:
How to Get There
Follow S Penn Square and John F Kennedy Blvd to N 16th St/State Rte 3027. Take Benjamin Franklin Pkwy and N 22nd St to Fairmount Ave.
Overview
Eastern State Penitentiary is a former prison in Philadelphia's Fairmount neighborhood, operating from 1829 to 1971 and now a National Historic Landmark museum. When built it was the largest and most expensive public structure in the country, with a revolutionary hub-and-spoke plan by John Haviland and a system of solitary confinement meant to reform rather than punish. Al Capone and the bank robber Willie Sutton were held here.
Visiting
- Audio tour: narrated mainly by Steve Buscemi, with former guards and prisoners; guided tours in winter
- Cell blocks: walk into marked solitary cells; most areas are left in atmospheric decay
- Final exhibit: "Prisons Today: Questions in the Age of Mass Incarceration"
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Eastern State Penitentiary", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
