Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

USA / Pennsylvania / Tioga / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania / Fairmount Avenue, 2124
 place with historical importance, abandoned / shut down, interesting place, movie / film / TV location, prison museum
Designed by John Haviland and opened in 1829, Eastern State is considered to be the world's first true penitentiary. Its revolutionary system of incarceration, dubbed the Pennsylvania System, originated and encouraged solitary confinement as a form of rehabilitation. It was opposed contemporaneously by the Auburn System (also known as the New York System), which held that prisoners should be forced to work together in silence, and could be subjected to physical punishment (Sing Sing prison was an example of the Auburn system). Although the Auburn system was favored in the United States, Eastern State's radial floorplan and system of solitary confinement were the model for over 300 prisons worldwide.

Today, the Eastern State Penitentiary operates as a museum and historic site, open from April 1 through November 30. In addition, it holds many special events throughout the year. Each July, Eastern State offers a Bastille Day celebration, complete with a comedic reinterpretation of the storming of the Bastille. In October, it offers a popular Terror Behind the Walls haunted house.

Hours & Prices
April through November: Open Daily,
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Last Entry: 4 p.m.
No reservations necessary
Closed Easter, Thanksgiving and the months of December, January, February and March.

Rates:
$9.00 Adults; $7.00 Students; $7.00 Senior Citizens; $4.00 Kids (Age 7 - 12)
Children under the age of 7 cannot be admitted to the site.

2124 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
(215) 236-5111
www.easternstate.org/
 Add place (company, shop, etc.) to this building
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_State_Penitentiary
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   39°58'6"N   75°10'21"W

Comments

  • My camera batteries went dead twice
  • HAUNTED!!!!!!!!!! took a picture of me and my brother in front of al capones cell and the outline of a man in a fedora apeard in the photo!!!!!
  • its neat here though....
  • Updated Ticket Prices: Adults: $12 Seniors: $10 Students & Kids: $8 Members: FREE CityPASS Adults: $59 CityPASS Child: $39 Updated Visitor Hours: Visitor Center Hours: Every day 10 am to 5 pm (last entry 4 pm) Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Tour Times: Weekdays: 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm Weekends: Every hour 10 am to 4 pm
This article was last modified 4 years ago