Closed for Easter

2008 Season Sneak Peek

Eastern State Penitentiary is free all day for a sneak peek at the 2008 exhibits and tours.

The Lost Synagogue Weekend

Eastern State Penitentiary’s beautiful, long-abandoned synagogue opens to the public for the first time ever, and for one weekend only.

It has been more than three and half decades since the last Jewish service at Eastern State Penitentiary, but the small synagogue, tucked into an alleyway off Cellblock 7, still feels like a holy place. The Readers’ Table still faces the arc, the room is still lined with benches, and sunlight still falls through the skylights onto the tile floor. But very few people—aside from a handful of archeologists, preservationists, and funders--have seen the room during the past 35 years. It has never been open to the public.

Come meet the archaeologists, see the vision for the synagogue’s rebirth, and visit this beautiful, poignant space. One weekend only.

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Reception for the 2008 Artists

Free
Eastern State Penitentiary hosts a changing series on artist installations as part of the historic site’s exhibits on history and criminal justice. In 2008 there will be ten installations on view during all public hours. Join us for a chance to meet the artists and see the new work! Light refreshments served.

Alumni Reunion

Free with Admission
People are sometimes surprised to find that many of Eastern State's former officers and inmates are still quite young, and enjoy returning to the cellblocks to remember old times. This weekend only, our Alumni – both officers and inmates – answer questions and meet the public.

Behind the Scenes Tour: Kitchen and Bakery

Sunday, June 22 at 11:00 am - 12:15 pm

Join Eastern State’s Administrative Staff for a rare look at the penitentiary’s dramatic kitchen, storehouse and bakery. These locations are not open to the public, and open to Members only on occasional tours. This event is limited to current historic site members and their guests only.

Tours depart at 11:00 am, 11:15 am, 11:30 am, 11:45 am, 12:00 pm and 12:15 pm. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by emailing info@EasternState.org or calling (215) 236-5111 x10 and indicate your desired tour time.

(Historic Site Members: Free / Members’ Guests: $12.00 – Limit Two)

Sunoco Welcome America

Eastern State Penitentiary is a proud cultural and promotional partner for Sunoco Welcome America. Make sure your Welcome America plans include a tour of Eastern State. The Penitentiary will be open standard hours everyday during Sunoco Welcome America.

Sunoco Welcome America Movie Night: Shawshank Redemption

Join us for a free screening of Shawshank Redemption on Eastern State's baseball diamond! Bring your lawn chair or blanket, buy some popcorn, and settle in beneath the big wall for one of the all-time classic prison films.

No alcohol, candles or open flames are permitted in the penitentiary. Doors are open from 8 pm to 8:45 pm. Admission is free, but attendance is limited and is on a first come, first served basis.

Bastille Day!

Reenactment and Street Party Free
One of Philadelphia’s most popular summertime events! Local businesses team with Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site 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 (standard admission), or stay late and take a 25-minute evening tour following the Reenactment ($5 per person).

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Willie Sutton / Tunnel Escape Weekend

Tunnel Escape Living History
Free with admission

Join us for a weekend commemorating one of the most famous prison breaks in American history, the 1945 Eastern State Tunnel Escape.

The event will feature interactive activities for families surrounding the subject of prison escapes and a debate between actors portraying Clarence Klinedinst and “Slick Willie” Sutton highlighting conflicting accounts of the famous escape.

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Secret Cinema: Title TBD

$8.00
The Secret Cinema returns to Eastern State with a great vintage prison film projected (not video) inside the cellblocks of Eastern State Penitentiary. Opens with quirky short film introductions.

Title TBD

Members’ Photo Contest

Free with Admission
Eastern State is one of the most photogenic locations in America. Each year photographers travel from as far away as California and Canada to photograph the penitentiary. Each Member may submit one color and one black and white Eastern State photograph for our 2008 Members’ Only photo competition.

Download the Photo Contest Guidelines and Entry Form

Terror Behind the Walls Haunted House

Called “perfect for Halloween” by the New York Times and ranked No. 5 in the nation by A.O.L. Digital City, Terror Behind the Walls is the region’s premier haunted attraction. Tickets go on sale Sept. 10, 2008. Check the Halloween website for coupons, previews, photos and ticketing.

College Day on the Parkway

Free for Students with I.D. Special programs and free admission to Eastern State Penitentiary and other local museums for college and high school students. Free shuttle busses will run among participating attractions.

Behind the Scenes Tour: The Back Alleys

Eastern State was built on a simple floor plan of straight cellblocks radiating from a central hub. The design was intended, in part, for surveillance. The “hub and spoke” plan would have few hiding places. But during the prison‘s 142 years of consecutive use, additional cellblocks, out buildings, offices and shops filled the open spaces inside the complex, leaving some areas of Eastern State a winding series of alleyways. Join Eastern State administrative staff for views down (and sometimes into) these intriguing spaces not normally open to the public.

Limited to current historic site members and their guests only. Tours depart at 11:00 am, 11:15 am, 11:30 am, 11:45 am, 12:00 pm and 12:15 pm. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by emailing info@EasternState.org or calling (215) 236-5111 x10 and indicate your desired tour time.

(Historic Site Members: Free / Members’ Guests: $12.00 – Limit Two)

Closed for Thanksgiving

Closed for Christmas

Closed for New Years