A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future
Monday, May 25, 2026 to Thursday, December 31, 2026
In the early days of our nation, the idea for Eastern State Penitentiary—the nation's first penitentiary—emerged as a bold initiative to reform the criminal justice system. Framed in 1787, just 11 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Eastern State Penitentiary was built on a radical belief in human dignity and our capacity for change. Its founders sought to answer a question that still echoes through our country today: Have we established justice?
In 2026, as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, Eastern State hosts A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future, a yearlong slate of free, inclusive programs that invites visitors to wrestle with evolving meanings of liberty and justice.
A Time for Liberty features 5 family-friendly festivals, 9 panel discussions with scholars and systems-impacted leaders, 4 community workshops, 2 pop-up exhibitions drawn from the site's archival collections, and new online learning resources that extend the experience to classrooms nationwide. Visit EasternState.org to learn more.
A Time for Liberty is made possible with support from civic and cultural partners including the City of Philadelphia, America250PA, Campus250, the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, the Philadelphia City Fund’s 2026 Milestone Grant Fund, supported by PECO, the National Trust Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Additional partners to be announced throughout 2026. For more information and updates, visit EasternState.org.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program series, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Upcoming Events in this Series
Justice 101: Voices Beyond the Walls — Justice, Reentry, and Civic Power
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Free online and in-person. In recognition of National Voter Registration Day, the Philadelphia City Commissioners' Office and the Eastern State Center for Justice Education are partnering to present a panel and networking event exploring voting rights and civic engagement for justice-involved individuals and all community members.
Moderated by Vanessa Caracoza (Deputy Executive Director, Philadelphia City Commissioners' Office). Panelists include Omar Sabir (Chairman, Philadelphia City Commissioners’ Office), William “Bill” Hart (Associate Director, Temple University—Office of Community Affairs and Engagement), Benjamin D. Geffen, J.D. (Senior Attorney, Public Interest Law Center), Assata Thomas (Executive Director, Division of Reentry—City of Philadelphia’s Office of Public Safety), and others to be announced.
Democracy for All Week: Freedom of Expression
Thursday, September 17, 2026
All Day
This Constitution Day—and all week long—join us to reflect on the role of the First Amendment in securing freedom and liberty for all. Enjoy family-friendly, interactive programs that explore the power of journalism and art inside prisons and what free expression means for those who are not fully free. Image: Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration, © 2024, Mark Loughney. Presented in Collaboration by Mural Arts Philadelphia and Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site.
Justice 101: The History of American Incarceration
Thursday, September 17, 2026
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Explore the history of the U.S. criminal justice system beginning with Eastern State Penitentiary, a revolutionary attempt at prison reform led by Benjamin Franklin and other Framers of the U.S. Constitution. Consider how founding ideals of liberty and freedom impacted—and continue to play a role in—justice reform today.
Moderated by Kerry Sautner, Ed.D. (President and CEO, Eastern State) and featuring Ashley T. Rubin, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa), a leading scholar in U.S. carceral history and author of "The Deviant Prison: Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary and the Origins of America's Modern Penal System."
Firstival: 52 Weeks of Firsts
Saturday, October 03, 2026
11:00am - 2:00pm
As part of a yearlong celebration of national firsts, join Eastern State for a full-day event exploring the history and legacy of America’s first penitentiary.
Justice 101: Erasure of Queer History
Tuesday, October 06, 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Details to come, check back for updates.
Indigenous People’s Weekend
Friday, October 09, 2026
All Day
Details to come, check back for updates.
Justice 101: Religious Freedom and the Justice System
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Explore the complex legal story of religious freedom and the justice system, and unpack how it continues to unfold in courtrooms, prisons, and jails across the country today. Delve into notable rulings that protected the rights of incarcerated people to practice their faiths behind bars.
Speakers include Michael Moreland, J.D., Ph.D. (Professor of Law and Religion & Director of the Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Villanova University) and others to be announced.
Fall Festival
Sunday, October 25, 2026
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Free for kids in costume and their caregivers. No reservations necessary. Join us for some fall-themed family fun: trick-or-treating, scavenger hunt, story time, hands-on activities, art making, music, and more!
Justice 101: From Natural Rights to “Slave of the State”- Philadelphia’s Founding Vision and the Making of the “Slave of the State”
Tuesday, November 24, 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Details to come, check back for updates.
Justice 101: Faith, Sanctuary, and Community
Thursday, December 03, 2026
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Additional details to come, check back for updates. Join us for an evening that opens with a panel discussion and features live musical performances exploring how religious connection sustains people through incarceration.
Justice 101: Examining the Justice System and the Unfinished work of the Founding and the Prisoners’ Rights Revolution
Wednesday, December 09, 2026
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Details to come, check back for updates.
Justice 101: Voices Beyond the Walls — Justice, Reentry, and Civic Power
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Free online and in-person. In recognition of National Voter Registration Day, the Philadelphia City Commissioners' Office and the Eastern State Center for Justice Education are partnering to present a panel and networking event exploring voting rights and civic engagement for justice-involved individuals and all community members.
Moderated by Vanessa Caracoza (Deputy Executive Director, Philadelphia City Commissioners' Office). Panelists include Omar Sabir (Chairman, Philadelphia City Commissioners’ Office), William “Bill” Hart (Associate Director, Temple University—Office of Community Affairs and Engagement), Benjamin D. Geffen, J.D. (Senior Attorney, Public Interest Law Center), Assata Thomas (Executive Director, Division of Reentry—City of Philadelphia’s Office of Public Safety), and others to be announced.
Democracy for All Week: Freedom of Expression
Thursday, September 17 - Monday, September 21, 2026
This Constitution Day—and all week long—join us to reflect on the role of the First Amendment in securing freedom and liberty for all. Enjoy family-friendly, interactive programs that explore the power of journalism and art inside prisons and what free expression means for those who are not fully free. Image: Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration, © 2024, Mark Loughney. Presented in Collaboration by Mural Arts Philadelphia and Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site.
Justice 101: The History of American Incarceration
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Explore the history of the U.S. criminal justice system beginning with Eastern State Penitentiary, a revolutionary attempt at prison reform led by Benjamin Franklin and other Framers of the U.S. Constitution. Consider how founding ideals of liberty and freedom impacted—and continue to play a role in—justice reform today.
Moderated by Kerry Sautner, Ed.D. (President and CEO, Eastern State) and featuring Ashley T. Rubin, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa), a leading scholar in U.S. carceral history and author of "The Deviant Prison: Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary and the Origins of America's Modern Penal System."
Firstival: 52 Weeks of Firsts
Saturday, October 03, 2026
As part of a yearlong celebration of national firsts, join Eastern State for a full-day event exploring the history and legacy of America’s first penitentiary.
Justice 101: Erasure of Queer History
Tuesday, October 06, 2026
Details to come, check back for updates.
Indigenous People’s Weekend
Friday, October 09 - Monday, October 12, 2026
Details to come, check back for updates.
Justice 101: Religious Freedom and the Justice System
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Explore the complex legal story of religious freedom and the justice system, and unpack how it continues to unfold in courtrooms, prisons, and jails across the country today. Delve into notable rulings that protected the rights of incarcerated people to practice their faiths behind bars.
Speakers include Michael Moreland, J.D., Ph.D. (Professor of Law and Religion & Director of the Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Villanova University) and others to be announced.
Fall Festival
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Free for kids in costume and their caregivers. No reservations necessary. Join us for some fall-themed family fun: trick-or-treating, scavenger hunt, story time, hands-on activities, art making, music, and more!
New Exhibit Opening!
Friday, November 20, 2026
Details to come, check back for updates.
Justice 101: From Natural Rights to “Slave of the State”- Philadelphia’s Founding Vision and the Making of the “Slave of the State”
Tuesday, November 24, 2026
Details to come, check back for updates.
Justice 101: Faith, Sanctuary, and Community
Thursday, December 03, 2026
Additional details to come, check back for updates. Join us for an evening that opens with a panel discussion and features live musical performances exploring how religious connection sustains people through incarceration.
Justice 101: Examining the Justice System and the Unfinished work of the Founding and the Prisoners’ Rights Revolution
Wednesday, December 09, 2026
Details to come, check back for updates.
