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Visiting now through July 19? Here’s everything you need to know about special programming, parking restrictions, and getting to Eastern State during FIFA Fan Festival and the MLB All-Star Game. Learn more.

Special Events & Exhibitions
All Ages
In-Person

Voices of Liberation Video Installation

Sunday, February 01 - Saturday, February 28, 2026

All Day

Prison Facade Events Thumbnail

Included with admission. Visit this video installation near the historic site’s central rotunda to hear from prominent civil rights leaders who spoke and wrote from behind bars, using their voices to challenge oppression and inspire collective change.  

Ask any staff member for more information.

About the Panelists:

We strive to make the penitentiary and our site, programs, and exhibits accessible to all visitors. Click here to learn more about accessibility and accommodations at ESPHS.



This program is part of A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future, a yearlong slate of free, inclusive programs exploring the evolving meanings of liberty and justice in America. 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.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program series, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This program is part of Finding Justice Month, a series of programs that invite visitors to explore how expression—through words, art, and music—has always been a natural and essential human right, even within spaces of confinement. 

This program is part of Finding Justice: The Civil Rights Movement. Through storytelling, historical interpretation, and creative engagement, these programs highlight the voices and actions of those who fought for civil rights and challenged the nation to live up to its founding ideals.  

Co-Sponsors

Event Sponsors

Interested in more events in this series?

Finding Freedom Civic Season
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future

Finding Freedom Civic Season

Monday, May 25 - Monday, September 07, 2026
All Day

As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, Eastern State invites visitors to explore the history and legacy of one of America’s most influential prisons to reflect on the how the past informs our shared future.

Justice 101: School to Prison Pipeline
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future

Justice 101: School to Prison Pipeline

Tuesday, September 01 - Wednesday, September 30, 2026
All Day

Date and details to be confirmed—please check back for updates.

Constitution Day: The Justice System in America Today
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future
In-Person

Constitution Day: The Justice System in America Today

Thursday, September 17, 2026
All Day

This Constitution Day, we celebrate and reflect on the role of the First Amendment in securing freedom and liberty for all. Join us for this deep dive into prison journalism, art, and free expression for those who are not free.

Fireside Chat: Art and Agency – The First Amendment and Incarceration in America
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future
In-Person & Online

Fireside Chat: Art and Agency – The First Amendment and Incarceration in America

Thursday, September 17, 2026
All Day

Details to come, check back for updates. Join us for a conversation on the intersection of the First Amendment, freedom of expression through art, and incarceration.

Justice 101
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future

Justice 101

Thursday, October 01 - Saturday, October 31, 2026
All Day

Details to come, check back for updates.

52 Weeks of Firsts
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future
Special Events & Exhibitions
In-Person

52 Weeks of Firsts

Saturday, October 03, 2026
11:00am - 1:00pm

With soaring stone walls and a radical design, Eastern State Penitentiary created the philosophy of America’s first true penitentiary. Walk the halls where history was made, and experience the human stories of early prison systems.

Indigenous People’s Weekend
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future
Special Events & Exhibitions

Indigenous People’s Weekend

Friday, October 09 - Monday, October 12, 2026
All Day

Details to come, check back for updates.

Fall Festival
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future
In-Person

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!

New Exhibit Opening!
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future
In-Person

New Exhibit Opening!

Sunday, November 01 - Monday, November 30, 2026
All Day

Details to come, check back for updates.

Justice 101: Friendship, Support, and Reentry
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future

Justice 101: Friendship, Support, and Reentry

Sunday, November 01 - Monday, November 30, 2026
All Day

Details to come, check back for updates.

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