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Evening Programs
All Ages
In-Person

Summer Nights Pay-What-You-Wish Night: Justice & Journalism, part of Wawa Welcome America

Saturday, June 27, 2026

6:00 - 9:00pm EST

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Uncover the role of investigative journalism in shaping our understanding of the criminal justice system. Through live storytelling, panel discussions, and interactive exhibits, this program brings together award-winning reporters, formerly incarcerated writers, documentary filmmakers, and justice advocates to examine the power of storytelling in exposing injustice and driving reform. 

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 Summer Nights at Eastern State - With a different theme each week, Summer Nights provides a fun and meaningful night out—combining history, culture, and entertainment in a one-of-a-kind setting. Enjoy immersive experiences, interactive events, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access to one of Philadelphia’s most unique landmarks.

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 PhiladelphiaAmerica250PA, Campus250, the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, 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.

Co-Sponsors

Event Sponsors

Interested in more events in this series?

Summer Nights: Pride Night
Summer Nights
In-Person

Summer Nights: Pride Night

Saturday, June 20, 2026
6:00pm - 9:00pm

$10. Details to come, check back for updates. Eastern State invites visitors to explore powerful, but often overlooked, stories of the LGBTQ+ folks that served time at America’s most influential prisons, and to reflect on what those stories mean for our communities today.

Summer Nights: On the Big Screen Night
Summer Nights
In-Person

Summer Nights: On the Big Screen Night

Saturday, July 11, 2026
6:00pm - 9:00pm

$10. Experience a night of reckoning at Eastern State Penitentiary as we host a special screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary, The Alabama Solution.

Summer Nights: Music & Open Mic Night
Summer Nights
In-Person

Summer Nights: Music & Open Mic Night

Saturday, July 18, 2026
6:00pm - 9:00pm

$10. At the heart of our historic site, local musicians, spoken word artists, and storytellers will take the stage to weave narratives of justice, freedom, and the enduring power of resilience.

Summer Nights: Adult Field Day & Sports Night
Summer Nights
In-Person

Summer Nights: Adult Field Day & Sports Night

Saturday, July 25, 2026
6:00pm - 9:00pm

$10. Join us at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site to learn more about the power of sports in fostering a sense of belonging throughout ESP's history and in correctional facilities today.

Summer Nights: Art & Resistance
Summer Nights
In-Person

Summer Nights: Art & Resistance

Saturday, August 01, 2026
6:00pm - 9:00pm

$10. Eastern State invites visitors to explore powerful stories of resilience, creativity, and resistance within one of America’s most influential prisons, and to reflect on what those stories mean for our communities today.

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