Skip to main content
Program Series

Wednesday Nights at Eastern State

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 to Wednesday, July 01, 2026

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site opens its gates this summer for Wednesday Nights! With a different theme each week, Wednesday Nights provide 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.

Take a curated, self-guided audio tour by scanning QR codes throughout the historic site. Engage with exhibits, art installations, and pop-up talks highlighting the history of Eastern State Penitentiary and the impact of the criminal justice system today. Reflect and connect in The Fair Chance Beer Garden—offering soft drinks and small-batch craft beer—presented in partnership with Triple Bottom Brewing Company.

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.

Spring Break 2 Events Thumbnail

Events in this Series

Wednesday Nights: Faith, Reentry, and Prison Reform
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future

Wednesday Nights: Faith, Reentry, and Prison Reform

Wednesday, May 27, 2026
5:30pm - 9:30pm

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Join us for a powerful interfaith dialogue on faith, reentry, and prison reform, bringing together Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders to examine how religious traditions have shaped American approaches to rehabilitation, moral responsibility, and reintegration since the nation’s founding.

Wednesday Nights: Escape & Resistance
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future

Wednesday Nights: Escape & Resistance

Wednesday, June 03, 2026
5:30pm - 9:30pm

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Details to come, check back for updates.

Wednesday Nights: Preservation Behind the Scenes
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future

Wednesday Nights: Preservation Behind the Scenes

Wednesday, June 10, 2026
5:30pm - 9:30pm

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Details to come, check back for updates.

Wednesday Nights: Music & Open Mic Night
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future

Wednesday Nights: Music & Open Mic Night

Wednesday, June 17, 2026
5:30pm - 9:30pm

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Details to come, check back for updates.

Wednesday Nights: June 24th
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future

Wednesday Nights: June 24th

Wednesday, June 24, 2026
5:30pm - 9:30pm

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Details to come, check back for updates.

Wednesday Nights: Adult Field Day & Sports Night
A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future

Wednesday Nights: Adult Field Day & Sports Night

Wednesday, July 01, 2026
5:30pm - 9:30pm

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Details to come, check back for updates.

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

Wednesday Nights: Faith, Reentry, and Prison Reform

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Join us for a powerful interfaith dialogue on faith, reentry, and prison reform, bringing together Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders to examine how religious traditions have shaped American approaches to rehabilitation, moral responsibility, and reintegration since the nation’s founding.

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

Wednesday Nights: Escape & Resistance

Wednesday, June 03, 2026

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Details to come, check back for updates.

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

Wednesday Nights: Preservation Behind the Scenes

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Details to come, check back for updates.

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

Wednesday Nights: Music & Open Mic Night

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Details to come, check back for updates.

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

Wednesday Nights: June 24th

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Details to come, check back for updates.

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

Wednesday Nights: Adult Field Day & Sports Night

Wednesday, July 01, 2026

$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Details to come, check back for updates.

Sign up for our newsletter