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Al Capone's Cell
Alphonse “Scarface” Capone got his first taste of prison life in Philadelphia.
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The Big Graph
The United States imprisons 2.2 million citizens, the highest incarceration rate in the world, by far, and yet has no national prison museum. Now, Eastern State Penitentiary is introducing public dialogue around issues of crime, justice, and the changing face of our criminal justice system.
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Prisons Today
The United States now has the highest rate of incarceration in the world, by far, with 2.2 million citizens in prison or jail. This phenomenon has generally been driven by changes in laws, policing, and sentencing, not by changes in behavior.
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Hidden Lives Illuminated
Hidden Lives Illuminated featured original animated films by currently incarcerated artists. Debuting in August 2019, 20 newly commissioned short films were projected onto the façade of Eastern State Penitentiary for 29 nights.
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Murals of the Catholic Chaplain's Office
TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE Please note: During our initial phase of reopening, visitors must follow a one-way path through the penitentiary. The murals of the Catholic Chaplain's Office will be temporarily inaccessible. Warden Michael Cassidy built these impressive spaces for his offices in the 1880s. Later wardens moved their offices back to the Administration Building, a safer location isolated from the inmates.
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Jewish Life at Eastern State
TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE Please note: During our initial phase of reopening, visitors must follow a one-way path through the penitentiary. The restored Alfred W. Fleisher Memorial Synagogue and the companion exhibit on Jewish life at Eastern State Penitentiary will be temporarily inaccessible.
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