Explore an American First
Step inside the world’s first penitentiary, a bold 19th century experiment in justice reform. With architectural, social, and historical significance, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site harnesses the power of place to deepen our collective understanding of the American justice system and inspire us to consider how we can build a more just future together.
Discover. Discuss. Share.
Every visit to Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is unique! ESPHS offers a variety of tours, exhibits, programs, and other dynamic ways to engage with this iconic site’s powerful history and reflect on the impact of the justice system.
Experience ESPHS your way – with an audio tour, a guide-led tour, or a self-guided exploration – all included with admission.
Visiting with 15 people or more? Interested in a private Guide-Led Tour? Learn more about Group Visits.
100% of ticket sales proceeds go directly to benefit our mission.
Included with Admission
Audio Tour
Explore at your own pace with a narrated tour featuring voices from the penitentiary’s past.
Guide-Led Tour
Join an educator for a deep dive into the penitentiary’s history and modern-day relevance.
Mini Tours
Take a quick detour to experience unique spaces and topics in 20 minutes or less.
Art
View powerful art that illuminates history and explores incarceration today.
Exhibits
Engage with exhibits that connect our legacy to today’s criminal justice system.
Plan your visit!
Get ready to experience Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Learn more about what to bring, where to go, and how to make the most of your visit.
Know Before You GoUpcoming Historic Site Events
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A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future
Thursday, January 01 - Thursday, December 31, 2026
A yearlong slate of free, inclusive programs exploring the evolving meanings of liberty and justice in America.
The Aaron Reichlin Restorative Justice and Faith Conversations
Thursday, January 01 - Thursday, December 31, 2026
Made possible in part by a generous grant from The Reichlin and Tuck Families, this series brings together scholarship, performance, and dialogue to examine how faith traditions foster community, sustain people through and after incarceration, and inform conversations about re-entry and justice reform.
Finding Justice: The Civil Rights Movement
Friday, January 09 - Saturday, February 28, 2026
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.
Finding Justice Month
Sunday, February 01 - Saturday, February 28, 2026
Eastern State Penitentiary’s Finding Justice programs 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.
Voices of Liberation Video Installation
Sunday, February 01, 2026
All Day
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.
Highlighted Mini-Tours
Sunday, February 01, 2026
12:30am - 12:30am
Learn how how creative expression—through visual art and sound—has long offered both reflection and resistance within the prison walls.
February 2026: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Sunday, February 15, 2026
11:00am - 12:00pm
Subject to availability. Purchase tickets online to secure your spot. An Eastern State educator leads a Guide-Led Tour and Discussion in partnership with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter from Hands UP Productions.
Public Tour with Artist Talk
Saturday, February 21, 2026
11:00am - 12:00pm
Subject to availability. Purchase timed tickets online to secure your spot. Join us for a special iteration of our Guide-Led Tour & Discussion featuring a Q&A with artist Mark Loughney.
Public Portrait Session with Mark Loughney
Saturday, February 21, 2026
12:00pm - 4:00pm
Visitors are invited to sit for a portrait with artist Mark Loughney. The portraits will be included in the next phase of his art installation "Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration," which is now on view at the historic site.
Women and the Justice System Month
Sunday, March 01, 2026
All Day
Uncover the history of women's incarceration and its lasting impact. You will explore the complex and diverse stories of those who were incarcerated here, the staff who worked within these walls, and the advocates who fought for change.
March 2026: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Saturday, March 14, 2026
11:00am - 12:00pm
Subject to availability. Purchase tickets online to secure your spot. An Eastern State educator leads a Guide-Led Tour and Discussion in partnership with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter from Hands UP Productions.
Women Changing the City with the Center City Business Association
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
8:00am - 10:00am
Private event. Part of the Center City Business Association's Women Changing the City Series. Hear from Philadelphia businesswomen; their personal stories of leadership, challenges, and triumphs. Photo: Chris Grant phillymusicvideos.com
Spring Break: The Great Escape: Stories of Resistance and Creativity at Eastern State
Friday, March 27, 2026
All Day
A week of immersive history, storytelling, and hands-on discovery.
Jewish History Self-Guided Tour
Wednesday, April 01, 2026
All Day
In honor of Passover, explore the rich and often overlooked stories of Jewish prisoners and the community connected to Eastern State Penitentiary.
Museum Store Association (MSA) NEXT Networking Event
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Private event. Networking event for MSA NEXT, part of the MSA FORWARD Annual Retail Conference & Expo. Photo: Museum Store Association
American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Workshop: Mission & Masonry: Behind the Scenes at Eastern State Penitentiary and Girard College
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
1:00pm - 4:30pm
Private event for the 2026 AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo.
Memorial Day Weekend Preservation Fest
Sunday, May 24, 2026
10:00am - 4:00pm
Go beyond the typical tour. Learn how the site is preserved, explore rarely seen areas with preservation staff, and get hands-on with restoration techniques. Special mini-tour and interactive activities included with admission.
Wednesday Nights at Eastern State
Wednesday, May 27 - Wednesday, July 01, 2026
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). 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.
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
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
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.
Freedom Summer 2026
Thursday, June 11 - Sunday, July 19, 2026
Details to be confirmed—please check back for updates.
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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.
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Juneteenth Festival
Friday, June 19, 2026
All Day
Details to be confirmed—please check back for updates.
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.
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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.
New Exhibit Opening! Freedom through Faith: Judaism at Eastern State and Beyond
Thursday, July 02, 2026
All Day
Join us for the launch of Freedom through Faith: Judaism at Eastern State and Beyond, a new exhibit that will reveal how religious freedom, framed as "unalienable rights," was a foundational promise of the Declaration that was strongly represented and practiced inside America’s first penitentiary, especially among its Jewish population
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Democracy for all Week: Freedom of Expression: Journalism, Art and Justice
Thursday, September 17 - Monday, September 21, 2026
Enjoy a series of programs that explore the intersection of the First Amendment, freedom of expression through art, and incarceration.
Constitution Day: The Justice System in America Today
Thursday, September 17, 2026
12:15am - 1:15am
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.
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.
Justice 101: Friendship, Support, and Reentry
Sunday, November 01, 2026
All Day
Details to come, check back for updates.
New Exhibit Opening!
Sunday, November 01, 2026
All Day
Details to come, check back for updates.
Closed for Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 26, 2026
All Day
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is closed for Thanksgiving. We resume normal hours on Friday.
Closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Friday, December 25, 2026
All Day
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is closed December 24 and 25. We resume normal hours on December 26.