Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary, 2021
September 8, 2021
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary, from the creators of Terror Behind the Walls, is a festival-style event consisting of 15 attractions: five immersive walkthrough attractions, including two haunted houses which can be bypassed by those wanting a less scary experience; three live performances; four themed bars and lounges; three opportunities to learn about Eastern State Penitentiary’s history and legacy of criminal justice reform; and more.
General Admission tickets include 12 of the 15 attractions. VIP Admission tickets include Express Entry and 14 attractions, as well as two complimentary drinks: one in The Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell, and the other in The Bloodline Lounge.
Five Immersive Walkthrough Attractions
Machine Shop
Haunted House (Scary!)
Included with general admission
Hidden away from the world is a long-forgotten machine shop. Evil pervades this space – an evil with one mind but with many bodies. Will you survive, or will you become just another cog in the machine?
The Crypt
Haunted House (Scary!)
Included with general admission
The creatures of The Crypt request your presence. Care to join them? Wade through the mist and into the lair of an ancient clan of vampires. They’ve set the table, but watch your step. If you’re not careful, you might end up on their next menu.
Delirium
3D Fun House (Disorienting, Not Scary)
Included with general admission
Take a mind-altering trip into another dimension full of immersive illusions. Delirium is a parallel, neon universe where nothing is quite as it seems. Fascinating creatures emerge from seemingly nowhere as the world you thought you knew shrinks away behind you.
Take 13
Immersive Walkthrough (Eerie, Not Scary)
Included with general admission
Lights, Camera, Apparition! Step back in time and into the golden age of old Hollywood glamour. The cameras never stopped rolling on the souls that roam this hall. Actors, directors, and crew from days of productions past are stuck in an endless loop, doomed to haunt their movie sets forever. And now they want you to be part of the show.
Kaleidoscope Hall
Immersive Walkthrough (Psychedelic, Not Scary)
Included with general admission
Journey into a realm of shifting shapes and dazzling light. Watch this rainbow world unfold before your eyes as vivid hues illuminate picturesque crumbling walls and vaulted ceilings.
Three Live Performances
Junkyard Jams
Live Musical Performance (Entertaining, Not Scary)
Included with general admission
Straight from the scrap heap and onto the stage. This band of misfits turns trash into tunes with live performances every night. Dance to some percussive jams while you’re passing on through the junkyard.
The Skeleton Crew performance in Gargoyle Gardens
Live Dance Performance (Entertaining, Not Scary)
Included with general admission. Food and drinks sold separately.
Rhythm lives deep down in your bones. The Skeleton Crew lights up the night with dance performances sure to move you from your feet up to your skull.
The Skeleton Crew performance takes place in Gargoyle Gardens, a themed area featuring iconic gargoyles Frank and Carson, as well as classic Halloween elements like pumpkins and hay bales, that make for perfect selfie backdrops.
Concessions are also available. Sip on the Skull & Crossbones cocktail (gin, pomegranate, cranberry, lime) or Pep’s Pumpkin Punch, inspired by Eastern State’s most famous four-legged resident (punch can be nonalcoholic or spiked with spiced rum, vodka, or bourbon).
S’mores and Lore
Storytelling Projection Show (Suspenseful, Not Scary)
Included with general admission. S’mores kits sold separately.
Gather around, grab a friend, and listen close. Flickering projections onto tall stone walls share ghost stories that send shivers down your spine. Roast some s’mores for the full old-fashioned bonfire experience. And don’t worry, they’re only stories after all…
Four Themed Bars and Lounges
The Bloodline Lounge
Vampire-Themed Bar and Lounge (Scary!)
Included with VIP admission. Visitors with General Admission tickets can add The Bloodline Lounge for $15 at the door, subject to availability. One complimentary cocktail, glass of wine, or soft drink is included with admission to The Bloodline Lounge.
Nothing like a nice glass of red. Unlike the vampiric friends you’ll meet inside, you don’t need a special invitation to enter this fine establishment. With a selection of delectable drinks and plenty of corners to lurk in, The Bloodline Bar and Lounge is sure to leave its mark. Come on in… we promise we won’t bite.
The Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell
Prohibition-Themed Bar and Lounge with Live Entertainment (Entertaining, Not Scary)
Included with VIP admission. Visitors with General Admission tickets can add The Speakeasy for $13 online, $15 at the door. One complimentary beer, glass of wine, or soft drink is included with admission to The Speakeasy.
Unbundle your nerves with a nightcap at this cozy little hideaway. In The Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell, spirits are high, and surprises hide around every corner. Play a round of chess. Grab a drink, settle in, and prepare to be serenaded by our spectacular, undead lounge singers.
Tricks and Treats
Halloween Candy-Themed Cocktail Lounge (Entertaining, Not Scary)
Included with general admission. Drinks sold separately.
Enter a fantastical world of sugar-coated trickery. Sip on a candy-themed cocktail, such as the Candy Kiss (vodka, cranberry, pineapple, ginger) or Spiced Hot Apple Cider (can be nonalcoholic or spiked with spiced rum, vodka, or bourbon), and mingle with the jesters and clowns of this twisted carnival for the senses.
The Fair Chance Beer Garden
Featuring Triple Bottom Brewing Co. beer and a rotating selection of food vendors (Interactive, Not Scary)
Included with general admission. Food and drinks sold separately.
Soak in the crisp night air on Eastern State's historic baseball field. Enjoy a Triple Bottom Brewing Company beer and some food or seasonal treats from a rotating selection of food vendors. Participate in hands-on activities that invite conversation and reflection on Eastern State’s history and legacy of criminal justice reform.
The Fair Chance Beer Garden creates meaningful, living-wage jobs for people who may otherwise be excluded from the mainstream economy, including people who have experienced homelessness or incarceration.
Three Opportunities to Learn about Eastern State Penitentiary’s History and Legacy of Criminal Justice Reform
“The Voices of Eastern State” Highlights Audio Tour
Self-Guided Audio Tour (Educational, Not Scary)
Included with general admission
A 20-minute, abbreviated version of our audio tour recorded especially for Halloween Nights! Featuring brand-new narration from actor Steve Buscemi, plus the voices of people who were incarcerated or worked at Eastern State. Visitors will explore Eastern State's center surveillance hub, Cellblock 4, and prison baseball diamond as they discover the penitentiary’s history and reflect on issues of justice and mass incarceration today.
After Dark CB3 Tour
Guide-Led Flashlight Walking Tour (Educational, Not Scary)
$10. Available at the door only
A 20-minute, guide-led, flashlight walking tour of Cellblock 3, the Hospital Block. Learn more about Eastern State's medical history and get a look at the Operating Room and other fascinating spaces.
The Big Graph and companion exhibit Prisons Today
Museum Exhibits (Educational, Not Scary)
Included with general admission
Learn about criminal justice today with these award-winning exhibits on mass incarceration.
The Big Graph is a massive, three-dimensional bar graph sculpture illustrating the unprecedented growth in U.S. incarceration rates since 1970. The graph also compares the U.S. incarceration rate to other nations’, and it shows the racial breakdown of the American prison population in 1970 and 2010.
Prisons Today, the award-winning companion exhibit to The Big Graph, sheds more light on these issues. Through digital interactives and innovative displays, it elicits personal connections, encourages reflection, supports dialogue, and suggests steps that visitors can take to help shape the evolution of the American criminal justice system.
…And More!
- Large-scale projection mapping brings the historic architecture to life. Lasers, special effects lighting, fog, and other special effects activate courtyards and cellblocks, creating a completely immersive visitor experience.
- Halloween-themed concessions are available throughout the festival. Highlights include pumpkin-spiced French toast bites, beer pairings with fun-sized Halloween candy, hot apple cider, and s’mores. Local food and beverage vendors include Down North Pizza, Triple Bottom Brewing, and /Lōˈkal/ Artisan Foods Group (French Toast Bites).
- Costumed characters roam the grounds and create personal, theatrical interactions with guests.
- One-of-a-kind photo and selfie spots throughout the property showcase the historic penitentiary, iconic gargoyles, unique theatrical elements, and classic Halloween imagery.
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