Group Visits

We typically recommend that groups plan on being at Eastern State Penitentiary for 1 to 1.5 hours. All guide-led tours and workshops are 45 minutes long. The main ten stops of our audio tour take around 40 to 45 minutes to complete. 

If the site is open to the public, and operating with no restrictions, the group is welcome to stay longer to explore the site on their own, visit our artist installations, shop our museum store, and enjoy our history exhibits.

Yes! Group visits must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance. For private, guide-led tours, time slots fill up very quickly, especially during the school year, so we recommend scheduling your tour as soon as you chose the date and time you would like to visit.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and checks (made out to “Eastern State Penitentiary”).

Eastern State Penitentiary requires FULL payment at least 10 days prior to your visit. This means that either a form with your valid credit card information or a check made out to "Eastern State Penitentiary" for the full amount due must be received by the group sales team 10 days in advance of your scheduled visit.

Please note that while we will happily sign purchase orders if requested, purchase orders do not constitute proof of payment. A check made out for the full amount due must still be received at least 10 days in advance of your scheduled visit.

Group size is considered final upon receipt of payment. Refunds will not be issued for a reduction in group size after payment has been made.

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc.’s taxpayer identification number is 31-1627155. A copy of our Form W-9 is also available for download.

No. You know your group best. Please plan on bringing an appropriate number of responsible chaperones. Chaperones must be 18 years of age or older and stay with their assigned group throughout the visit. We provide one complimentary admission per fifteen paying visitors for daytime tours.

There is only one entrance to the Eastern State Penitentiary. The entrance is located on Fairmount Avenue between 21st and 22nd Street. One of our educators will meet the group here. If a member of our team is not waiting at the entrance when you arrive, please send one person to the ticket office (located in the entrance to your right) to announce your group’s arrival.

While we do not have our own parking lot, there is a parking lot neighboring us at 22nd St & Fairmount Ave. Parking costs vary. For exact pricing, please call Parkway Corporation at (267) 765-3665.

Additionally, you can find parallel parking bordering the penitentiary. Eastern State is so large that it occupies one full city block. Bordering Eastern State on the west (to the left if you are facing the entrance) is 22nd Street. On the Eastern State side of 22nd Street, parallel parking is free and unlimited. The same is true of Brown Street, which borders our back wall. Again, parking is free and unlimited only on the Eastern State side of the street. If you choose to park anywhere else in the neighborhood, just exercise caution and read all signs.

Eastern State Penitentiary is also accessible by public transit.

Eastern State Penitentiary has no designated bus parking on site and the parking lot at 22nd Street & Fairmount Avenue does not permit bus parking. Bus parking is not permitted on the streets surrounding the Penitentiary.

Callowhill Bus Center

As part of the City of Philadelphia's continuing efforts to improve Center City traffic and parking, all buses, motor coaches and tour buses are prohibited from parking on city streets, including the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority has identified the Callowhill Bus Center (CBC) at 2nd & Callowhill Streets as the designated bus parking location for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway attractions.

The CBC has accommodations for bus drivers including a lounge, television, vending and other amenities. The facility is also secured and monitored 24 hours a day. There is a fee of $20.00 per bus that covers parking all day with unlimited re-entry. For more information call (215) 546-1706.

Bus drivers in need of short term parking may consider Sedgely Avenue as an alternative to the CBC. Although this is not an official bus parking location, as long as the driver remains with the vehicle, buses parking along Sedgely Avenue for a short amount of time usually have no problems. Sedgely Avenue is located about 5 blocks from Eastern State Penitentiary just off of Kelly Drive behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Please see our bus parking map for more information.

Several wonderful Fairmount restaurants, only steps from Eastern State Penitentiary, can accommodate groups. Here is a map of restaurants near the penitentiary. We recommend calling ahead to make reservations for large groups.

Please note that groups are not permitted to eat lunch on site at this time.

At this time, groups are not permitted to eat lunch on site.

Yes. The museum store carries a unique array of items, including a wide variety of books, clothing, mugs, magnets, posters and postcards. You are sure to find the perfect gift or a keepsake to remind you of your trip to Eastern State. We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

Groups may also pre-order exclusive merchandise packages options. All pre-orders must be received at least one week prior to your visit.

Absolutely! Eastern State may be the most photogenic place you see in years! We ask that you honor our photography policies while visiting.

No, waivers are no longer required for daytime tours. However, keep in mind that Eastern State Penitentiary remains in a state of semi-ruin. Visitors should exercise caution, and stay within the clearly marked public areas.

No. Alcohol and weapons of any kind are not permitted in the penitentiary complex; however, there are no special security requirements at this time. ID is not required for entry. Backpacks are permitted, but you must keep them with you at all times.

Yes. Many visitors in wheelchairs visit Eastern State Penitentiary every year. That said, the Penitentiary complex is not fully ADA compliant. The building is over 180 years old, and is a National Historic Landmark. Sections of it may never be fully accessible.

The majority of our tour route is equipped with ADA compliant ramps and meets most ADA guidelines.

Service animals and service animals in training are welcome at Eastern State. Emotional support animals, pets, or any other animals are not permitted.

The digital equipment used for "The Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour includes special features for those with sight, hearing and mobility impairments. Special features include raised dots that indicate the number five on the keypad, color-coded and shaped control buttons, compatibility with hearing aid T-switch, lightweight design with comfortable carrying strap and telephone-style keypads with backlit buttons.

Large print scripts of "The Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour are also available free of charge.

For more information, please visit our Accessibility page.

Please complete and submit this online form or contact Francine Schiffman, Senior Manager, Group Sales and Events at [email protected].