Eastern State’s critically acclaimed exhibits illuminate the penitentiary’s history, uncover the stories of people who lived and worked inside its walls, and deepen understanding of the criminal justice system in America—inspiring people to reflect, imagine, and act together to build a more just future.
The Big Graph
The United States’ rate of incarceration is among the highest in the world. Built to the scale of Eastern State’s walls, this massive, three-dimensional bar graph sculpture illustrates the unprecedented growth in the United States’ incarceration rates since 1900. It also shows the racial breakdown of the American prison population in 1970 and today.
Prisons Today: Questions in the Age of Mass Incarceration
The United States has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world, with more than 2 million people in prison or jail. This phenomenon has generally been driven by changes in laws, policing, and sentencing, not by changes in behavior. Prisons Today is an interactive multimedia exhibit shedding light on these issues. It invites you to learn, reflect, and consider steps we can all take to help shape the evolution of the American criminal justice system in the decades to come.
Explore Prisons Today with this 3D virtual tour, courtesy of the Associated Press.
Jewish Life at Eastern State
When it opened in 1924, Eastern State Penitentiary’s synagogue was the first-ever dedicated space for Jewish religious services to be built inside an American prison. Step inside The Alfred Fleisher Memorial Synagogue, which has been restored to its 1959 appearance. Then visit The William Portner Memorial Exhibit on Jewish Life to learn more about Eastern State’s Jewish population and their relationship with the Jewish community outside of the penitentiary.