-- Summer Nights runs Friday and Saturday evenings from June 7 through July 27, 2024 --
May 23, 2024
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site (ESPHS) announces Summer Nights, a new series of evening programming that explores the profound impact of recreation on prison life through engaging talks, film screenings, and interactive experiences. Friday and Saturday evenings from June 7 through July 27, visitors to the historic site can discover the rich and captivating history of sports, the arts, and other recreational activities at Eastern State Penitentiary, as well as their enduring legacy in correctional institutions today.
Summer Nights admission includes new, exclusive programming such as a themed pop-up exhibition of historic artifacts, themed guide-led tours, scavenger hunt, film screenings, wiffle ball, and more. Summer Nights also marks the return of The Fair Chance Beer Garden, presented in partnership with Triple Bottom Brewing. New for 2024, local food vendors join Triple Bottom in the beer garden to offer a more robust dining experience. Additionally, each Saturday evening features a unique opportunity for visitors to engage with the Summer Nights themes, such as game night (June 15), a reentry simulation (June 29), field day (July 6), and movie night (July 13). All flagship programs, such as ”The Voices of Eastern State” Audio Tour via QR code, exhibits, and art installations, are also included with Summer Nights admission.
“We are thrilled to launch Summer Nights,” says Dr. Kerry Sautner, President & CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. “Sports, art, and team activities not only offer recreational value, but also inspire creativity, strategic thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. We hope that visitors who join us for Summer Nights will have fun, and also that they will reflect on their own life experiences and consider some of the universal human experiences that connect us all.”
Summer Nights takes place Friday and Saturday evenings from June 7 through July 27 at Eastern State Penitentiary. Hours are 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. (last entry 8:00 p.m.).
All Summer Nights activities are included with admission. Tickets are available online or at the door, subject to availability. Ticket prices vary:
- Fridays - $23 online, $25 at the door
- Saturdays - $28 online, $30 at the door
Discounted rates are available for groups of 15 or more.
For more information, visit EasternState.org/SummerNights.
Summer Nights Program Schedule:
- Fair Chance Beer Garden (Ongoing) – Presented in partnership with Triple Bottom Brewing. Food and beverages available for purchase.
- Pop-Up Museum: Sports & Recreation — (Ongoing) Rarely-seen artifacts tell the story of sports, recreation, and music at Eastern State, including historical photographs, prisoner-made crafts, and recovered athletic equipment. Games once played by Eastern State prisoners, such as dominos, checkers, chess, and cards, are also available for visitors to play.
- Sports & Recreation Scavenger Hunt — (Ongoing) Visitors who complete the scavenger hunt receive a sticker prize.
- Hidden Lives Illuminated Film Screening (Ongoing) – Animated short films created by incarcerated people in local prisons and jails. Visitors can also write to some of the filmmakers at a postcard writing station.
- Home Run Hits — (7 pm nightly) An ESPHS Educator shares more about the impact of baseball in prisons, past and present. Then, visitors can step up to the plate and see how far they can hit a wiffle ball toward the penitentiary’s tall perimeter wall.
- Unlocking History: Race, Baseball, & The Legend of Charles "Jack" Blackburn Tour — (Hourly at 5 minutes past the hour) An ESPHS Educator leads a 10-minute talk about the fascinating story of this Hall of Fame boxer turned Eastern State Penitentiary baseball player.
- Unlocking History: Making Headlines Tour (Hourly at 20 minutes past the hour) An ESPHS Educator leads a 10-minute talk about the history of journalism at Eastern State. Then, visitors can type their own headlines using an authentic prison-issued typewriter.
- Unlocking History: Music Behind the Walls Tour (Hourly at 35 minutes past the hour) An ESPHS Educator leads a 10-minute talk about the the role of music throughout Eastern State’s history, as well as famous musicians who have personal connections to incarceration.
Special Events on Saturday Nights:
Saturday evenings include even more:
- Trivia Night - June 8 – Visitors can test their knowledge about sports in prison for the chance to win some Eastern State merchandise.
- Game Night - June 15 – Featuring pop-up talks about chess in prison, and about how roleplaying games and games of strategy provide an escape during incarceration and prepare people to reenter the community. Then, visitors can compete in a board game tournament.
- Art as Inspiration - June 22 – Visitors can explore Eastern State’s art installations; meet some of the local artists who have been inspired by the site; view the prisoner-made murals of Eastern State’s Chaplain’s Office; and meet Mark Loughney, the artist behind Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration.
- Reentry Simulation - June 29 – This hands-on experience is designed to raise awareness about the barriers that people face when returning home from prison.
- Field Day - July 6 – Features activities like a wiffle ball homerun derby, footraces, and other spirit day contests.
- Movie Night - July 13 – A movie about prison life screened inside the penitentiary’s central rotunda, followed by a discussion separating fact from fiction and unpacking how the realities of incarceration differ from what’s often seen onscreen.
- Animal Appreciation Night - July 20 – Presented in partnership with New Leash on Life USA. Visitors can learn about Eastern State Penitentiary’s most famous four-legged resident, Pep the Dog; participate in an animal-themed scavenger hunt; and find out how animals continue to play a role in prisons today.
- Music Trivia Night - July 27 – Visitors can test their knowledge about music in prison for the chance to win some Eastern State merchandise. Live performance by local musicians.
All programs are subject to change.
About Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site:
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site interprets the legacy of American criminal justice reform, from the nation’s founding through to the present day, within the long-abandoned cellblocks of the nation’s most historic prison.
For more information, visit EasternState.org and follow Eastern State Penitentiary on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, and Tik Tok.
###
Post This!
NEW: Summer Nights at @EasternState Penitentiary. Explore the impact of art, sports and rec on prison life through activities like field day, game night, movie screenings, & wiffle ball. Fri + Sat nights, 6/7 - 7/27. Learn more: EasternState.org/SummerNights
###
