The 2024 season of Summer Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary has ended. Thank you for joining us!
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Saturday evenings include even more! Below, you'll find more information about our 2024 Summer Nights Saturday themes. Check back soon for more information about our 2025 offerings.
Sports Trivia Night - June 8, 2024
Join us in the central rotunda at 7 pm or 8 pm for sports and recreation trivia! Test your knowledge about sports in prison for the chance to win some Eastern State merchandise.
Game Night - June 15, 2024
Join us in the central rotunda from 7:30 to 8:00 pm for a pop-up talk about chess in prisons. Plus, learn about how roleplaying games and games of strategy provide an escape during incarceration and prepare people to reenter the community. Then, join the Eastern State Education team to compete in a board game tournament!
Art as Inspiration - June 22, 2024
Explore Eastern State’s artist installations and meet some of the local artists who have been inspired by this space. Learn more about the role that visual art plays in prison by viewing the murals of the Catholic Chaplain’s Office. Meet artists Greg Cowper (Specimen) and William Cromar (GTMO). Have your portrait drawn by Mark Loughney for his ongoing installation Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration.
Reentry Simulation - June 29, 2024, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Step into the shoes of a person being released from incarceration. This hands-on experience, designed to raise awareness about the barriers that people face when returning home from prison, is a powerful tool for communities to come together to discuss important issues related to the criminal justice system. The reentry simulation starts at 7 pm and runs until about 8:30. Reservations are required.
Field Day - July 6, 2024
Learn more about the impact of field days throughout the history of Eastern State Penitentiary. Participate in field day activities historically played at Eastern State and win prizes! Competitive activities include wiffle ball "Home Run Hits," a 50-yard dash, and a lemon and spoon race. Plus, enjoy friendly singles or doubles games of cornhole, horseshoes, and bocce throughout the evening.
Movie Night - July 13, 2024
Presented in partnership with FAMM. Gather in the central rotunda of the penitentiary at 6:30 pm to watch FAMM's latest documentary "District of Second Chances". Discover the impact of "second look" laws in Washington, D.C., through the compelling stories of three remarkable individuals. Immediately following the screening, at approximately 7:45 pm, join a live panel discussion featuring two cast members, Gene Downing and Anthony Petty, along with criminal justice advocate Nancy Leichter.
Animal Appreciation Night - July 20, 2024
Presented in partnership with New Leash on Life USA. Meet some of New Leash's adoptable dogs. Hear 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, 2024
Join us at 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm in the Fair Chance Beer Garden for music trivia! Test your knowledge about music in prison for the chance to win some Eastern State merchandise, and enjoy a live musical performance by Justin Griggs. Participate in hands-on activities connected to the transformative power of music within the confines of prison walls.
All programs subject to change.
