Help us build on the momentum of this milestone year! In 2026, we hosted more than 30 A Time for Liberty events, opened two new exhibits about the power of religious community and the impact of prison labor, and broke ground on our state-of-the-art Welcome Center. Now, we’re looking ahead to Eastern State Penitentiary’s 200th anniversary in 2029 and beyond, and we need your support.
Keep reading to learn more or make a gift now!
Across the country, 2026 was a year of reflection as the United States commemorated the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For Eastern State, 2026 marked A Time for Liberty, an institution-wide initiative designed to explore how our country has—and will continue to—define liberty, freedom, and the unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness. By bringing together visitors from our own community and from around the world, this Semiquincentennial year offered Eastern State a chance to situate the penitentiary’s nearly-200-year history within national conversations about placing human dignity at the center of justice—conversations that spurred revolutionary change in 1776, 1829, and 2026.
Presenting more than 30 panels, festivals, workshops, installations, and exhibits, A Time for Liberty has been an extraordinary opportunity to deepen our shared sense of community by uniting people in the power of history to inform the present and inspire the future.
The momentum we have built this year will power us toward the penitentiary’s own 200th anniversary in 2029. But we can’t do it alone. Will you make a gift of $50, $100, or $250 today so that Eastern State can serve not only as a museum of memory, but as a catalyst for change?
New Exhibit for 2026: Freedom Through Faith: Judaism at Eastern State and Beyond
On July 2, we opened our new exhibit, Freedom Through Faith: Judaism at Eastern State and Beyond. It centers on the remarkable stories of the men and women who built a community and the first synagogue inside a prison. Through engaging stories and design, the exhibit explores how faith shaped life at Eastern State, highlights the people who built a vibrant Jewish community, and connects this history to ongoing conversations about dignity and religious freedom in prisons today.
New Art Installation for 2026: Land of the Free by Cody Stuhltrager
Eastern State’s first artist-in-residence, Cody Stuhltrager, will unveil his new installation, Land of the Free, on November 20. Drawing on his own 20 years of incarceration, Cody uses this piece to make visible the often-hidden scale and economics of prison labor, connecting Eastern State's own history—Cellblock 14 was designed and built by incarcerated individuals—to the contemporary carceral system. The project will also open Cellblock 14 to the public for the first time in the museum’s history!
Coming Soon! Welcome Center and Exhibit
Next spring, Eastern State will open a state-of-the-art Welcome Center, complete with a visitor orientation hub and—for the first time since opening as a historic site in 1994—permanent, accessible restrooms. The Welcome Center will also feature an exhibit interpreting our site as the first public building in America to have indoor plumbing. The Welcome Center will provide a new way to engage and orient visitors to the site, so they are able to engage deeper, explore longer, and share more from their visit.
Our admissions revenue covers only a small portion of what it takes to preserve this 11-acre historic site, deliver impactful public programming year-round, and provide the wrap-around services that meaningful, effective reentry programs like ours offer. This work is powered by philanthropic support from donors like you.
With your support, we will leverage this monumental Semiquincentennial year for long-term sustainability, transforming from a unique Philadelphia attraction into a world-renowned institution at the forefront of justice education.
Will you make a gift of $50, $100, or $250 to support Eastern State’s work in continuing to build out the museum experience at this powerful National Historic Landmark and birthplace of criminal justice reform?
When you give to Eastern State today, you help build a more just, empathetic, and opportunity-rich future—tomorrow, and for generations to come.
With gratitude and determination,
Kerry Sautner, Ed.D.
President and CEO
Please consider a tax-deductible gift of $50, $100, $250, or more today.
P.S. Does your employer offer matching gifts? You may be able to double or even triple your contribution by checking with your HR department to see if your employer offers such initiatives.
P.P.S.Gifts of appreciated securities and mutual funds that have increased in value and been held for more than one year are advantageous and economical ways to make a gift. For more information, visit EasternState.org/support or contact Mikaela Litchfield, Director of Advancement, at [email protected].