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May 7, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Civic Engagement
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Explore the historic site after hours, participate in discussions with civic leaders, compete in civics trivia, and discover practical ways to become more involved in your community through civic participation.
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May 7, 2025, 5:30 pm – July 2, 2025, 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights
Wednesday evenings, May 7 to July 2. $17 online in advance, $20 at the door. Enjoy immersive experiences, interactive events, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access to one of Philadelphia’s most unique landmarks. With a different theme each week, Wednesday Nights provide a fun and meaningful night out—combining history, culture, and entertainment in a one-of-a-kind setting.
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May 8, 2025, 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Hybrid Teachback: The Signs We Don't See
Free professional development workshop for educators. In person at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Online via Zoom. Advance registration required. Engage with fellow educators at this professional development opportunity made for teachers, led by teachers. Featuring a presentation by Bryan Widenhouse (State Legislative Affairs Manager, FAMM) titled "The Signs We Don't See," classroom lesson discussions led by experienced educators Emily Bohn and Rachel Vecchione-Mitchell, and an interactive activity led by Eastern State educators.
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May 14, 2025, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Justice 101: The History of Solitary Confinement in America
Free. Online via Zoom. Advance registration required. Join us for a deep dive into the origins of solitary confinement at Eastern State Penitentiary — a practice originally intended to encourage reflection and repentance — and how it became a widespread and controversial punishment.
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May 14, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Sports & Field Day
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Discover the rich and captivating history of sports and other team activities in prisons, past and present. Join in light-hearted, interactive, and fun and activities—inspired by games and sports played at Eastern State Penitentiary.
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May 21, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Historic Preservation
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). In honor of National Historic Preservation Month, learn more about what it takes to preserve this nearly 200-year-old landmark. Go behind the scenes with preservation staff and explore rarely seen areas— both before the sun sets and by flashlight after dusk. Engage in eye-opening conversations and interactive activities including a hands-on restoration demonstration.
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May 23, 2025 – May 26, 2025
Memorial Day Weekend 2025
Join us May 24-27 as we commemorate the 30th anniversary of public tours at ESPHS and reflect on the importance of military service during Eastern State’s operational years.
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May 25, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
May 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Included with admission, subject to availability. Purchase tickets online to secure your spot. An Eastern State educator leads a Guide-Led Tour and Discussion in partnership with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter from Hands UP Productions.
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May 28, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Music & Open Mic
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Share your talents and gather in community. A stage set up in the center of the historic site will feature local musicians, spoken word artists, and storytellers sharing narratives related to justice, freedom, and resilience. Plus, sign up for an open-mic slot to add your voice to the evening.
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June 1, 2025, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm
In-Person Scout Day: Architecture
$21 per person. Advance registration required. Eastern State invites members of Scouting America, Girl Scouts of the USA, and all youth to join us for In-Person Scout Day: Architecture. Led by our engaging staff, learn more about Eastern State Penitentiary's history, the building's unique design, the ethics of prison architecture, and careers in architecture and historic preservation.
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June 4, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Behind Bars & On the Big Screen
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Explore the surprising intersection of cinema and incarceration in the early 20th century. Step into this little-known history through film screenings, engaging discussions, and more. Consider how film has long influenced and reflected ideas about imprisonment, rehabilitation, and social change.
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June 11, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Escape & Resistance
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Experience an evening of immersive storytelling, live-action challenges, and history reimagined. As the sun sets over the historic site’s towering walls, uncover real accounts of daring escape attempts, test your problem-solving skills in a hands-on challenge, and step back in time to the era of Prohibition.
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June 18, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Justice & Journalism
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Uncover the role of investigative journalism in shaping our understanding of the criminal justice system through live storytelling, panel discussions, and interactive exhibits.
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June 25, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Reentry Simulation
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Reflect on some of the many structural challenges people face when returning home from prison through a hands-on learning experience.
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June 28, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
June 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Included with admission, subject to availability. Purchase tickets online to secure your spot. An Eastern State educator leads a Guide-Led Tour and Discussion in partnership with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter from Hands UP Productions.
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June 30, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wawa Welcome America: Pay-What-You-Wish Museum Night
Pay what you wish. Advance reservations strongly recommended. As part of this year's Wawa Welcome America festival, enjoy an exclusive, pay-what-you-wish evening of Wednesday Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Join us for a fun and meaningful night out—combining history, culture, and entertainment in a one-of-a-kind setting.
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July 2, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Independence & Incarceration
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Consider the complex paradox of American freedom inside the walls of this prison-turned-historic-site. Listen to special readings of "The Declaration of Sentiments” and reflect on civil rights, mass incarceration, and social justice.
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July 26, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
July 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Included with admission, subject to availability. Purchase tickets online to secure your spot. An Eastern State educator leads a Guide-Led Tour and Discussion in partnership with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter from Hands UP Productions.
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August 30, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
August 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Included with admission, subject to availability. Purchase tickets online to secure your spot. An Eastern State educator leads a Guide-Led Tour and Discussion in partnership with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter from Hands UP Productions.
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September 27, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
September 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Included with admission, subject to availability. Purchase tickets online to secure your spot. An Eastern State educator leads a Guide-Led Tour and Discussion in partnership with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter from Hands UP Productions.
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October 26, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
October 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Included with admission, subject to availability. Purchase tickets online to secure your spot. An Eastern State educator leads a Guide-Led Tour and Discussion in partnership with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter from Hands UP Productions.
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November 8, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
November 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Included with admission, subject to availability. Purchase tickets online to secure your spot. An Eastern State educator leads a Guide-Led Tour and Discussion in partnership with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter from Hands UP Productions.
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November 15, 2025, 10:30 am – 4:00 pm
In-Person Scout Day: Architecture
$21 per person. Advance registration required. Eastern State invites members of Scouting America, Girl Scouts of the USA, and all youth to join us for In-Person Scout Day: Architecture. Led by our engaging staff, learn more about Eastern State Penitentiary's history, the building's unique design, the ethics of prison architecture, and careers in architecture and historic preservation.
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December 7, 2025, 11:00 am – 2:15 pm
Virtual Scout Day: Architecture
$17 per participant. Online via Zoom. Advance registration required. Eastern State invites members of Scouting America, Girl Scouts of the USA, and all youth to join us for Virtual Scout Day: Architecture. Led by our engaging staff, learn more about Eastern State Penitentiary's history, the building's unique design, the ethics of prison architecture, and careers in architecture and historic preservation.
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December 27, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
December 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Included with admission, subject to availability. Purchase tickets online to secure your spot. An Eastern State educator leads a Guide-Led Tour and Discussion in partnership with an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter from Hands UP Productions.
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