Tim Geho and Stacy Horvath, of Whitehall, had their first date two years ago at Terror Behind the Walls. Both Halloween lovers, when Tim decided to propose to Stacy, asking her at Eastern State Penitentiary seemed to be the perfect place. After contacting Assistant Program Director, Brett Bertolino, they came up with a plan. Tim told Stacy that he won a "Behind the Scenes" tour of TBTW.
On October 10, just 3 days after their 2 year anniversary, Tim and Stacy returned to the scene of their first date. With close friends in tow, they finished their tour of TBTW and began the "Behind the Scenes" tour.
They were led up to the central guard tower. There, waiting for Stacy, was a pumpkin, carved by TBTW Makeup Artist, Jen Bendik, with the words, "Will you Marry Me?" Tim got down on one knee and presented a ring to a surprised and emotional Stacy, who quickly said "Yes".
The couple plans to get married in 2011, when Tim finishes nursing school. Congratulations to the happy couple!
"Meet Elvira Contest" Winners Announced!
Congratulations to the winners of our "Meet Elvira Contest"! Justin Stuckey, Yamil Diaz and Dennis Johnson Jr. and their guests are invited to take a special “Behind the Scenes” tour of Terror Behind the Walls and mix and mingle with Elvira at Al Capone’s Cell on Halloween evening! Congratulations!
Terror Behind the Walls tops AOL City Guide's list of America's 13 best Haunted Houses.
Terror Behind the Walls ranked the #1 Haunted House in America!
AOL City Guide, the nation's largest and the internet's most popular online entertainment guide, has ranked Terror Behind the Walls as “#1 Haunted House in America!" Terror Behind the Walls, which had previously been ranked #5 by AOL, is now the only haunted attraction from Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware to ever earn the #1 spot on a national list of top haunted houses in America.
The list includes twelve other "destination haunts," attractions that draw Halloween enthusiasts nationwide for their unique, one-of-a-kind environments, including Netherworld (#8), in Atlanta, GA, innovators of makeup and costuming techniques that are now considered the industry standard and The 13th Gate (#2), in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, whose elaborate sets and attention to detail are considered by many to be the best in the industry.
In recent years, Terror Behind the Walls has consistently been ranked as one of the top haunted attractions in the nation. Previous recognitions include: "6th Best Haunted House in the United States" by Hauntworld Magazine (2007), “The scariest haunted house in America!” by the Rachael Ray Daytime Talk Show (2007), “One of America‘s Scariest Halloween Attractions” by The Travel Channel (2006), "5th Best Haunted House in the United States" by AOL City Guide (2006), "Readers Pick Award" by Seventeen Magazine (2006), "Best Haunted Attraction" by The Scare Factor! (2005), "6th Best Haunted House in the United States" by AOL City Guide (2005), "9th Best Haunted House in the United States" by Hauntworld Magazine (2004) and "Best Professional Haunted House" by Hauntfreaks.com (2003).
We're Hiring All Kinds of People for Halloween
Halloween isn't just one night at Eastern State Penitentiary. Our acclaimed event, Terror Behind the Walls, runs 27 nights from September 19 to November 2. Much of the planning and training take place in September.
Auditions / Interviews are currently being held for all positions including actors, ticket handlers, line staff, story tellers, retail staff and box office staff.
Save time! Download our 2008 application, fill it out, and bring it with you. Not only will you save time at the audition/interview, but you will also be placed ahead of applicants who are filling out the application when they arrive.
These jobs are demanding, and FUN. Many people return year after year to join our "Scream Team!" Pay starts at $9.00 per hour, more for management positions.
All staff must be 18 years old or older and pass a background check. Eastern State Penitentiary is an equal opportunity employer.
Auditions / Interviews will be held on the following days/times:
Sunday, August 17th at 3:30 pm
Monday, August 25th at 6:00 pm
Monday, September 8th at 6:00 pm
Monday, September 15th at 6:00 pm
Monday, September 29th at 6:00 pm
Monday, October 13th at 6:00 pm
Monday, October 27th at 6:00 pm
Positions are filled on a first come, first hired basis. All auditions/interviews are held at Eastern State Penitentiary at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue. Please see www.EasternState.org/jobs for complete details.
Transformers 2 Films Scenes at Eastern State
We were thrilled to welcome the cast and crew of Transformers 2 to Eastern State Penitentiary!
The sequel to last summer's blockbuster recently filmed scenes in Eastern State's Cellblock 7 as well as outside in the Industrial Building Courtyard. You can see in the top photo the massive helium-filled balloon light that was used to simulate moonlight. The next photo shows the cast and crew on the set created at Eastern State. The final photo shows the car cast as "Bumblebee" exiting Eastern State during filming.
While on site, Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and Michael Bay enjoyed a tour of Eastern State including some areas used during Terror Behind the Walls, including Cellblock 12, the home of Lock Down.
Terror Behind the Walls Make-Up Team Takes Top Prize at East Coast Haunters Convention
The East Coast Haunters convention was held May 2-4 at the
Sheraton Great Valley Hotel in Frazer, PA.The three-day event included haunted house tours,
educational seminars, an industry tradeshow, make-up wars, a costume ball and
even a ghost hunt.The make-up
team from Terror Behind the Walls, Ruby Muro, Shaggy (Aaron Hoffer Perkins),
and Robin Allen, was awarded first prize in the make-up war competition.Bridget Schroth, a member of the Terror
Behind the Walls Line Staff, was the model.
ESP creates new Theatrical Director position for Terror Behind the Walls
Terror Behind the Walls veteran manager, Nathan Edmondson, will serve as the event’s first Theatrical Director. As part of the newly created position, Edmondson will be responsible for all aspects of the show’s theatrical elements, including training and coaching over 100 actors that staff the event’s five haunted attractions.
Nathan Edmondson joined Terror Behind the Walls in 2002 as the manager of the Medical Ward and has managed many of the event’s attractions over the years. In addition to scaring people, he has experience in the traditional theatre community in Philadelphia, performing with EgoPo Productions, Flashpoint Theatre Company, Once Upon a Nation (as Thomas Jefferson) and the Arden Theater. In the Comedy Improv world, he’s a member of the popular troupe, the Rare Bird Show, and an instructor for the Philly Improv Theater.
Justin Kredible and TBTW Makeup and Costume Director Kristin Phillips
Rachael Ray Show films at ESP
Remember when Rachael Ray made her “Yummy Mummy” with Emeril in the cell blocks of Eastern State Penitentiary? Well if you were the unfortunate ghoul who missed that show, be sure to watch her new talk show - Rachael Ray - on ABC (channel 6 in Philadelphia) at 10:00am on Wednesday, October 31st.
Rachael Ray Show correspondent, magician “Justin Kredible” spent the day at Eastern State Penitentiary with Terror Behind The Walls Technical Director Jason Ohlsen. Ohlsen took Justin Kredible and Rachael Ray cameras behind the scenes of Terror Behind The Walls for a special treat. Then Ohlsen reviled a few top-secret haunted house tricks.
Want to know how Terror Behind The Walls uses compressed air to frighten and spook? Curious about ghoulish make-up and goop? Watch Justin Kredible get air blasted in the haunted house then transformed with makeup by TBTW Costume and Makeup Director Kristin Phillips on the Rachael Ray Show, this Wednesday, October 31st at 10:00am on ABC.
Eastern State on Travel Channel's new show Mysterious Journeys
On October 26th at 9:00pm, the Travel Channel will air a new program called Mysterious Journeys. The new series will feature the "ghosts" of Eastern State Penitentiary just in time for Halloween!
This
program will also feature some of Eastern's former inmates, guards, and
staff members. The show will attempt to reenact events which
actually took place within the prison walls.
For more
information about this program as well as future dates and times the
show will air, visit the Travel Channel Website.
Terror Behind the Walls Once Again Among Top Haunted Houses in America
HauntWorld Magazine has once again included Terror Behind the Walls on their list of “Top 13 Haunted Houses in America.” According to Editor-in-Chief of Hauntworld Magazine, Larry Kirchner, the “list highlights new standards of fear and fun at leading haunts. These attractions are being recognized for their attention to detail, high-quality special effects, and overall scare factor.” Ranging from haunted hotels and prisons to spooky hayrides, the list represents the best haunted attractions the nation has to offer, as selected by the editors at Hauntworld Magazine. In an industry that has reached the multi-billion dollar mark, these haunts are leading the way in scream-inducing innovations. “The haunts we’ve included are as expertly produced as any major motion picture today,” said Kirchner. “They have behind-the-scenes teams of master Hollywood special effects technicians, make-up artists, set designers, and trained actors. We’re an industry that exists to make people scream and laugh at the same time – and these haunts do just that, and more.” Terror Behind the Walls has consistently been ranked among the top haunted houses in the United States by the Travel Channel, America Online, HauntWorld Magazine and other national publications.
Chapter on ESP in a new book
Just in time for
Halloween, a new book by Susan Hutchison Tassin called Pennsylvania's
Ghost Towns: Uncovering the Hidden Past profiles 46 locations that have
been abandoned or left to ruin. These cemeteries, abandoned buildings,
and roads to nowhere are all that remain of several once-thriving towns
in Pennsylvania. Does Eastern State Penitentiary
qualify as a ghost town? During its 142 years in operation, Eastern
State housed over 80,000 men and women. Author Susan Hutchinson argues
that it is possible a number of these souls remain even today. Pennsylvania's Ghost Towns: Uncovering the Hidden Past is available for purchase on our online store.
Terror Behind the Walls tops AOL City Guide's list of America's 13 best Haunted Houses.
Photo by Andrew Loxley
Justin Kredible and TBTW Makeup and Costume Director Kristin Phillips
