British Ghost Hunters to Explore Eastern State Penitentiary On Live, Nationwide TV

May 11, ’07

Travel Channel Brings the UK’s Most Popular Paranormal Investigation Team to the US with Seven-Hour Live Broadcast from Eastern State Penitentiary.

(May, 2007) Eastern State Penitentiary, considered by many to be America’s most historic prison, will host an unprecedented seven hour live and interactive broadcast on the Travel Channel, Most Haunted Live USA on Friday, June 1st, 2007.

Most Haunted Live, is a spinoff of the popular paranormal investigation show Most Haunted which airs on the Travel Channel in the US and on LivingTV in the United Kingdom. The June 1 program is the first broadcast from the United States and is expected to generate a wide national audience. The Most Haunted panel of paranormal investigation experts--including presenter Yvette Fielding and spiritual medium David Wells--will be armed with night vision cameras, thermal-imaging devices and other paranormal investigation tools to detect supernatural findings from within the prison walls.

The Most Haunted Live USA experience will be extended to the web, with multiple webcams streaming live images from select areas within Eastern State Penitentiary. Viewers will be able to log onto www.travelchannel.com/mosthaunted to watch all of the action from the webcams, supplementing the live broadcast. Viewers can also participate in the broadcast by e-mailing the studio with paranormal sightings, sending well wishes for the team, offering suggestions on rooms to investigate, and premonitions.

For more information visit the Travel Channel Website.

ESP and LUKOIL Receive Prestigious Award

May 10, ’07

The Art and Business Council recognized Eastern State and LUKOIL for their successful partnership to promote Terror Behind the Walls.

On May 10, the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia presented Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site and LUKOIL with best Business/Arts Partnership Award for 2006. Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls has consistently been recognized as one of the top haunted attractions in the country by America Online, HauntWorld Magazine and the New York Times. Last year, LUKOIL decided the event was an unusual, yet logical vehicle for aggressively rolling out a new brand.

In an arrangement that benefited both partners, last year, in exchange for naming rights to the event, LUKOIL underwrote a publicity package valued at over a half million dollars. Included were TV commercials in both Philadelphia and New York City; placement on LUKOIL’s huge video screen in Times Square; an extensive radio campaign; prominent signage at 400 LUKOIL gas stations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and a PR campaign that resulted in features on CNN, NPR and the Travel Channel.

Terror Behind the Walls is the single largest source of income for the Historic Site. “This partnership will help put a new roof on a historically significant cellblock and will also partially fund the site’s artist installations and family tour program,” said Eastern State Program Director Sean Kelley.

The partnership also meant that LUKOIL could build a positive, fun image with thousands of potential customers who were eager to pick up coupons. “This partnership is one of the most successful collaborations I have ever seen,” said LUKOIL Brand Manager George Wilkins.

Looking to the future, Wilkins added, “We expect this partnership to continue to grow and strengthen over time.” In 2007, Terror Behind the Walls presented by LUKOIL will be open select nights from September 21 to November 3.

Eastern State Penitentiary Hires New Marketing Manager

May 7, ’07

(May, 2007) We are pleased to announce the eighth addition to the full time staff here at Eastern State Penitentiary, our new Marketing Manager Sara Bartolain. Sara will become the latest member of our outstanding administrative team in spring 2007.

Sara is pictured here with fellow ESP staff (from Left to Right): Brett Bertolino, Jason Ohlsen, Francis Dolan, Ang Reidell, Sally Elk, Sara Bartolain, Erica Green, and Sean Kelley.

Sara joins us from Portland, Oregon, where she was the Director of Events for the Lawrence Galleries. Sara is thrilled about her new position as Eastern State Penitentiary's Marketing Manager and looks forward to working for America's most historic prison!

E.S.P. Included in New Ghost Book About America’s Jails

Apr 7, ’07

Author Joan Upton Hall has put together a collection of spooky tales that will be thoroughly enjoyed by fans of the paranormal, especially by those readers with a particular interest in old jails and prisons.

Author Joan Upton has compiled ghost stories from 40 of America’s jails and prisons -- from an old Salem Witch Jail from the 1600's to a Charleston Civil War prison for pirates to Philadelphia’s own Eastern State Penitenitiary. These haunting stories written by a group of versatile authors from various backgrounds, appeal to the reader's imagination and capture the dark mood of these jails, bringing to life the misery and violence that once took place there. The fact that many of the jails and prisons are now restaurants, inns, offices, shops and museums is interesting.

The chapters are arranged in chronological order from the oldest to the newest haunting, and each story is accompanied by an author photo and bio. Some of the authors are host hunters, psychics, and correctional officers.

Ghostly Tales from America’s Jails is available in our online store.

Philadelphia Museum of Art Exhibits Photos of Eastern State Penitentiary

Mar 27, ’07

The Philadelphia Museum of Art will display photographs of Eastern State Penitentiary made by James Fee, from April 21, 2007 to November 4, 2007. The images are part of an exhibit titled “Particulars of Place: Photo Portfolios from the Collection.”

Curator Katherine Ware writes:

“California-based James Fee made his series of photographs there in 1995, using views of the penitentiary's storeroom, machine shop, and infirmary to record some of the left-behind objects that hint at the lives of former inmates. The artist made his negatives using a nineteenth-century wet-plate photographic process and employed other techniques to diffuse the detail of his subjects. The resulting hazy, imperfect quality of his prints suggest the passage of time and, by offering only indistinct glimpses of the penitentiary, reminds us of the many untold stories within its walls.”

Learn more here: http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/special/269.html?page=1

New Summer Twilight Tours Announced

Feb 27, ’07

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site will be open for "Summer Twilight Tours" Wednesday evenings until 8:00 p.m. during the months of June, July and August.

In conjunction with these new twilight tours, many of the wonderful restaurants in the Fairmount area will be offering special "prison themed" dinner packages. Dinner Package prices and details will be announced in April.

Give an Eastern State gift this holiday season

Nov 27, ’06

Think outside the box! This holiday season give someone on your list the gift of membership. Each recipient of a gift membership will receive a personalized gift card, ESP T-shirt, tickets for Terror Behind the Walls (2007) ranked the "5th best Haunted House in the United States" by AOL City Guide, plus a year of free daytime admission, behind the scenes tours, and exciting events. It's a great deal!

Need a stocking stuffer? Our online store is filled with great gifts like E.S.P. Playing Cards, Al Capone Shot Glasses, "Pep the Dog" T-Shirts and "Mug shot" Mugs.

For more information, other great Eastern State gifts or to place your order, please visit our Online Store.

Eastern State Penitentiary Seeks Artists for 2008 Season

Nov 26, ’06

The Arts Review Committee announces 2008 Guidelines for Artists' Proposals.

Each year, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site puts out a call to artists interested in submitting applications for a site-specific installation at the site. The deadline for artist proposals for the 2008 season will be on Monday, June 18, 2007.

Examples of successful proposals from previous years and a list of important dates, including the dates and times of Art Orientation Tours, can be found in the 2008 Guidelines for Artists' Proposals.

New Book about Prison Food at E.S.P. Now Available

Nov 25, ’06

In his latest book, CHOW: Food and Drink In Eastern State Penitentiary, Dr. Norman Johnston provides an in depth and often humorous look at the history of feeding during Eastern State's 142 years in operation.

As part of this special introductory offer, Dr. Johnston has signed the first 200 copies of CHOW: Food and Drink In Eastern State Penitentiary.

To place your order, visit our Online Store.

Dr. Johnston is one of the foremost experts on prison architecture today and is the author of Eastern State Penitentiary: Crucible of Good Intentions, Forms of Constraint, Outta Here: Escapes from Eastern State Penitentiary and The Human Cage. He is a Professor Emeritus at Arcadia University and is a Director for both Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc. (Secretary) and the Pennsylvania Prison Society (Emeritus Director).

New Ghost Book Features E.S.P.

Oct 27, ’06

In the new book, Haunted Pennsylvania, Mark Nesbitt and Patty A. Wilson reveal stories about some of the ghosts and other strange phenomena found throughout the Keystone State.

This collection of over three dozen frightening stories, includes the Civil War ghosts of Gettysburg, spirits at John Brown's tannery, the fiddling ghost of Potter County, hauntings at the Eastern State Penitentiary, the mysterious indelible handprint, and many more.

Haunted Pennsylvania is available in our online store.