WANTED: $50 REWARD. “Slick” Willie Sutton’s mug shot appeared on wanted posters after his escape from Eastern State Penitentiary. Sutton and eleven other men escaped through a tunnel on April 3, 1945. All were eventually recaptured. From the Eastern State Penitentiary Archives.

Visitors in cathedral-like corridor of Cellblock 7, the site of the doomed 1945 tunnel escape. Photo Drew Simcox.

Join us for a weekend commemorating one of the most famous prison breaks in American history, the 1945 Eastern State Tunnel Escape.

On the hour from 11 am – 4 pm
Two actors – one portraying tunnel mastermind Clarence Klinedinst and one portraying bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton – will debate their conflicting accounts of who designed the tunnel, how it was built, and why the escapees got caught. Join us to hear their stories and vote on who you think is telling the truth.

Ongoing from 10 am – 5 pm
This year’s event will feature interactive activities for families inside Eastern State Penitentiary focusing on the subject of escapes. These activities, designed for children 7 and up, will include games, creative arts and crafts, and take-home exercises spotlighting some of the most interesting and daring escapes in the penitentiary’s 142-year history.

Families with children under the age of 7 are encouraged to visit the playground behind Eastern State Penitentiary at 22nd and Brown Streets for activities designed for younger children. These activities will be geared toward introducing families to Eastern State Penitentiary and its history through arts and crafts, and creative thinking games.

<<BACK