Visit ESP 2008 Season ESP home
Hours, Prices, Directions
Hours, Prices, Directions
Winter Adventure Tours
Group Tours
Coupon
Neighborhood
Hours & Prices

Open Every Day,
10 am to 5 pm
Last Entry: 4 pm
No reservations necessary

Summer Twilight Hours:
June through August
Wednesday evenings until 8 pm
Last Entry: 7 pm
No reservations necessary.

Winter Adventure Tours
December through March
10 am to 5 pm
Guided Tours Only
Reservations recommended.

Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day

Admission:
$12.00 Adults
$8.00 Kids (Age 7 - 12)
$8.00 Students
$8.00 Senior Citizens
$54 City Pass Adult
$37 City Pass Kid

Private Tours & Group Rates:
Are available year-round for groups of 15 or more. See our Group Tour page for rates and complete information.

Children under the age of 7 cannot be admitted to the site.

Helpful Information
All tours and exhibits are included with admission.

Ticket Office:
215-236-3300

"Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour: Narrated by actor Steve Buscemi, this tour includes Surveillance Hub, restored cells, the solitary confinement yards, the baseball diamond, Death Row and Al Capone's Cell.

Special Guided Tours:
Special guided tours on the subjects of daily life, escapes, prison uprisings and artifacts available several times a day, April through November. These tours are hands-on, interactive experiences, designed for visitors age seven and up. Please see our Special Guided Tour page for tour times and descriptions.

Artist Installations:
Our critically-acclaimed site specific art installations are free with admission.

Eating Facilities:
Eastern State Penitentiary has outdoor seating available for visitors bringing a bag lunch. Only water and soda are available for purchase on site. Groups wishing to purchase lunch or dinner should visit our Neighborhood Page for a list of restaurants only steps from Eastern State, several of which offer special lunch packages that include an ESP tour ticket!

Bring a camera:
And extra film. Eastern State may be the most photogenic place you see in years! Please see our General Policies for All Photographers for more information.

Access for Guests with Disabilities:
Many visitors in wheelchairs visit Eastern State Penitentiary every year. That said, the Penitentiary complex is not fully ADA compliant. The building is 173 years old, and is a National Historic Landmark. Sections of it may never be fully accessible. Specific information about accessibility is available here.

Warning:
Eastern State Penitentiary remains in a state of semi-ruin. Visitors should exercise caution, and stay within the clearly marked public areas.

ESP Nighttime Facade
Directions & Parking

Location:
22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Maps:

map map
Click for a map of the extended area Click for a map of the immediate area

Directions from the North or West:
- Take Interstate 76 (the Schuylkill Expressway) to Exit 344 (Old Exit 38), which is Interstate 676, also know as the Vine Street Expressway.
- On I-676 take the first exit, "Benjamin Franklin Parkway/ 23 Street."
- Take the first left onto 22nd Street.
- Pass the Philadelphia Museum of Art (on your left) and continue five blocks north, to Fairmount Avenue.

Click here for printable directions.

Directions from the South or East:
- Take I-95 to Exit 22 (Old Exit 17) and follow Interstate 676 West.
- Get off at "Art Museum/Benjamin Franklin Parkway" Exit.
- At the top of the ramp, turn right onto 22nd street.
- Pass the Philadelphia Museum of Art (on your left) and continue five blocks north, to Fairmount Avenue.

Click here for printable directions.

Customized directions from your address:
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On-Street Parking:
There is ample on-street parking surrounding the Penitentiary. While the parking is unmetered, some streets do have a two or three hour limit.

Parking Lot:
There is a public parking lot right next door. Parking costs generally range from $3.00 to $10.00 depending on the length of your stay. For exact pricing, please call Parkway Corporation at (215) 569-8400 x4037.

Public Transportation:
Bus Service to Eastern State Penitentiary is convenient to SEPTA bus routes: 48, 43, 33, 32, 7.

- Take the 7, 32, or 48 to 22nd and Fairmount Avenue.
- Walk east one block and the entrance to Eastern State Penitentiary is on the left-hand side of Fairmount Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets.

- Take the 33 to 20th and Fairmount.
- Walk west one block and the entrance to Eastern State Penitentiary is on the right-hand side of Fairmount Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets.

- From the 43 bus, get off at 21st and Spring Garden Streets and walk north.
- Fairmount Avenue is the next major street, parallel to Spring Garden Street.

Big Bus and Philadelphia Trolley Works:
Both the Big Bus (Stop #8) and the Philadelphia Trolley Works (Stop #11) routes have a stop directly in front of the Eastern State Penitentiary. Show your ticket stub from these tours and save $1 on your E.S.P. admission.

The Phlash:
The new Phlash route has a stop for Eastern State Penitentiary at 22nd Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. E.S.P. is only a short, scenic four-block walk from the stop. From the Phlash stop walk 4 blocks north on 22nd Street to Fairmount Avenue. Turn right on Fairmount Avenue and the entrance will be on your left.

Philadelphia Bike Tours:
Permaburn Society’s Philadelphia Bike Tours bike and moped tours allow you to see Philadelphia in a leisurely pace with the added convenience of delivery at pick up at your hotel. Several full and half day tours include admission to Eastern State Penitentiary and other area cultural attractions.

 

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc.