Explore an American First
Step inside the world’s first penitentiary, a bold 19th century experiment in justice reform. With architectural, social, and historical significance, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site harnesses the power of place to deepen our collective understanding of the American justice system and inspire us to consider how we can build a more just future together.
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Every visit to Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is unique! ESPHS offers a variety of tours, exhibits, programs, and other dynamic ways to engage with this iconic site’s powerful history and reflect on the impact of the justice system.
Experience ESPHS your way – with an audio tour, a guide-led tour, or a self-guided exploration – all included with admission.
Visiting with 15 people or more? Interested in a private Guide-Led Tour? Learn more about Group Visits.
Included with Admission
Audio Tour
Explore at your own pace with a narrated tour featuring voices from the penitentiary’s past.
Guide-Led Tour
Join an educator for a deep dive into the penitentiary’s history and modern-day relevance.
Mini Tours
Take a quick detour to experience unique spaces and topics in 20 minutes or less.
Art
View powerful art that illuminates history and explores incarceration today.
Exhibits
Engage with exhibits that connect our legacy to today’s criminal justice system.
Plan your visit!
Get ready to experience Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Learn more about what to bring, where to go, and how to make the most of your visit.
Know Before You GoUpcoming Historic Site Events
August 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Saturday, August 30, 2025
11:00am - 11:45am
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.
Spring Garden Sunflower Festival
Saturday, September 06, 2025
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Takes place off-site at 1700 to 1900 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130. Meet us at the Spring Garden Sunflower Festival to dive into a creative, hands-on activity where art meets civic engagement. Use expressive media to explore themes of justice and community.
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Mini Tour: Making Headlines
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
All Day
Explore the powerful intersection of journalism, incarceration, and censorship — past and present. Through discussion, storytelling, and exploration of archival materials, this program examines the role of imprisoned writers and the ongoing struggle for freedom of expression in prisons and jails. Reflect on who gets to speak, what stories are told, and how resistance takes shape through words.
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Drop-In Writing and Art-Making Activities
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
11:00am - 4:30pm
Inspired by prison newspapers and the power of self-expression, these hands-on activities invite you to explore, reflect, and create.
Halloween Nights
Friday, September 19 - Saturday, November 08, 2025
Select nights, September 19 through November 8. Step inside Eastern State's massive front gate and into a Halloween festival of epic proportions — featuring five thrilling haunted houses plus historic tours, themed bars, live entertainment, and more — all inside the massive, abandoned complex of a real, ten-acre prison.
CollegeFest 2025
Sunday, September 21, 2025
11:00am - 3:00pm
Free daytime admission* for Campus Philly CollegeFest registrants. *Please note, a $1 service fee applies to each ticket. Timed tickets required. Students, sign up for CollegeFest and enjoy free daytime admission to Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site!
Jewish History Self-Guided Walking Tour
Monday, September 22, 2025
All Day
Explore the rich and often overlooked stories of Jewish prisoners and the community connected to Eastern State Penitentiary. This self-guided walking tour takes you through key locations within the grounds, including the first synagogue in an American prison, while highlighting personal narratives, cultural traditions, and the broader historical context of Jewish life in Philadelphia during the prison’s operation.
September 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Saturday, September 27, 2025
11:00am - 11:45am
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.
Legislature Reception
Thursday, October 02, 2025
3:00pm - 6:00pm
By invitation only. Private event for PA legislators and their guests.
DesignPhiladelphia Festival: Rebranding Eastern State
Tuesday, October 07, 2025
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Private event for DesignPhiladelphia.
Indigenous People’s Weekend
Friday, October 10, 2025
All Day
This weekend, our Guide-Led Tour and Discussion will include additional content exploring the impact of the criminal justice system on Indigenous people throughout the United States.
Hidden History at Eastern State
Sunday, October 19 - Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Step inside the cellblocks and corridors that most visitors never see. With Hidden History at Eastern State, you’ll be guided through behind-the-scenes spaces and uncover powerful stories that shaped this National Historic Landmark.
Hidden History: Behind the Scenes of Halloween Nights
Sunday, October 19, 2025
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Go behind the scenes to see how Eastern State transforms into Halloween Nights, then enjoy a private Speakeasy reception followed by VIP access to the festival.
Hidden History: Halloween Nights Behind the Scenes Friendraiser (Invite Only)
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
6:30pm - 7:30pm
Private event
Mobile Museum and Guide-Led Tour: Roots and Realities of Solitary Confinement
Saturday, October 25, 2025
9:00am - 3:00pm
The Mobile Museum is free. The Guide-Led Tour is included with admission. Reflect on Eastern State Penitentiary’s legacy as the birthplace of solitary confinement in America and examine its use in prisons today. Join guided tours exploring the prison’s early history, then engage with the Journey to Justice Bus tour.
October 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Sunday, October 26, 2025
11:00am - 11:45am
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.
Fall Festival
Sunday, October 26, 2025
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Free for kids in costume and their caregivers. No reservations necessary. Join us for some fall-themed family fun: trick-or-treating, scavenger hunt, story time, hands-on activities, art making, music, and more!
Pop-Up Talks: World War I at Eastern State Penitentiary
Friday, November 07, 2025
All Day
Take a 10-minute guided tour to learn about the 120 people incarcerated at Eastern State who went on to serve in the military, plus the thousands of others who contributed to war efforts on the home front.
Pop-Up Exhibit: Veterans and Wartime at Eastern State Penitentiary
Friday, November 07, 2025
All Day
View a special pop-up exhibit featuring photos, documents, and artifacts that tell the story of veterans and wartime at Eastern State Penitentiary.
Veterans Day
Friday, November 07 - Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Spend Veterans' Day Weekend at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site! Learn more about veterans and the criminal justice system by engaging in a variety of special programs.
November 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Saturday, November 08, 2025
11:00am - 11:45am
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.
Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance Event: In with the Old
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Private event for the Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia
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Reentry Simulation
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
11:00am - 12:30pm
Private event for School District of Philadelphia student groups
Closed for Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 27, 2025
All Day
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is closed for Thanksgiving. We resume normal hours on Friday.
Thanksgiving Weekend: The Power of Play: Sports and Belonging
Friday, November 28 - Sunday, November 30, 2025
Learn more about the power of sports in fostering a sense of belonging throughout the penitentiary's history and in correctional facilities today. Programs include a scavenger hunt, mini tour, trivia, wiffle ball activity, and more, all included with standard admission.
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Baseball Pop-Up Talks & Home Run Hits
Friday, November 28, 2025
All Day
Learn about baseball in prison, then step up to the "plate" and see how far you can hit a wiffle ball toward Eastern State's tall perimeter wall.
Sports & Recreation Guide-Led Tour
Friday, November 28, 2025
All Day
Our guide-led tour will include additional content about sports and recreation.
Sports & Recreation Trivia
Friday, November 28, 2025
All Day
Test your knowledge about sports in prison. Prizes will be awarded.
Sports and Recreation Scavenger Hunt
Friday, November 28, 2025
All Day
Complete this sports-themed scavenger hunt to receive an exclusive sticker prize!
Mini Tour: Race, Baseball, & The Legend of Charles "Jack" Blackburn
Friday, November 28, 2025
All Day
Hear the fascinating story of a renowned boxing champion turned Eastern State Penitentiary baseball player.
RockyFest
Wednesday, December 03, 2025
All Day
Celebrate the anniversary of Philadelphia’s most iconic film franchise with a city-wide series of events, including special programming at ESPHS highlighting the history of boxing in prison.
Redemption Songs: Stories, Music, and the Struggle for Justice
Thursday, December 18, 2025
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Join us for musical performance, storytelling, and Jewish ritual to rededicate our synagogue.
NEW Mini-Tour: Sacred Spaces in Unlikely Places
Saturday, December 20, 2025
All Day
Join an Educator for a 10-minute exploration of the history and significance of our synagogue.
Winter Celebrations Guide-Led Tour & Discussion
Saturday, December 20, 2025
All Day
Our guide-led tour will include additional content about winter celebrations at Eastern State Penitentiary and in prisons today.
Shared Light: Winter Celebrations at Eastern State
Saturday, December 20 - Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Through historical accounts, guided tours, and hands-on activities, learn how people at Eastern State Penitentiary marked holidays like Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year’s Day—finding moments of light, connection, and meaning within the confines of prison life.
Winter Celebrations Hands-On Activities
Saturday, December 20, 2025
All Day
Drop-in hands-on activities inspired by winter celebrations. All materials provided—just bring your creativity!
Winter Celebrations Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, December 20, 2025
All Day
Complete this winter celebrations scavenger hunt to receive an exclusive sticker prize.
Closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
All Day
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is closed December 24 and 25. We resume normal hours on December 26.
December 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
Saturday, December 27, 2025
11:00am - 11:45am
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.
Closed for New Year's Day
Thursday, January 01, 2026
All Day
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is closed January 1. We resume normal hours on January 2. Happy New Year!
Spring Break: Escape and Resistance
Friday, March 27, 2026
All Day
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 through immersive storytelling, live-action challenges, and history reimagined.
Memorial Day Weekend Preservation Fest
Friday, May 22, 2026
All Day
Program details to be announced. Whether you're a history buff, preservation enthusiast, or looking for a meaningful way to honor those who served and sacrificed, Eastern State offers a unique blend of education and remembrance.
Freedom Summer 2026
Thursday, June 11 - Sunday, July 19, 2026
Details to be confirmed—please check back for updates.