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May 7, 2025, 5:30 pm – July 2, 2025, 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights
Wednesday evenings, May 7 to July 2. $17 online in advance, $20 at the door. Enjoy immersive experiences, interactive events, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access to one of Philadelphia’s most unique landmarks. With a different theme each week, Wednesday Nights provide a fun and meaningful night out—combining history, culture, and entertainment in a one-of-a-kind setting.
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June 4, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Behind Bars & On the Big Screen
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Explore the surprising intersection of cinema and incarceration in the early 20th century. Step into this little-known history through film screenings, engaging discussions, and more. Consider how film has long influenced and reflected ideas about imprisonment, rehabilitation, and social change.
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June 7, 2025, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Public Portrait Session with Mark Loughney
From 12 pm – 4 pm, visitors are welcome to sit for a portrait drawn by Mark Loughney, artist of "Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration."
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June 11, 2025, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Public Tour with Artist Talk
Included with admission, subject to availability. Purchase timed tickets online to secure your spot. Join us for a special iteration of our Guide-Led Tour & Discussion featuring a Q&A with artist Mark Loughney.
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June 11, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Escape & Resistance
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Experience an evening of immersive storytelling, live-action challenges, and history reimagined. As the sun sets over the historic site’s towering walls, 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.
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June 14, 2025, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Public Portrait Session with Mark Loughney
From 12 pm – 4 pm, visitors are welcome to sit for a portrait drawn by Mark Loughney, artist of "Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration."
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June 18, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Justice & Journalism
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Uncover the role of investigative journalism in shaping our understanding of the criminal justice system through live storytelling, panel discussions, and interactive exhibits.
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June 19, 2025, 10:45 am – 2:30 pm
Juneteenth 2025
Join us at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site this Juneteenth for a meaningful day of reflection, learning, and community connection.
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June 21, 2025, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Public Portrait Session with Mark Loughney
From 12 pm – 4 pm, visitors are welcome to sit for a portrait drawn by Mark Loughney, artist of "Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration."
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June 25, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Reentry Simulation
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Reflect on some of the many structural challenges people face when returning home from prison through a hands-on learning experience.
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June 28, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
June 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
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.
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June 28, 2025, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Public Portrait Session with Mark Loughney
From 12 pm – 4 pm, visitors are welcome to sit for a portrait drawn by Mark Loughney, artist of "Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration."
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June 30, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wawa Welcome America: Pay-What-You-Wish Museum Night
Pay what you wish. A $1 service fee applies to each Pay-What-You-Wish Ticket. Advance reservations strongly recommended. As part of this year's Wawa Welcome America festival, enjoy an exclusive, pay-what-you-wish evening of Wednesday Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Join us for a fun and meaningful night out—combining history, culture, and entertainment in a one-of-a-kind setting.
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July 2, 2025, 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday Nights: Sports & Field Day
$17 online in advance, $20 at the door (subject to availability). Join in light-hearted, interactive, and fun and activities—inspired by games and sports played at Eastern State Penitentiary.
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July 5, 2025, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Public Portrait Session with Mark Loughney
From 12 pm – 4 pm, visitors are welcome to sit for a portrait drawn by Mark Loughney, artist of "Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration."
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July 26, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
July 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
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.
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August 30, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
August 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
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.
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September 21, 2025, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
CollegeFest 2025
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!
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September 27, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
September 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
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.
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October 26, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
October 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
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.
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November 8, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
November 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
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.
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November 15, 2025, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm
In-Person Scout Day: Architecture
$21 per person. Advance registration required. Eastern State invites members of Scouting America, Girl Scouts of the USA, and all youth to join us for In-Person Scout Day: Architecture. Led by our engaging staff, learn more about Eastern State Penitentiary's history, the building's unique design, the ethics of prison architecture, and careers in architecture and historic preservation.
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December 7, 2025, 11:00 am – 2:15 pm
Virtual Scout Day: Architecture
$17 per participant. Online via Zoom. Advance registration required. Eastern State invites members of Scouting America, Girl Scouts of the USA, and all youth to join us for Virtual Scout Day: Architecture. Led by our engaging staff, learn more about Eastern State Penitentiary's history, the building's unique design, the ethics of prison architecture, and careers in architecture and historic preservation.
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December 27, 2025, 11:00 am – 11:45 am
December 2025: ASL Guide-Led Tour and Discussion
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.
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