Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc Reviews

The tour was very informative and the staff where also well informed when asked questions.

This place was absolutely amazing, I've wanted to go here for years after watching so many documentaries & reading about it, was definitely on my bucket list & I'm very happy I did it!

I liked this place alot there was a ton of info and lots to look at, but somehow I felt something was missing. I was be the first to tell you I was attracted by the morbidity factor and there was not much of that. Brought both of my kids under the age of 10 and they really enjoyed it too. I found the artist installations very interesting as well.. There were a lot of people throughout to ask questions if, some were pointedly more eager to assist while other just sat there blindly staring into the distance. The hospital tour while inside was great and the young lady who gave it was both exciting and informative. Never did the haunted attraction but there evidence of this equipment throughout the prison kind of detracted from the feel. Maybe I should not go in October! Parkibg was easy to find amd there was a lot if it on a Tueaday. I would recommend you eat before you go so you can maximise your visit but your ticket will allow you reentry until 5pm that same day.

I really like this place. You will get to know how the rooms are inside prison. They will provide you the ear phones you can listen history in each point. There is a parking next to it. Must visit.

Very very interesting place. 1 day is not enough to learn everything there.
Better take tour, bc hard to understand what exactly was in particular cell.

We spent there few hours and i think that learn 0.001% about whole historical moments.

Another interesting thing, that there are researches and metrics about crime and gangs, that we have today.

Definitely will come back, and recommend everybody who going to Philadelphia for tourist tour

Turning the first penitentiary in the world into a museum was clearly a massive undertaking, that puts in clear perspective the causes and consequences of incarceration. Well worth the visit.

Both fascinating architecturally and emotionally haunting.

Great place to learn about history, very silent, old and in some way mysterious. I loved the self tour...if you like history about criminals,prisons, races, mix of cultures and the dark side of things this is a great place. Is a different experience, I am grateful to had the opportunity to see this. Will return for sure.

Very interesting museum and more than I expected. The history of this place is fascinating and I had no idea how this facility impacted the design of prisons for many years to come. I wasn't sure how much the kids would like it (ages 13 & 10), but they both said they enjoyed it. There is an audio tour that takes you through the site and is included in the admission.

Highly reccomended. Only 14$ and you can easily spend 2-3 hours here. Very informative and interesting. Sobering at the same time

Amazing place to visit prisoners today don't know how lucky they are ,this is a real prison! over 1000 died in here

Disappointed that Google didn t update the hours of operation during COVID. This location is closed until August I believe. I Should have checked the website instead of relying on Google.

I enjoyed the tour. So glad I was able to find it and experience it

Such an awesome place. It is hauntingly beautiful. Lots of great history and cool audio tour.

An amazing look into one of the many aspects of our countries rich history, so interesting to see the pictures and hear the stories! Beautiful architecture, I hope they are able to continue preserving this marval! I plan to revist again in the future!!!

A place worth visiting
Guided tours of each exhibition area at a fixed time
No problem for the whole afternoon

Very interesting attraction. Gives a good overview of the site in brief but zooms in when you want.

This place is incredible I have been here twice already and still discover something new also the staff that work here are great

The employees are very friendly and helpful.

The story of the prison was interesting.

My high schoolers (boys 15 & 16) were engaged and interested.

My middle schooler (12 year old girl) was into it somewhat.

Elementary age was not interested at all.

Best haunted house ever. Great tourist destination.

one of the most interesting tours/museums i've done. It was very informative and intriguing. I learned a lot and highly recommend.

A lot of History !!...highly recommend place to visit while in Philly !

One the best experiences while visiting Philadelphia, well worth the drive from Buffalo, N.Y.. Thank you ESP.

The trip changed my children to obey the laws. It kinda scared them straight

When I know of anyone going to Philadelphia I always recommend this a place to visit. The self guided audio tour is very informative. This is a fascinating piece of history.

They did a wonderful job with Terror Behind the Walls. Spot on props, realistic "monsters". They even offer interactive experience, which definitely raises the terror bar. So much fun. Highly recommend.

One of the best museums/ attractions I've been to in a LONG time. Certainly in my top 3 in Philadelphia!
Entry is $16 for an adult, but you get a headset for an audio guide (the main tour is narrated by Steve Buscemi!)
If you want to explore and visit every entry on the map provided at the front desk, you can spend a whole day here learning about the history of ESP and the evolution of the US correctional system. I spent 4 - 5 hours walking around, listening to the different sections and taking photos.
Cannot recommend enough!

This is a former prison in Philadelphia. Awesome place for Halloween event!! They do offer daily tours. If you are on hop-on hop-off tour bus, there is a stop at this location.

Good place to visit when you in philadelphia. Worth the time. Good education tour for young generation.

Designed by John Haviland and opened on October 25, 1829, Eastern State is considered to be the world's first true penitentiary. Eastern State's revolutionary system of incarceration, dubbed the "Pennsylvania system" or separate system, encouraged separate confinement (the warden was legally required to visit every inmate every day, and the overseers were mandated to see each inmate three times a day) as a form of rehabilitation.

The Pennsylvania System was opposed contemporaneously by the Auburn system (also known as the New York system), which held that prisoners should be forced to work together in silence, and could be subjected to physical punishment (Sing Sing prison was an example of the Auburn system). Although the Auburn system was favored in the United States, Eastern State's radial floor plan and system of solitary confinement was the model for over 300 prisons worldwide.

Originally, inmates were housed in cells that could only be accessed by entering through a small exercise yard attached to the back of the prison; only a small portal, just large enough to pass meals, opened onto the cell blocks. This design proved impractical, and in the middle of construction, cells were constructed that allowed prisoners to enter and leave the cell blocks through metal doors that were covered by a heavy wooden door to filter out noise. The halls were designed to have the feel of a church.

Some believe that the doors were small so prisoners would have a harder time getting out, minimizing an attack on a security guard. Others have explained the small doors forced the prisoners to bow while entering their cell. This design is related to penance and ties to the religious inspiration of the prison. The cells were made of concrete with a single glass skylight, representing the "Eye of God", suggesting to the prisoners that God was always watching them.

Outside the cell was an individual area for exercise, enclosed by high walls so prisoners could not communicate. Exercise time for each prisoner was synchronized so no two prisoners next to each other would be out at the same time. Prisoners were allowed to garden and even keep pets in their exercise yards. When a prisoner left his cell, an accompanying guard would wrap a hood over his head to prevent him from being recognized by other prisoners

One of my favorite places in Philly. They do an amazing job at keeping the prison in a suspended state of decay, along with teaching you about the history of the prison and the criminal justice system and the current issues with the system.

P.S. if you come in the winter wear a coat, the entire prison is open to the elements.

Went for the game of thrones beer event. Amazing time! Great if you're a fan of the show or maybe just starting

I gave 5 stars but I should have not. The place is interesting to visit but the purpose of it is not. Be curious and go visiting this place. This place reminds me of how much human kinds are wrong about how they do things. I learned a lot.

Really cool tour. You also get to roam around some. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. If you're looking for touristy fun this is a good stop.

First time visiting ESP and Philly. This was quite an educational visit to ESP and found the history more interesting than the paranormal based background that I have previous seen on various television shows. The audio tour was great and how do beat one done by the great Steve Buscemi? You do the tour at your own pace and one can easily spend two hours here like we did. Fascinating and offbeat, and at the same time very informative. Potentially haunted? Maybe, draw your own conclusions there. But if you are ever gonna go to prison in your life then make sure to visit ESP or Alcatraz.
Parking: paid parking is a short walk away and makes for a good hub location so that you can then go to the Rocky steps and check out the statues nearby, and other closer sites.

Can t wait to go in again after the new renovations

An unforgettable experience, as other users have said, a truly timeless place, with detailed explanations of how prisoners lived, how this penitentiary was designed and then developed, which influenced the structure of prisons around the world (including San Vittore a Milan). Attention: to fully enjoy the visit you need a good level of English, the audio guide (free) is only in English and Spanish but it helps a lot to enter the atmosphere. The reflection section on the US prison system is also excellent ... Food for thought.

Let's go ghost hunting! But don't forget its own history.

Awesome historical place! I love living history, even if it's a little macabre!

The penitentiary was an amazing experience. The audio tour was well paced, immersive, and highly informative. Plenty of interesting exhibits and views of the cells. The staff is also helpful and very friendly. (They taught us how to play bachi!) Would recommend to historians, true crime fans, and anyone into creepy topics.

Wear good shoes if you are planning to go. Sneakers would be your best bet. The floors are often uneven, there is grass, and a lot of rocks. Plus you will be walking for hours. The line to get in is not long. If you book online, you make be able to get a discount. Eat a snack or heavy breakfast before touring the facility. It takes about 3 hours to leisurely see the whole place.

It's one of the must visit places in Philadelphia. At one moment I felt scary also. But the way it has been organised for the visitors and the audios really give goosebumps. You feel the pain, you feel the thrill . Overall highly recommended.

This was one of my favorite places I visited when I went to Philly! The history is rich and there are lots of cool things to see.

Highly recommend to visit this great place and the history.

Fantastic! It's such a unique experience! The audio guide is very well designed with narration, audio documents and sound effects to take you back to history. There are also exhibitions that let you think about the present and future of the problems of incarceration.

Never before have you seen a jail is amazing, impressive, like imagining that a person is there for indefinite times.

It really was freaky... but it's worth visiting at
least once! Make sure to warm yourself.. It's colder inside...

The first visit to the prison, long knowledge
"It's hot in summer and cold in winter"

Really interesting place. I thought it would be creapier, but they tried to keep it light, and we went during the day, and not on Halloween... The exhibits were all interesting. The audio tour was a nice touch with multiple narrators, some being actors. Did not do the guided tour, but would if I went back again. We did a small guided tour through the hospital and solitary cells that was very interesting and informative.

Good price. I got chills when walking thru here. For all the tall people, watch your head getting in and out of the cells, my boyfriend smacked his head pretty good getting out of one haha.

We went on both tours. The daytime tour, which was a self-guided audio-was very detailed and fascinating. The history in the building and life of the prisoners was well detailed in the audio.

The real eye opener is the display in the grounds at the end showing the growth on the US prison populations.

Highly recommend when you re in the philly area as it s a great way to learn about the historical culture and get off the beaten path.

My girlfriend and I took a trip to Philly with intent of visiting Eastern State and we were not disappointed at all. The tour we took was interesting and we wish there was even more locations we could venture off into than we were allowed to. I was even shocked that the gift shop was so reasonable in prices. Love the hoodie I bought there. We cannot wait to go back again.

Great visiting experience to this US National Historic Landmark.

This place has many things. For one, it makes you contemplates crime and punishment. For another, it is a historical artifact of significant importance, given that it is the first large building in the United States to have amenities we take for granted such as indoor plumbing.

Solitary confinement was pioneered here, along with the realization that it drove people insane.

If you visit, don t miss Al Capone s cell.

And if it s Halloween, this is the best haunted house

They self guided tour is great with the voice of Steve buschemy on the headphones you take your time around the place..I also love the exhibit on the over populated justice system and how easily anyone can become a criminal I wasnt expecting it

It's a place to go but nothing phenomenal. For a place with so much history, the museum isn't well put together. It feels as if Eastern State Penitentiary solely exists for its Halloween event.

A great historical prison and first penitentiary. Filled with tons of history well worth a visit.

This place is so amazing it a most do on a Halloween night wish we had the time but all the night Tours were booked :( still great.

Incredible experience and very affordable. Spend hours here, great self guided tour with audio guidance, go at your own pace!

Very interesting and very good that you have a tour in Spanish

Definitely worth a visit. The audio tour is well narrated and detailed.
However, it is incomprehensible to me that the working hours are not adjusted for covid times. We got the tickets for the last entry at 3:30 PM. (the museum closes at 5 PM) I do not feel like we took any extra time but simply followed the audio tour. And yet, the last bit was rushed or had to be skipped because of the staff was standing behind us and obviously waiting for us to leave. If we hadn't been stopped several times by staff and asked to wait and let the group in front of us clear to ensure social distancing, I'm sure we would have finished the tour by closing time. I'm glad they are enforcing CDC guidelines and, therefore, I felt comfortable visiting the place. However, it doesn't seem to be fair to sell tickets for time slots when you know it may not allow visitors enough time to enjoy the whole tour.

Interesting and informative tour done at your own pace.

Amazing! To give cold in the back! And very informative too. This prison gives a different view of the US.

An excellent experience. The initial guided audio tour tells the history of the penitentiary, without romanticising or sugar-coating it. The follow-on exhibitions are largely very good. The best ones confront the visitor with the history and current reality of the prison system and mass incarceration, both through interpretive presentations and artwork created by those affected by the system.

Had an experience right off the bat when my wife and I entered the cell blocks. She and I are standing by ourselves doing the audio tour when something touched my left hip, and she was to my right front side. Felt almost like there was someone trying to pick my pocket. Again, nobody was within 25 ft of me other than my wife... Spooky...

This is a place you won't expect to visit. Then once you visit, you wouldn't mind going back. Even though the cells are small, the penitentiary is huge.You'll learn about multiple criminals and visit their jail cell. Bring a camera, good place to shoot photos at.

I went in a tour. It was great to know about history and the 12 monkeys was filmed there.

If you love creepy, old, falling apart places as much as I do, this will be right up your alley! Very interesting, and often disturbing history.

Honestly the exhibits were interesting and I don't regret going. However, most of the cells are mostly ruins and don't look like cells anymore. For that reason, I'd say it's sort of pricey too.

Excellent place to visit while in Philadelphia, not far from the bus line if you don't feel like driving, worth the trip.

Wow, what a fascinating and amazing place to visit. The guided audio tour is very good, and you can then explore at your own pace afterwards. This is a ruin though, so if visiting in winter, dress appropriately as you effectively outside the entire time (there are a couple of warming stations though).

The penitentiary has a rich history. Definitely take a tour when you go to understand everything that you're looking at otherwise you'll just be looking at a pile of rubble. A must visit when in Philadelphia

Interesting place to see with audio tour. Took us about 90 minutes to see most of the place. Audio tour is nice for self pace. Reminded me of the concentration camps in Germany.

I definitely recommend anyone come here if they have the time. There is a great deal of history and with every admission you get an audio tour that you listen to as you walk through the Penitentiary. There is so much information and it is super interesting! The rooms and the halls are so astounding to look at and it is curious to think about how much prisons have changed and think about how life was here. They offer plenty of information on modern crime and prisons. You can even register to vote here which is pretty neat

This place is so grim, gloomy and sad from the outside and inside. Old prison that housed many prisoners for different crimes years ago. The place is old and deteriorating, but is a popular tourist attraction in Philadelphia. I uploaded a short video of al capone's cell and I guess he was special and was treated better than the other prisoners during his stay here. I saw some people brought their children here, but honestly I would not bring children to this place. Depressing.

The feeling you get when you step inside . love the audio story telling

Fascinating place to visit. Audio tour was informational and very interesting. Took about 2 hrs to do everything - well worth the visit!