Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc Reviews

You should know before going that this was a Penitentiary for about 140 years, and yes, people died. Admission comes with an audio guide narrated (primarily) by Steve Buscemi. There is a LOT of information on the history of this place, and they even examine the prison system in the United States as a whole. You can see where our prison system used to be, where it is now, and enough evidence to suggest where it will be in the future. The staff is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I highly suggest coming here, and if you have the time, take the guided tour.

A fascinating look inside an old prison. The tour is very informative and the haunted house during Halloween is a must.

If you re looking for an unconventional date, night out with friends, or a fun and educational family trip this is an excellent place to visit.

As you can see from my images, I went to the night tour. The penitentiary is quite large. If you want to see everything throughly, expect to be there for 1.5-2 hours. Don t forget to bring a jacket, it gets cold!

Very interesting!! I was there the beginning of March. it was very cold inside ( which gives an extra feeling of creepiness ) and frankly if you try to imagine the people who stayed there when the place was active you get really depressed! so don't include this trip in the "let's have fun" section.

Visited Philly for the first time and decided to go here. The employees were friendly were able to educate us on the history of the place . Love visiting potentially haunted places and had fun learning about it. The gift shop sold good things for a reasonable price. Would recommend anyone to go for a tour and learn something new!

really cool piece of history. Extremely large place you could spend a whole afternoon here and i'm not sure if you would get to hear and see everything they have to offer. Definitely take allergy medicine before going if you're sensitive to dust etc.

Was a really cool and interesting educational experience.

Worth time and money. Very interesting and tempting audio tour (included in a ticket). And the price is very reasonable.

No climate control, so be sure to dress appropriately for the season. Excellent place to learn about the operation of this penitentiary.

Intense. Been here a few times. The state of decay makes for both an interesting and somewhat unsafe adventure.

A great tour of a interesting part of Philadelphia's history. The self-guided audio tour lets you go at your own pace and learn about the penitentiary, its prisoners, life at the prison and its ultimate closure. Also a great segment on modern prisons with some good questions about modern day incarceration. Good for all ages.

Eastern State Penitentiary, also known as ESP, American prison in Philadelphia, It was build in the year 1828, and it was operational until 1971, It is one of the places to should visit in Philadelphia.

The staff and guides were very enthusiastic and informative. The audio tour was awesome as well. Some of the cleanest portapotties I ve ever seen.

Joke they need people care about the guests. Don't go there for the Halloween event.

This was an unexpected addition to our trip. However, it was one of my favorite things to see! This is a very unique tour and the audio guides provided tell stories while you walk through the prison. Keep in mind that as a tourist in the city this location may be a little challenging to get to with public transportation. But it is worth taking time to see!

This is my first time being at Terror behind the walls. It was very fun. Plus the bus driver Mrs. Bigs ( Don t know if I m spelling it right) was very kind and nice. Overall everything was excellent and on point. It was nice learning the history behind the prison.

A really cool historical museum to check out.
Don t have to worry that you didn t hear the guide, cuz everyone will have once upon entry.
Some spot is kinda scary that you might only seen that in a movie.
Philly is not only famous for the cheese steak, this is a must visit place when visiting Philly.

When I visited here, there wasn t too many people so I can actually take my time and walk through those buildings.
Visiting Eastern State Penitentiary can literally kill a whole day.

I spent three hours here just doing the audio guided tour, taking pictures, and reading all the art installation's descriptions. One of my favorite aspects was the information on both historical and contemporary forms of incarceration in the USA. Limited climate control may make this place a bit chilly as it becomes fall (I went at the end of September and needed a light sweater). There was a room for resting that was cooled and had micro USB phone chargers. The toilets were port-a-johns. Unfortunately, this historic building is not very accessible for folks with wheelchairs. There are plenty of benches to sit on and rest in.

Absolutely great! Awesome audio tour. Amazing building. Great for taking pictures.

Audio tour and go as you please. Historical landmark which taught me where the word penitentiary came from and a lot of other facts that I would ve never know had I not came to this fascinating place. People were friendly and staff were super helpful. Learning is always fun especially when you can actually touch and get a sense of how people actually lived in their cells. Being able to go into the cell was eerie and unimaginable. This is a 2 day event. Its so much information and unless you spend the entire day inside you will not be able to get it all. One thing I must say. They have a charging station with a lock and key so you can charge your phone and continue viewing the grounds.

Great place to check out. Audio tour is self guided. Charging station available. You can check out the whole place in about two hours. Terror behind the walls was good fun! Makes you scream and jump.

Night Tours was new for ESP this fall replacing (due to CoVID) their normal haunted experience around Halloween. The Night Tours run only certain nights of the week throughout October-mid November. If wanting to visit, seeing the old prison at night just increases the natural creepiness of decaying cells. Upon entering, everyone gets a personal audio tour device, so you re following the signs and listening as your own pace. If we ever go again, I d visit again at night if available. Very well done!

they have great guide tour and good customer service. quality of the prison as a tourist, it is very fascinating and well kept history

I went here for Halloween last year and it was fun because I was with a lot of people but overall, it was just not scary enough. Not worth the money!

Historic gem. Amazing staff. Super fun for Halloween. Best job I ve ever had.

Eastern State penitentiary has a lot of history a lot of notorious characters like Al Capone stayed here before they went to Alcatraz I highly recommend taking a tour and learning about the first prison in the United States you'll be surprised what you find out

The atmosphere of the penitentiary is creepy and enriched with history. Very informative audio tour.

Great piece of history. Can you imagine the horrors experienced here over the years? I would love to return for the Halloween exhibit.

Excellent tour. A very informative history of the oldest penitentiary in the US.

Excellent and informative tour well worth the money

It's a place full of history. I got shortness of breath while walking the hallways of the prison. Scary yet interesting. They offer guided tours and audio tours. Awesome experience! Definitely a must see!

This place was so much fun and very cool and creepy. A perfect complement to a trip to the Mutter Museum.

Pro tip 1: Get a pamphlet at the Mutter or another museum for a 2 dollar coupon on up to four admissions. Use the coupon code to buy tickets online to save $4 on each ticket. You don't need to print the coupon

Pro tip 2: check out the scheduled tours and make sure you don't miss the medical wing tour.

Such a cool place to visit! The audio tour was great but there are some other points of interest where they do brief guided tours of 5-10 minutes for certain locations. Definitely recommend joining up with some of those and learning some interesting things about the place. I only gave myself 1.5 hours to explore and it wasn't enough. Give yourself at least a couple hours to take your time and see everything.

Eastern State is one of the modern wonders of Philadelphia. You may think a prison can't be a nice place to visit. But for those who are history fanatics, this is an amazing thing to do while in Philly.

The corridors are creepy, everything is so old. To imagine being held here gives me goosebumps. The price is fair, and you get the audio guide with your entrance. You can even visit Al Capone's cell, pretty fancy spot.

The Penitentiary also offers a Halloween special where you can enter here during nightame for an extreme experience. Its supposed to be one of the most haunted places in America, though I couldn't capture a ghost among hundreds of pictures. Totally recommend it!

We went on the guided tour witch was great because they answered questions. But I wish they had more signs. We went on a cold day and it was nice that they had a couple of heated spots and a recharging phone spot.

Great date spot. Very full of enriching information and has an eloquently done audio tour. My only complaint is the extremely cramped restrooms.

Do the audio tour for the most information. Creepy place, but really cool to learn what it was like during operation. Al Capone's cell is also preserved how it was set up for him. Note that the building does not have climate control so dress warmly on the winter.

Basically, the previous 5 star ratings say it all.
Just a little tip: Dress warmly, in prison it is sometimes very cold.

Drove from north Jersey to get here, and I'd say it was worth it! The entire event was so well planned! Parking is tough to find, so keep that in mind. From the second you're in line to even the zombie guard dance show after the scare event is over, it's entirely immersive. If you go on Thursdays you get a free daily tour ticket if you buy online. If you come early for the day time. You should try to reserve tickets for the walking tour(it's included for free, just limited in space). I know everyone on here has taken those iconic perspective shots down the prison corridors, but it doesn't do it justice to the real thing. Awesome exhibit on how messed up our prison system with mass incarceration fever is. Hope you enjoy!

This place scratches so many different itches.

If you re interested in history, architecture, the supernatural or maybe just guided tours voiced by Steve Buscemi, this is a can t-miss stop in Philly.

It s incredible how well-maintained this building is for being 150 years old in parts and it remains an engineering triumph. I learned a ton about the prison itself, as well as the inhumane beginnings of the prison system it started.

Good audio tour. It takes about two hours to see everything.

Very interesting place to see. Recomend seeing it during Halloween and doing the spook walk show at night.

Really interesting place to visit if you're interested in how the modern prison system developed, or want to see how prisoners used to spend their time. It's also very interesting for people who like to know about how the US prison population grew to what it is now, the biggest in the world! Furthermore it's a great historical and societal site, and a must see for history buffs.

A must see if you are in Philly. Read about how imprisonment was back then, learn about featured inmates including Al Capone, and learn about some attempted escapes. There is plenty to learn at ESP including current prison facts. Honestly a good time for the whole family. You will be given an audio guided tour narrated by Steve Buscemi which is very helpful and informative. I will definitely be coming back to Eastern State Penitentiary in the near future.

Nice experience roaming around inside. Audio tour is a must, otherwise you will be just staring at walls and gates. I heard there is another private haunted tour and it is good too.

I went there a few years ago around Halloween fit the haunted house. Insanely long lines for admission.
Maybe I don't scare easily but I found the haunted tour mundane and average. Especially when it is this crowded, you get to see and hear the group in front of you so you know what to expect. Blah.

It is worth to visit this place, you get an insight how to spend your life (or had to) when you have strayed from the right path. One of the many places in Philadelphia that is definitely worth a visit.

ghost adventures want here eastern state penitentiary

Best thing ever it is super exciting with twist and turns love it

A great place! Very historical and fun. The cells were amazing to see. The audio tour is also good. However there some drawbacks. I would not recommend it for cHildreth under 10. The biggest concern is sickness. Many diseases could have still been there from prisoners. Worry about disease

Selfishness feels better than Alcatraz Island. A glimpse of the old American prison culture and context and architecture is worth visiting. Tickets 14 mg, student, child 12 mg

Absolutely breathtaking. The history, the architecture, the chaotic beauty is stunning.

It was OK i drive from Harrisburg PA to get there only to wait in line for an extended period of time to enter. I purchased a ticket for 11:00 got in at 12:30. Waited in the dark cold and little rain to finally get in. Greeted by another line to check tickets.... Then gretted by another line for all the waivers. Then another line for checking weapons and such then another line for the actual event. We are then hurried through the halls of typical holloween props and people jumping out at us. My buddy stopped to looked inside an empty cell blocked off by a heavy gate and got yelled at for stopping. Told by a "goul" to keep moving and not stop and look at the history. I was basically at a fast walk slow jog to get through. Just a frustrating experience. Slow and nothing but lines. I was disappointed in the experience. I could have went to Jason's woods or something similar for half the cost and wait lines.......While I am not mad or anything I definitely feel taken advantage of. It's not bad but for the money but I won't be back...... Not worth my money and time. I spent over 3 hours in lines for 4 hours worth of enjoyment...... Each to their own I guess.

Definitely a must see attraction. Gift shop is very affordable.

Immediately from the entrance you're greeted by an awe inspiring facade and two menacing gargoyles and I am absolutely amazed that this structure has stood for so long and still remains in fairly good condition. There were some blocks that were closed for repair/restorative work. However a majority of the Penitentiary was open for exploration and the areas that were open provided about a two hour experience. A remarkable and memorable experience strolling along the same corridors that the prisoners walked also (the best way to experience a penitentiary ). The audio and the posters along the self-guided tours were informative and helped to enhance the experience.

Just visited for the first time today. It was creepy and I had a tight feeling in my chest near some of the cells. Sad mostly. It was very interesting.

It's a great, eye-opening experience. Looking at how people lived when in prison makes you want to do good all the time. The prison's condition shows its age but I like it quite a lot. It's amazing that it has been functioning for such a long time and I can't imagine what it was like for the prisoners to live there. I enjoyed walking there at my own pace and taking as much time to see various places as possible.

Unlike a lot of "parks" that are either meticulously restored or crumbled beyond recognition, Eastern State has managed to find the perfect balance between the two. Most of the facility has been stabilized enough to be safe for (careful) visitors, and there are a few interesting art installments, but there is also the gritty (and cold, in the middle of winter) feel of something where the history is right there. The guide for the tour we took was clearly deeply knowledgeable and also managed to avoid simply talking at the group the whole time. This is indeed worth a stop while in Philly.

This is a great museum! I recently brought 60 10th graders here on a field trip, and the tour guides were informative, interesting, and relatable. I will definitely be back with students and on my own.

For the price, I think this is one of the best places I have toured. From the first steps into the entrance, you are acutely aware that there is something different about this place. This is more than just a former prison. This is a sinister place. It is oppressive, and you can feel it. It's almost tangible when you walk down some of the more run down cellblocks. Standing inside the cells, you really get a sense of the dread and dispair that covers this place. It is both historically significant and culturally important to see.

Very good place to go is worth it. And if you feel strange things especially the nursing area ..

It has so much history not known to the public. Sobering experience. Did not know their were women prisoners there too. Everybody should visit.

A neat alternative for something historical but different from Independence Hall! Only a few blocks from the Art Museum and the Rocky Steps. They break each hallway "block" into different centuries, which is an interesting way to see the changes in prison culture. Feel like it was an hour and $20 well spent.

Another must for visitors of Philadelphia, I lived with this in my backyard (okay, two blocks away) for years. I may hate Halloween season because of it (with the Haunted House, parking gets rather horrendous) - but its such a great unique piece of history right smack in Fairmount, so I can't complain. Love sitting outside at Jack's Firehouse with the Penitentiary across the street. I do suggest seeing the Haunted House in october, but the more traditional prison tour is even better!

Wasn't sure what to expect, but there are so many interesting things to see! Definitely recommend going.

Really fun experience and worth visiting. The audio tour is well done and informative.