Eastern State Penitentiary

The great city of Philadelphia has plenty of many places to visit just for leisure. If you are interested in doing something off of the beaten path and out of the ordinary, visit the Eastern State Penitentiary. It will give you something to talk about and will be an experience like no other.

The penitentiary was founded in 1829 by Quakers. It was an old-fashioned prison that wanted to reform its inmates through isolation and physical labor. At the time it was built it was the most expensive building ever built in the United States. Since it was built an estimated 300 prisons have been built copying its unique wagon wheel floor plan. It was a groundbreaking prison in many ways. Over the years it has housed some of the country’s most famous criminals including Willie Sutton and Al Capone. Today the prison serves as a tourist attraction as it was abandoned in 1971. If you are interested in visiting the prison you have many options. The prison is open from April to November. You can go on a public daytime tour, you can schedule a private daytime group tour or you could visit the prison on a Terror Behind the Walls tour. This Halloween nighttime tour is one of the most interesting ways to visit the prison if you can handle it. Prior to the opening of this establishment, the jail on Walnut Street in the area housed individuals who were found to be crime committers. The Quakers of the time established the fact that some major changes needed to occur when it came to incarceration methods. It was established by this particular group of individuals who when an individual broke the laws, they should endure a period of "penitence". This group believed that being confined in a solitary manner could assist in this time of penitence.

Each criminal who entered this facility was issued their own room, as well as their own small outside area. The individuals were not permitted to interact with any other inmate while serving their time at Eastern State Penitentiary. Inmates were not allowed to talk, sing, read, or communicate in any other manner. If the individuals failed to adhere to these rules, they were punished and were not permitted to have any type of food or drink.

Many prisoners died while at their stay at the Eastern State Penitentiary. It is believed that the tortured souls of these individuals still roam the haunted prison, only they are not as silent.

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