Eastern State Penitentiary Reviews

I had seen a lot of TV shows (mostly ghost hunting) about this location. I am fascinated by history so I was excited to check out Eastern State. I took one of the summer evening tours which started off in daylight and ended in the dark. Unfortunately I didn’t see anything paranormal but it was still interesting. I would definitely recommend coming if you like history, dark stories, or anything creepy.

The audio tour is slow if it works at all. It's confusing, also. I gave up at the introduction because I had ended up in the wrong place and then I couldn't get it to work. The rare printed material is out of context and not remotely interesting. And for $20 a ticket I should not have to use a glorified pot-a-potty that is absolutely filthy. Don't bother going.

My family and I decided to visit the Eastern State Penitentiary while we were in Philadelphia. There is a paid parking lot right beside the prison for easy access.

On admittance, we were given and audio recording to listen to as we walked through the old prison. We heard stories from past inmates, prison guards, and others who worked at the prison.

All of the members of our party (adults and teens) liked hearing the history of the building and the people who were imprisoned there. The audio tour takes about 40 minutes. Then you can wander on your own throughout the rest of the prison. I would plan to spend a minimum of 2 hours.

The visit was excellent! The great audio guide helped to interpret and understand what you were seeing and what life was like at the time. Because of the audio tour, the visit exceeded my expectations. It was a side to history we usually don’t talk about and a great learning experience.

On the bus route, which is great to see some of the older Philly.
Museum is great, lots of interesting history and a mix of indoor and out.
Well worth a visit if you are interested in historic buildings or prisons.

It was a lot of fun. Very interesting history. Go on all the mini tours. You get in to spaces not open to the general public. No need to reserve the minis in advancem

We only had a couple of hours to fill before leaving and a hotel employee recommended this site. I would highly recommend! The prison has not been “refurbished” but is sustained as is. The audio tour was excellent ( included in ticket price-don’t skip it). I was surprised by the thoughtful commentary and the depth of history. It ends with an award-winning and thought provoking self-guided presentation. I’m not sure what I was expecting but it was well worth the time!

Not exactly what I expected. I thought the tour would be all about the history of the prison and the prisoners. It was really more of a sociology discussion about prisons and how bad they were /are and if there’s a better way to rehabilitate. The first 10 min was asking the group what where we were from, who was from the greater distance, or closer. Then what our personal thoughts on words like Justice meant to us. It wasn’t what I was interested in. If I had known this would be a woke indoctrination of the evils of holding people responsible for breaking laws ( laws that should not be laws, according to the narrative) I would have just gotten the headphones and walked around on my own. At least then I could fast forward through the parts that had no historical basis. Just be prepared- if you want the Sociological/political tour you’d enjoy it. If you’re just looking for the historical without personal opinion interjected then give the guided tour a pass. Full disclosure, I could only stay with the group for 30 min before I just couldn’t take anymore. The building itself is a must see.

What was the first penitentary like in the U. S.? The Eastern State Penitentary, which closed in 1970, is preserved to show visitors how prisoners lived.
The audio tour is excellent. You get to hear from people who lived and worked at the prison. It wasn't just men who served time there.
Women and children, some as young as 11-years-old, were imprisoned.
Don't miss this fascinating piece of the past!

This review might be biased since I love visiting prisons, but some prison museums are better than others.
Very interesting to check out the first penitentiary of its kind and get to know the history. Audio guide was helpful, a lot of extra audio snippets and art exhibitions.
Must do if you are into creepy places!

I really didn’t know what to expect when we took our rideshare E bikes out to the eastern state penitentiary. The museum and accompanying audio tour were fascinating, and gave great insights both to the history of incarceration, and the problem we have in America with over-incarceration.

I was really moved by this experience and visit. I completely recommend. It’s a little bit out of city center, but if you get the rideshare E bikes, you can get there pretty easy. Plus, it is also on the tourist bus circuit.

We spent a few hours wandering in this ancient prison, thanks to the great audio tour guide. We were also luck to have a small group visit of restricted areas, such as the Catholic Chaplain's Office, the Hospital Block, as well as Soup Alley. Our guide Jerome made this visit a memorable one. Thank you!

After seeing the prison on TV so many times I have been wanting to visit for years. It didn't disappoint. We spent ages looking around and found the audio guide very informative. The prison is much bigger than I thought so make sure to allow plenty of time to see everything.

I never paid attention to the penitentiary when I lived near Philadelphia. 20 years later my daughter put it on the itinerary while visiting and what a surprise it was. This is such an interesting place to visit and learn about. The whole idea behind its concept, the changes through the years are as interesting as the many stories. The audio tour is extremely well done. Additionally there is a lot of food for thought about the modern prison system, thoughtful art installations, and even an opportunity to write to current prisoners in Pennsylvania. I have to say though, the very best of it is the architecture and the decay of the building and structures, which are hauntingly beautiful. If you are into the aesthetics of abandoned buildings, this is phenomenal. Lastly, all the people working there were very helpful and friendly!

This was on my husband’s bucket list and we decided to do the evening visit. There was a large a hill group who arrived at the same time as us but we were let in in groups which was great.

The penitentiary is absolutely mind blowing! To think that as little as c. 50yrs ago people were held there! We are big into history and love to read every single sign and description so this was right up our street.

If you are in Philly we would 100% recommend.. absolutely fascinating

Great learning experience. Audio tour with Steve Buscemi was excellent. Surprising history. A little over the top pushing the current political issues. Don't opt for the sunset beer garden tour. It's a storage container that sells drinks.

Very neat experience visiting the penitentiary and it's history. The self guided tour came with a headset that narrated in detail the different parts of the penitentiary and the infamous criminals that had the displeasure of spending time in it. Admission was available at the door, also an online option. But definitely a must if you are in the Philadelphia area and this is your thing.

We became aware of this attraction through TripAdvisor and spontaneously decided to visit during our stay in Philadelphia.
We have booked easily through the club's website, but you can also buy tickets at the ticket office.
The Penitentiary begins development of the detention center. In several stages, the development up to the closure of the institution will be examined.
All topics are accompanied very well with an audio guide (English!).
In the last part, the American penal system is examined. This is also very interesting and well worked up.

We visited Eastern State Penitentiary late in the afternoon with just two hours to explore, and we’re glad we did. The prison is massive, with a haunting atmosphere that truly gives you a sense of what life was like for inmates. The self-guided headphone tour was a great resource, though we opted to explore at our own pace. Even though we didn’t have time to see everything, it was an eye-opening experience. If you’re into history, this place is definitely worth a visit.

Looking for ghosts but just blown away by the exhibit! It was so informative and well-done! I wasn't expecting to learn so much!

What an incredible place to visit! This massive prison is located right in the heart of the city with its imposing walls. Parts of the prison are in bad shape, but they’ve done a nice job preserving what they can. Self-guided audio tour was well done.

Worth a visit if you are in Philadelphia and have a few hours to spare. A history lesson, an eventful day and a reminder to follow the law all rolled into one.

Love love love this place. I’ve done both their Haunted Attractions and Day time tours.

This year was a newer set up called Halloween Nights, no more Terror Behind the Walls. Honestly this one was better waiting wise. I took the 7-7:30 tour. Any later than that you’re better off getting the VIP because the line wraps around the building.

Unfortunately the attractions as awesome and beautifully put together they are, being stuck in a crowd kinda takes away the frightening aspect. That’s my only complaint.

A rare discovery. Very large penitentiary steeped in history. Interesting both for the architecture and for the prison history.

I took my 19 and 16-year-old daughters on the tour and we all thought it was great. We learned so much about historical and current-day prisons. It was nice to go at your own pace and extend the tour for as long as you'd like.

Enjoyed seeing the jail cells and learning about the history of solitary vs rehabilitation. We chose the guide led tour and I would not recommend that. While you gets some interesting facts not on the audio tour, overall you see and learn less than the audio tour. You can walk the entire jail after the guide led portion end but you miss out on the narration the audio tour gets. Add this to your list but choose audio tour vs guide led.

It was a great tour. Sammy who works there took time with our young kids and answered all of the crazy questions about how people might have escaped lol. They hit him with every question a 7 and 8 year old mind could come up with and he just answered the best he could without shooting them down. It’s a great place to visit.

Excellent experience - History, architecture and very thought provoking! The audio tour was quite good. There is so much to see, so do plan to spend several hours.

One of the best things we did on our trip to Philly! I have toured Alcatraz, so I knew I would enjoy this, but I underestimated just how much there would be to see/explore/learn. I figured we’d be there for about an hour, but it turned out to be 2.5 hours (and worth every minute). We did the 6:00 pm twilight tour in June. The temperature was very pleasant, it wasn’t too crowded, and it was nice to see it in the nighttime as we were leaving. I’m glad I didn’t book a time slot any later. So much of the prison relies on sky lights and if it had been much darker I’m not sure if we would have enjoyed it as much.
The brewery area outside is awesome! It was a much needed break after so much walking.
It was a fantastic time - I highly recommend!

The audio tour was very informative. The variety of narrators, actor, inmates, guards made it most engaging. Both indoor and outdoor areas to tour. Educational graph and video at end made a modern day connection.

We enjoyed the tour. It is a self builder headphone tour. We took out time and had a wonderful time exploring.

The history set against how we are still getting it so wrong. 200 years ago we locked up too many people and it’s become even worse. Excellent insight to life behind bars without glorifying

I took the Phlash bus ($5) to the museum…..it’s very well organized and the audio tour is excellent. It’s definitely worth @ 1.5 hours and a couple decent food options nearby for lunch

Absolutely amazing. This best thing we did in Philadelphia. Great audio guide and a very impressive building. Good value as well

Really neat penitentiary full of history. You'll hear and read about life in the prison, including the hospital wing, some good and some bad guards, movies filmed onsite, and even Al Capone.

Currently, there are a lot of exhibits on criminal justice reform, which are eye-opening and depressing, but are really well done. Several old cells have art exhibits about prison in them, which are hit or miss depending on your art preferences.

The coolest part is the architecture. Most of it looks like crumbling abandoned buildings because... that's what it is.

Highly recommended, maybe not great for small kids, but good for older kids.

Very unique experience! Self-guided audio tour was great. It is narrated by Steve Buscemi and includes audio of former inmates and guards talking about their experiences in the prison.

Most of the cells are "as is" with the rubble and decay of many decades, while others are used as an art installation. All the staff we interacted with were friendly and helpful.

What a awesome experience to do from the outside the building looks so grand then arhhhh when you get inside you really do feel what it would be like serving time here the whole experience is awesome the audio tour has so much information I can’t believe we where lucky enough to enjoy this place
Inside is so creepy in parts
A must see when in Philadelphia

Amazing- the audio tour allowed us to go at our own pace and venture about the property as we felt fit. We learned so much and found it all enjoyable. We would recommend visiting whether passing through the area or making a special trip just for this.

Nice place to visit if you have a empty gap during your journey in Philadelphia. The prison was really impressive and historically. The audio guides where well done with interesting information. The tour is about 1 hour But goes very fast. Great activity to do as a family.

Easy to walk too from our Hotel in central Philly. Staff friendly and helpful. The whole tour was very interesting and loved seeing the whole site. The boards with information were very useful too. So pleased they kept this as a. tourist attraction rather than knocking it down, hope it stays there to keep for history

As others have said, the audio tour is awesome! It kept myself and 10 and 12 year old interested. Don’t miss some of the other stops not on the main tour - get a paper map to help plan out what you want to see. Buy tickets online in advance, they’re a couple $ cheaper.

Must do when in Philly. We bought tickets online you save a few dollars. Our tickets were general admission that includes an audio tour (they give you the headset and receiver). General admission is self-guided they give you a map and there is no time frame. This prison is not remolded it's a ruin. There are some parts of the prison you are not able to access with general admission and some parts that are off limits due to safety risks. Take water with you, they do have a gift shop and they sell snacks and drinks. There is street parking 2-hour limit or a lot down the block. They are very strict on the 2-hour limit for street parking. Throughout the prison there is staff to answer your questions. There are some cells you can go in and they have displays and several displays throughout the prison halls.

Went for the halloween nights festivities. Extremely well organized start to finish. Likely 100+ actors working the 3 haunted houses which was a nice distraction. We were most interested in the CB3 tour and that was a massive miss. The tour guide was snarky, unimaginable... def seemed like she didnt want to be there for the tour but more for promoting her own agenda. The tour could have included all kinds of stories but instead was very one dimensional. Good tour and this is 5 stars, but if your expecting a sweet guided tour this will disappoint. Our experience was 3.5 stars.

We really enjoyed our visit. We went on a Sunday at about 11am. They did a great job of spacing parties out so that you where not crowded. They provided you with an audio and earphones. Also grab a map of the museum. There are 10 official stops with audio details long the main route but then there are 30-40 additional audio stops you can venture to see and listen to throughout the rest of the penitentiary.

In addition after the official 10 stops they place you in the court hard where there are some exhibits and a small museum shop
- The Big Graph : a 16-foot tall, 3,500-pound plate steel sculpture illustrates the unprecedented growth in U.S. incarceration rates since 1900.
- Prisons Today: questions in the Age of Mass Incarceration elicits personal connections to recent historic changes in the U.S. criminal justice system.

You can cover the tour at your own pace doing as much of it as you chose. We spend a solid 4 1/2 hours there and saw pretty much everything.

It was a really nice experience especially thanks to Jerome fantastic person very knowledgeable. Thanks again to Jerome

Definitely worth a drive-by or tour if visiting Philadelphia. Nice neighborhood overall and close to Art Museum and Fairmount Park.

Téa was an awesome Tour guide. I’ve never been on a more interactive tour before this. She keeps the listeners engaged and has the most unique way of going about the tour. Would highly recommend and visit again.

This was a great place to visit and was one of the reasons I went to Philly. No regrets spending half a day there. Although it rained when I was there it was still easy to walk around and there was a lot to see. It was quite an informative tour and being self guided it was

The tour is done well with information about the facility and audio of the people that worked and were incarcerated there.

What a fascinating peek into the past! I was able to find free parking on the street really easy on a Sunday. The massive structure gives medieval vibes from the outside and a clash of upgrades over the decades.
The audio tour is very easy to follow and the narrator is very engaging!
The spoke like layout makes it easy to navigate. I appreciated the people stationed at the hub areas to answer questions if needed.
The facts from The Big Graph were staggering and really an eye opener!
Don't miss the exhibit on the tunnel escape and the specimens that were collected at the prison. Of course, Al Capones mack cell is intriguing. Overall, I went with three generations and we all really enjoyed it!

This was definitely worth the visit. Seeing the site that looks like a castle from the outside, but very haunting and falling apart on the inside. The included audio tour was very informative and substantial. The many art installations were very thought provoking.

Awesome audio tour. I recommend if you want history and spooky experience! I enjoyed walking around with the group I was with and able to explore on our own.

We did an evening tour and it was a fantastic experience. We got there way early for our timed entry and they let us in early. I liked how we got our headset and could listen to the tour at own pace. The prison itself was chilling. After the official audio tour, you could explore on your own and we enjoyed rambling around. The "Prisons Today" exhibit was sobering and very moving. The irony was not lost on us that in a country that's supposed to be the land of the free is full of too many folks unjustly imprisoned. Didn't get to try the beer garden (we got turned around and ended up at the exit instead but love the story behind Fair Chance Brewing). It is definitely worth your time and making part of your visit to Philly.

This was a great stop. Historical, educational, great audio tour, and wonderful for photography! Highly recommend! On the self-guided tour, you can take your time walking all over and there are plenty of audio tour pints to stop and listen.

In terms of customer service they have none, the website to buy tickets was buggy and the woman on the phone took so long to help that the tickets had sold out by the time she gave me the advice to refresh my page. She then told me tough luck despite my group all already having tickets and that by no means are tickets put up on the website after they sell out. 10 minutes later they put more tickets on the website. What help!

Parking at zoo with shuttle was a win. Easy, affordable, convenient. The attractions were good and I like the glow necklace option for more intense experience. Some houses better than others.

Cool / beautiful / informative place, well worth a visit, but I wanted to specifically talk about my experience with young kids - 8/5/5/4 in my case (with two other grown-ups).

Their website cautions against bringing children younger than 7, and they even make you sign an extra waiver upon entry if you do, but after visiting, while I understand the reason for those limits I also think they're very dependent on your kids.

First off, at least in daytime it's not really scary, not at all. Nor is there anything particularly inappropriate - even the hallway with an 'adult content' warning merely lists the names of things-that-used-to-be-crimes like 'sodomy' without any photos or graphic descriptions. (and in any event even a very precocious 5yo or 6yo is unlikely to want to read every sign)

There were no serious sensory concerns, at least none that we encountered - no loud noises, everything fairly consistently lit - and while it was possible to walk inside a cell there was no point where that was required. Of course a prison is inherently a little creepy but there was certainly nothing any more overwhelming than what you can see in the photos; the 4yo eventually got bored and hungry and we left because of that (having gotten a good hour-and-a-half or so out of it before then) but at no point was any kid feeling anxious / wanting to leave over the content / environment.

There are a few steep staircases, and definitely also some areas outside of the main path where you wouldn't want your kids wandering - a collapsed section of wall next to the former death row, e.g. - not to mention the lead on the walls, so with a toddler, or an older child who was prone to running off, or a large number of young kids with a small number of adults, I'd be wary, but if you've got, say, a reasonably average pre-K or kindergarten kid who's well trained about following directions and staying in line, I wouldn't be too nervous about bringing them.

I decided to join the guided tour which lasted around 45 minutes. I booked online since there was only three spots available when I called. Website was easy to use and ticket with QR code was emailed.

Our guide Emma was great as she gave us a lot of information. So many prisons modeled themselves after Eastern State but there were some unique features that set it apart. Prisoner anonymity was protected (face covered and prison numbers used instead of names) to try to dispel some of the negatives of imprisonment after discharge.

The tour went through two cell blocks and ended in the former baseball field. Along the way we wandered into some prison cells, learned about the female inmates, stood on the spot where Tina Turner filmed one of her music video and more. We also got tips on what to see on our own such as Al Capone’s luxurious cell, death row, and cell 68 where one of the largest escapes occurred via a tunnel dug by one inmate. There also were more cell blocks to explore, a synagogue but the press office and barbershop were closed.

The prison walls were imposing but did not have guard houses initially. It not only towered above but also went deep below. This was one of the challenges facing the repurposing of the prison and it ending up as a museum.

Lastly we were warned about the use of lead paint residue throughout the prison so FYI.

The whole family agreed, this was our favorite stop on our trip to Philadelphia. Our only regret is we didn’t have enough time! We spent a lot of time on the first part of the tour. The last part had some REALLY interesting stuff that we had to run through. I 100 percent recommend this. Just give yourself more time then you think. It’s worth it.

We booked the VIP tour for the spooky Halloween tour. It was a wonderful experience. They do an amazing job!
The details are awesome in each room. You have to follow the Philadelphia county guidelines and wear masks. It was running at reduced capacity but still very busy. We booked for 7:30 pm. We took an uber over. The actors are true to form and there was a lot of yelling and screaming. Lights, fogs and haunted visions. Its definitely not for the faint hearted. You enter each room and go through it crypt, haunted house and there are live performances, food and drinks. My teen enjoyed his time there. We were there for 2 hours. Everyone was in costume. Its a must visit for Halloween nights!

A bit shocking to imagine being an inmate back in the day in that place. Most of it is outside so dress appropriately.

History preserved. This was a very interesting self-guided tour. Steve Buscemi did a great job narrating. And there are so many fascinating stories. Plus, a perspective on prisons and experimenting with what works, versus what fails

Interesting and informative audio tour. You can go at your own pace or follow the tour all the way through. Learned so much about the place and the people that were there. Good tour for older kids and adults. You could spend a long time here if you choose. We chose to cut it short after about 1.5 hours because we had other places to be, but you could easily spend several hours. You can pre-buy your tickets online or buy tickets at the counter. We went mid-day Sunday and it was steady but not crowded. Not a strenuous walk, but there are benches in most areas if you want to sit for awhile. They sell water in the shop and there is a water refill fountain in the courtyard. Worth the price and the time.

In hindsight, I would choose a different use of time since I had limited time in the city. Many other options I would have preferred.

It was ok. We went on a very hot day. I felt like I saw one corridor, I saw them all. So tour went quickly.

Good balance of history with modern practices of crime, punishment, issues and progress. Not optimistic but real. Width price of admission.

This was a great place to spend a little time, but I found it wasn’t as great as I expected based on other reviews. Firstly, it was way too crowded when we went and I felt they needed a better system to filter people through. Secondly, the audio narration was weirdly short and limited, and I felt half of it was extrapolated upon to fill more time. Bonus points for using Steve Buscemi though.

The prison itself is wonderful to explore, but I expected less of it be restricted from viewing which was also disappointing. We were done much faster than expected. I liked the exhibits about numbers of people incarcerated, and some of the other temporary exhibits were sensitive and poignant. However, I felt there was a significant amount of shoehorning of ideology into some of the exhibits and frankly, I’m tired of people shoving their politics down my throat, particularly when half of it is so tenaciously linked to the actual thing we are seeing.

The gift shop was really lacking as well.

Overall, I’m glad I went, but I am unlikely to go again and I would hesitate to recommend it without some improvements.

Worth the visit. Interesting to hear the history of the prison and its influence on other prisons. Dank, and a bit of a creepy vibe for sure!

So remembering that this was an actual prison, it is a great spot for history buffs. However, the prison itself is not in great shape, with many of the cells in total disrepair. Several cells have been updated or renovated for the tour and provide a good idea of what life may have been like for those serving time there. You definitely need the audio tour to understand the different sections of the prison, its construction and the purpose of the design. Audio tour also gives several accounts from the prisoners themselves. The Al Capone cell near the end of the tour and is almost a non-event. There is a very small gift shop near the exit. Total tour took us about 2 hours.

We took the guided tour and it was really very interesting. It is a place rich in history and the stories of prisoners. You can visit the entire penitentiary structure, which in the cells has been left in its original state. Super recommended!

My family visited the penitentiary on a sunny (but cold) winter afternoon. It's shocking to see what appears to be a castle/medieval fort rise up in the middle of the city.
There was a line to get in, but it moved quickly. We opted for the self-guided tour, but once we were done with that portion, we spent some time walking throughout and listening to the other topics of interest posted. (ex: women and children, Al Capone, the escape, the art installations, etc)
There's a strong educational component, that's eye opening and heartbreaking at the same time. The information was presented in various formats, all of which captured our interests.
Philadelphia is filled with the history of our nation, and this is another piece we highly recommend visiting.

Our visit was a short 40 minutes. It is interesting that it was closed only 50 years ago and looks like 100+ year old ruins.

I had wanted to come for years and finally did today it did not disappoint we did the guide led tour with Sammie who was one of the best tour guides I have ever had and was ready to answer any questions we had

Eastern State Penitentiary offers a good value 45-minute guided tour. Our guide, Kacey, was very knowledgeable and managed a large crowd with many questions very well. Although there is no on-site parking, you can find parking on the surrounding streets for free.

The history of the penitentiary is fascinating, and there are plenty of informative signs throughout the site and an available audio tour. Overall, it's an interesting and educational experience.

Fascinating and informative! We did the audio tour and spent nearly 3 hours at Eastern State Penitentiary. The audio tour was fantastic as were the many special exhibits and artists installations. This walk through history was so very engaging and is definitely a must visit in the Philadelphia area.

Highlight of the weekend trip for us. Interesting and cool for the entire ~3 hrs we spent with the self-guided audio. We'd been to Alcatraz about 15 years ago... And probably liked this more.

The visit to Eastern State Penitentiary was downright disappointing. After reading the reviews and recommendations, we thought we would see something really interesting and unusual, but in fact it turned out that everything was in a state of disrepair and no one was particularly trying to look after and maintain the buildings in proper condition. All the cells are practically the same - desolation, bare walls with fallen plaster. The location of Al Capone is probably the only thing that can arouse real interest, but this is a few minutes, and otherwise it’s absolutely nothing. It is monotonous and uninteresting, and the presence of photographs, stories and installations here and there is not enough. In general this is.....

This tour was visually stimulating and super informative. We did the self-guided audio tour. It was not only entertaining (in a morbidly fascinating sort of way). It was informative and educational. It covered aspects of prison life that I would not have considered. Would highly recommend.

The cell rooms are small, creepy, and heartbreaking. Thankfully, they shut down the prison. We explored all the different rooms and corridors. I highly recommend this tour.

I saw this while looking up things to do in Philadelphia and immediately added it to the to-do list during one of my upcoming trips.

I decided to go on an early Sunday afternoon. There is lots of street parking available in the immediate area...but its probably best to stick to the main streets (Fairmount and Corinthian Avenues...). Once you get into the side residential streets, the signs there mention "permit" which made me a bit nervous. I know some neighborhoods require residential permits to park on the streets and I didn't want to take the chance.

Admission prices were $21 for adults and $17 for childen. Children under 6 are free. (Online prices...not sure if was more at the ticket window)

After entering the front, you pick up your audio device. A small device with headphones that you can select various numbers marked throughout the penitentiary that will tell you a bit about that area or exhibit. I hope at some point, they would offer an app or online guide where you can use your own phone and earphones for this...the device provided is very dated and comes with wired over the head headphones which can get in the way if you are carrying items, a camera for example.

The penitentiary itself was great. While the audio device was cumbersome at times, the information provided throughout the self-tour was impressive. It is very well-paced and guides you through the main areas before letting you know the formal tour is over and your are free to explore. There are many smaller areas and exhibits throughout the penitentiary with wonderful little details about prison life at that time. A must for any history or architect buff.

One of the larger areas is the prison yard which leads into an indoor exhibit focusing on the impact of prison reform and overall effectiveness of the various prison philosophy. I like how they included something relevant to modern-times and its impact on today's society. It really stresse that we, as a nation, can do a lot better.

I usually get through museums pretty quick...reading the exhibits while taking lots of photos. This took me about 2 hours to get through most of the areas. There were certain areas I was less interesting in that I didn't read or listen to the entire description. So give yourself time if you plan to see everything...also wear comfortable shoes as there is quite a bit of walking.

There is a small gift shop toward the end of the tour with clothes, mugs, books...etc...what you'd expect to find in most gift shops.

There is also a bathroom trailer as you exit...very clean actually.

All staff I encountered were friendly and polite.

As for children...some older children may be interested in the history and stories of the prison...but there really isn't much "to-do" for younger children. The entire tour is on one level throughout the cell blocks, prison yard and other sub-areas...there arent any stairs except for one view from the upper cell block level.

The penitentiary is in walkable distance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rocky Statue and Steps and surrounding park. There are also some nice eating options along Fairmount Avenue which leads right into the park...not a bad idea to make a day trip to include the penitentiary, food stop and park.

This place if fascinating and a must-see if you are visiting Philadelphia. I loved the artist exhibits as well as how the history of the penitentiary is connected to what is happening today.

Highly recommended!

Built in the early 1800's, this prison went through many of the phases of prison management over the years, form solitary confinement through segrated prisoners then more modern thinking. The tour is about an hour, our guide (Gary) was very knowledgeable and overall it was a very interesting experiences. You did get a sense of the harshness of prison life over its long life, so younger kids might not enjoy it.

Pre-buy your tickets online and be prepared to spend 2-4 hrs learning about Eastern State Penitentiary and the inmates and wardens. The audio tour is great… you can do the tour on your own time. You get to see most of the cell blocks and the cell of Al Capone. Highly recommend a visit.

Very interesting place to visit. We followed the self guided audio tour that was provided with our entrance. I would highly recommend this tour.

Very interesting audio provided. The place still has an eerie feel and you can really sense the harsh conditions when it was first built. Make sure you walk around the whole site.

Highly recommend this tour. It is self guided with headphones narrated by actor Steve Buscemi. Very interesting. Lots of history. Explains our prison system today. Highly encourage people to bring their 10+ aged kids.

We took the self guided tour with the headset. It was very informative and interesting. The videos, drawings and other information about our prison system in more modern time was very informative. It really shows how much our prison system needs to be improved greatly. We would recommend this tour.

This was a fascinating visit with a great audio tour. There is a lot to see and it is very well presented. Thoroughly enjoyed our visit here

Highly recommend that the Eastern State Penitentiary is a must on your visit to Philly. Although it’s currently in decay, I enjoyed that feeling of walking in the past. The history is interestingly. The art installations included are eye opening. We did the self guided audio tour and enjoyed the grounds at our leisure

Could not get over the condition considering it only closed in the 1970s. A fortress on the outskirts of the city. Audio tour was very information and have lots of opportunities to explore deeper into topics of interest.

I don't really know why people want to get inside a prison. It was fine, but I don't recommend it. And why would it be the #1 attraction in such a historic city?!!

I like that the tour is self guided. Everything is clearly marked so that you know what stories go with which picture/cell/etc. All of the staff were nice & helpful. They have large portable bathrooms that don’t smell the greatest but are clean at the entrance. Lots of interesting information and history here. This place would be cool for a haunted night tour.

I've been to EST many times, both self guided, guided, and Halloween Horror. I always had a good time. I took my boys for the first time and thought a guided tour would be better to teach them the history, rather than an audio tour. Our guide Gary, white middle aged man, started off the tour by stating, "there will be some uncomfortable conversations." I thought that was odd, but brushed it off. We started at a historical point where outside where someone escaped over the wall and was never caught, Callahan. Spent a lot of time there honestly. Then made our way to Cell block 1 where Gary told us to take 1 minute to look quickly and then loudly ushered us back to tell us about the "religious" history of the prison. Interesting, but again, a long time without actually letting people look around. From here we made our way to the center. I knew this is where we would see Capone's cell, talk about Pep the dog, and see the 2nd story of one of the cell blocks. But that did not happen. Gary kept us in the center and told everyone little to nothing about the history, other than how racist Philadelphia is/was, how segregated the prison was and that Tina Turner performed once and left pyrotechnic red stains on the tiled floor. He never guided anyone to the cell blocks all open for photos and stories. He never took anyone to see Capone cell, he never mentioned the cell right down the one block where they dug out thru the huge stone wall, he never let anyone climb the old narrow stairs for a birds eye view of the block. I was beyond perplexed and perturbed. He then led us outside to tell us about the ball field and the segregated baseball and football teams. The bad basketball team of all white men that only started winning when they allowed black prisoners. He then took us to sit down in a conference room and finished off his social justice tirade in there talking about how blacks are incarcerated at a much higher rate. How whites do more drugs but blacks get arrested. How blacks are only 13% of the population but make up more than 70% of prisoners. How he was a union guy and unions would not take black apprentices. By now our tour was 5 min from finishing and Gary showed us NOTHING. His white privilege guilt was on a social justice soap box at OUR literal expense. I was livid. I bit my tongue for the sake of my children. He ended by saying, I'll pass Capones cell on my way back if you want to see it.
I took my family and proceeded to take them on a tour MYSELF. To show the kids the history, the art installations, the cells, the architecture, Pep the dog, Capones cell, and more.
We paid $76 for a racial justice rants by a middle aged guilt Ridden radical Krasner Krony. We pay for you to tour us on the prison and not on your racial tirades. While race is part of the history of any prison, to make it the entire 75 min of the tour and show the group nothing in the prison! No photo ops. No TB areas. No prison break area. No cool and interesting history. Nothing later than 1920 was in his rant. If we wanted a racial justice rant we would have gone to a BLM rally for free. That's not why I was here and that's not what I brought my kids to see. They were bored and confused why they weren't visiting a historical prison but sitting in a room and listening to this guy's angry schooling of white people. I didn't have the opportunity to address it with someone there bc had to be somewhere. We lost another 35 min when I had to do my own tour. Luckily another GOOD tour guide directed us to see things his group was taking photos of. Gary has NO business leading tours. If this is what the historical society wants, then perhaps let people know when they shell out their hard earned money. I would have gotten the audio tape had we been warned.
I will not do a guided tour again and I do NOT recommend anyone do a guided tour. Listen to the tape without personal opinions and hate and guilt filled messaging.
Fire Gary!! Do yourself a favor if you want to make money for the history and preservation of a historical property.

This is a really surreal experience. The history and trauma of this place are as plain for anyone to see. We left feeling strange about what we had just experienced, but fulfilled by what was such a brilliant visitor experience. We did the guided tour with Gary. Not only was he incredibly well informed and factual about the prison, but he was able to project the stories of the prison in a way that made it extremely personal to my partner and I. He handled what are extremely sensitive and often controversial subjects in a gracious and polite way. He was one hell of a good guy and I'm so glad it was him that did our tour. Keep rockin, Gary.

Highly recommend visiting this attraction! Family with 16 yr old and 13 yr old enjoyed the basic audio tour and also stayed for the additional audio tour stops. Bought the tickets at the gate with no issues. All staff very friendly and helpful. Check the website for directions and info on free parking (we parked for free on north 22nd st). Budget for 2-3 hours. Fyi - it was colder inside the penitentiary than the air temperature when we were there (winter). I was told it's also hotter inside in the summer so judge what you wear accordingly.

Very cool and informative self-guided audio tour. Excellent photo opportunities. Definitely worth the visit. I appreciated the history lesson on the evolution of the methods of corrections systems. I also appreciated that they end the tour with solid statistical data and open-ended questions to get people thinking about the inequalities we have today in our justice system and to get people thinking about how it could be improved.

This is better than Alcatraz. The audio tour is worth the money and staff are super nice. There are 34 audio records, 1-10 are important. Al Capones cell is fascinating and every part of it will entertain you. Way more long and better than the Independence Museums. A must-do while visiting Philly. Also visit the Rocky Statue while you’re there!

Excellent history within the walls. We learned so much about the past and present systems! Well worth the money! The audio tour ( included) helped along the way.

Love having the audio guide and just wandering around.I hope they continue refurbishing it. It is a little spooky.

We did the audio self tour. At first our headphones werent working so that was a bit annoying but we got help from the very helpful and friendly staff! The whole experience was very humbling and I am glad we did it! There is a gift shop on sight with beverages available. That was a plus because it was a very warm day and even warmer inside the prison!

My wife and I spend about two hours touring the penitentiary and enjoyed our visit. Certain parts are only open for guided tours which are free and the time of these tours is posted once you arrive. We did two short guided tours - the chaplain’s office (beautiful murals painted on the walls and definitely worth a visit) and the hospital (operating room is a highlight with its giant ceiling light). There were more exhibits and audio tour stops than we did but after a couple of hours, we decided to visit other sites in the Philadelphia area. We walked from the penitentiary to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the Rocky statue and found the walk to be quite pleasant and the park around the Museum of Art to be worth a stop. We would recommend spending some time visiting the penitentiary as it portrays an interesting window into history as well as some eye opening facts about our current society.

A different history lesson in Philadelphia. The self-guided audiotape was great, with lots of extras beyond following the tour. A good perspective on penitentiary life in the late 1700's to prison life up to 1970. Well worth the trip. The staff there was very pleasant and helpful

I was debating whether to get general or vip admission but I went with VIP. The website said you can skip the line but that’s not true we waited with everybody else. We also took the 2nd to last slot and they were rushing us out. The employees kept telling us that to. So if you go later on at night you’re basically rushed. Which is unfair because regard less of what time you pick, you should be able to take your time, they were closing off certain exhibits as well. The scares weren’t really crazy (Tuesday night) I feel like there wasn’t enough staff in the scary places. The vip locations only have one person inside them “scaring you.” The vip tickets also promise two complimentary drinks. The first one is a little cup filled half way with watered down wine I think. The second one is a small beer can of choice. The Al Capone vip experience was rushed and they didn’t let us use the bathroom which is only port a pottys. Basically, I just wanted to say don’t buy VIP because I had the same experience as general admission. Also, staff shouldn’t close off exhibits we paid extra for or rush you through the prison! Didn’t really feel scared, I think the scariest part was the air that randomly bursts when you walk through the different exhibits. Staff should also work on customer service. Disappointed because I wanted to come here for years and it’s a very long drive for me.

Very interesting and informative tour. We did the tour which included a guide and discussion on the justice system. Also a tour of the hospital part of the prison was very interesting. Highly recommend.

Had wanted to see this place for a few years so toured it while in the area. It was a large building that did a good job of telling the story of incarceration during the era it was operational. Being such a fortress like building, it was surprising that most inmates had done fairly low level crimes and served mostly short terms. The imprisonment philosophy was an experimentation that was eventually discarded. Then, like now, we're still trying to figure it out. Much of the place was in advanced deterioration but it gave a good idea of what life must have been like. Thankfully, good parking was in the block just to the left of the front door so the logistics were easy. Temper expectations and enjoy your visit.

When I was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I decided to go to Eastern State Penitentiary. Opened in 1829 and closed in 1871, Eastern State was the first prison to open as a penitentiary to help prisoners, as a reform prison rather than a punishment prison. This was to help inmates so that they won't become repeat offenders, inspire them to have true regret. Two famous criminals stayed here for a while, bank robber Willie "Slick Willie" Sutton and Al Capone. Al Capone had a lavish room in Eastern State than the other inmates.

The penitentiary is part of the Philadelphia Pass attractions, otherwise the ticket for adults costs $21, while for teenagers $17. If you buy your ticket online you can get a $2 discount. Included in the price is an audio guide, but it is a shame that it is only in English or Spanish. Admission hours in summer 10-17, with last admission at 16. There is paid parking next to the museum, but if you leave your car along the road that runs alongside the penitentiary (on the side of the penitentiary) on 22nd Street or Brown Street it is free. It was an extremely interesting and informative visit, some cells were renovated, others were left to decay, like much of the penitentiary which is huge.

Booked for the history. Stayed for the ghost warden who yelled at me for touching the walls. Historic AND interactive!

Booked for the history. Stayed for the ghost warden who yelled at me for touching the walls. Historic AND interactive!
..

The overall all architectural of the building was really interesting. The tour starts out rough with unclear directions. Once you get on the right path, the audio tour is really good. However, once the audio tour is done and your allowed to free roam to the exhibits, the directions are really bad. Also, there is very few areas were they attempted to restore the prison to the "original" condition to give a better since of life there. It was a bit over priced, but they let my 8 year old in free although we should have paid for him. He got bored of it real quick. But for someone who enjoys history and works in criminal justice, it was a good trip. Wife thought it was depressing though.

Overall a great tour, self-guided through the history of the penitentiary.

I loved the diverse range of topics. From showing how the current prison system has massive issues, to individual breakout stories, interviews with guards and prisoners, the meaning behind Penitentiary", how the prison was saved and refurbished, etc. Steve Buscemi is the audio guide.

My three major complaints are this:

1. My audio guide frequtly went in and out and I had to consistently unplug and plug back in the headphones.

2. The "set" dressing were pretty repetitive. Every cell amounted to just cabinets and beds tossed in with little concern for presentation.

3. The guide has fantastic markers for where to go, for the first 10 points. Considering there's about 50+ audio stops, that means you're just kinda left to wonder around, routinely in circles, in hopes of finding the additional 40 audio tour segments.

I love Halloween and had been trying for a few years to attend this event. Having visited the penitentiary during day time before I had really high expectations. Houses were great with a good amount of scares. Scare actors were amazing. Thanks to the guy telling spooky stories for telling us a story even though his microphone wasn't working ( you are a great storytelker). I also enjoyed the performers doing the dance number ( cery talented). My only complaint is that i found it highly priced for what it has to offer.

Put on your most comfy shoes and take your time going through this amazing place. You get an audio guide with your entry ticket. It gives so much interesting information about many different aspects of this historical building.

It was the coldest day we visited and it somehow made the whole experience more spooky. Great experience and very friendly staff all around. The hightlights were Al Capones cell as well as the funny story of the dog Pep that was a an inmate as well.

It's definitely worth a visit. The entrance fee is really reasonable at $23. The audio guide is not in German. Only Spanish and English.
But you can scan a QR code and then get the texts in German to read.
The stories of former inmates and the staff make it very authentic and interesting.

We did the morning guided tour and it was wonderful! After the tour we stayed and looked around more. We were ready to leave when we ran into our guide who invited us to go into some areas that weren’t open. We learned a lot and saw a lot! We really enjoyed our visit,

Very interesting prison establishment to visit. Self Audio Guide for English / Spanish. Paper Guide for French Language. Nice to see in Philadelphia.

We spent hours wandering this museum during day tours. We really enjoyed the displays and audio tour. I recommend this museum.

I have visited every abandoned prison, lunatic asylum, hotel, warehouse... etc. Many of them were not open to the public so I had to sneak in.
They have done an absolutely wonderful job with this location. Its beautiful, informative, scary, sad, and actually in quite amazingly good shape for being nearly 200 years old. The staff are helpful and friendly. Its extremely educational and very well laid out. I was there for nearly 3 hours. Loved every minute of it. Fascinating. Many thanks to the people who brought this building back from the dead.

We signed up for the night tour because we had so much to do in our short time here and figured this would be a cool thing to do at night. I didn't really have any expectations going in; I figured it would be a cheesy prison tour that capitalized on the fact that Al Capone was once held there. However, this was not like that at all. Everything was done so well and Al Capone was not the main attraction at all. They have art installations throughout, stats on prisons now vs. then, and a lot of meaningful history and information. This was my favorite thing we did while here for sure!

We were on a daytime visit.Interesting place with a special athmosphere.Night course would be better.In the night surely frightening place

I can’t rave about this place enough. Full of interesting architecture and photo ops, but the best thing here is the history and the poignant, heart wrenching exhibits on prison reform.

The solitary confinement exhibit touched me most. I was in tears.

I also really loved the “prisons today” exhibit. Interactive and thought provoking.

I did the audio guide, which was quite good. Steve Buscemi narrated the first 10 stops on the tour. After that, you could choose any part of the audio tour that interests you—whether it be about an artist’s installation or Al Capone’s cell.

There is a recreation of Capone’s cell here. And when I went, if you took your time, you had plenty of time alone to contemplate and take photos (most people had short attention spans and moved through quickly). Several people there, but not crowded.

This is a historical site, full of info, and will really touch your heart and make you think, if you pay attention to what they are offering.

When staying a couple of days in Philadelphia I read about the 'Eastern State Penitentiary' and decided immediately that I had to pay it a visit. I bought my entrance ticket, an Adult Audio General Admission, online for US$17 and it was worth every dime. Eastern State was the world's first true penitentiary design to inspire penitence into the prisoners. It's cells held nearly 85,000 men, women and children during its history including the famous gangster Al Capone and bank robber "Slick Willie" Sutton. The prison has been left to decay for the most part with some areas restored or simply prevented from decaying any further. I loved the eerie beauty of the ares in decay and found the whole visit to be very interesting. The Audio Tour was excellent and very informative as you explored the various cell blocks. You could spend hours here and not get bored. An excellent place for atmospheric photographs too, I took loads and have uploaded a few here. I highly recommend a visit.

If you like history and old architecture and buildings, this should be a must see. I thought some of the perspectives on modern criminal system and some of the artist exhibits did not fit the motif, especially the bar graph whatever you want to call it (monument?) in the yard but it did not distract too much. The artist exhibits were a mixed bag but it's something for everyone and very easy to just ignore the ones you are not interested in and keep moving. Both of those comments are nit picky though. Overall, it was a terrific experience.
*** One other note is that it was not very busy when we were there (Sunday afternoon). If it was busy, I'm sure it would detract somewhat from the experience. Even without a crowd, we spent almost 2 hours there!

Fantastic way to spend a couple of hours. The audio tour was great. Really interesting landmark & history. Highly recommend!

My husband talked me into this tour. I had never heard of this location and I was blown away at the history, the building itself and the people that it had housed. It is fascinating to see this location and envision it as a working prison. Such an interesting and historical location. If in the area do visit and spend a few hours here, you will not regret it.

It is perhaps not among the most iconic attractions of the city and yet it is absolutely worth the visit.
The route is masterfully organized, the audio guide tells the history of the place, its evolution and the curiosities that characterize it.
The last part of the journey is also extraordinarily interesting where the narrative moves from the past to the present and a reflection is brought about with data, numbers and statistics regarding the situation of penitentiaries and the penitentiary system itself, in the United States and throughout the world
We are therefore not just passive "spectators" who listen to a story but we are called to a deeper reasoning, which as citizens and members of a community (regardless of the state of residence) we should all do.
I really recommend the visit

The penitentiary is an imposing building with lots of history and interesting factoids. The audio tour is easy to follow and gives good detail as to what you’re viewing. Flat comfortable shoes are a must! Many of the cells and parts of the building have not been restored so you get a real flavour for what it was like back in the day. They also have a a small exhibition highlighting the challenges of todays jails and legal system which posed some hard hitting questions which made you think and reflect. Super friendly and helpful staff and a small gift shop to buy souvenirs. The info provided on Al Capone could have been a bit deeper but other than that, a very interesting and eye opening 2 hours

We had such a great experience here. Fascinating and stunning historic sight. Thank goodness it was preserved for others to see and enjoy. We loved the audio tour which simply brought everything to life so do take advantage of it, included in the price. Tom was one of the guides and was so helpful to us, we got a private tour of the chaplains office which we loved and all staff were very open to questions and helping you understand the history of this place. You need around 2 hours to visit. Enjoy

Expect to spend half a day here, it was much larger than I thought. Very creepy. Cool visit and I suggest seeing it if you are on the bus tour.

I took a guided tour and purchased my tickets from Groupon I felt the cost was fair. I loved the history and the guide I had was a good storyteller who knew his history about the jail itself and the penal system from that time period. I also enjoyed that after the guided tour, I had time to explore on my own. It was crowded the day I went so be prepared for crowds in tight places. I was able to find some space as the crowds moved out I walked in.

This is the most haunted place in America and I can tell why. The self guided tour tells you everything you need to know as to why. Al Capone was here. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Honestly to think of the mental torture from solitary confinement for over two years is horrifying. 5 out of five stars.

Excellent presentation of our penal system. This Penitentiary was a model of best practices for many decades. The audio tour was self quided, easy to use, and very informative.

An excellent 1/2 day attraction. Still being developed, but an eerie insight into 18/19th century imprisonment. The self-guided tour is very good - the personal tour not so much. Well worth a visit.

this was such an interesting place. So much history in this place. Went first thing in the morning and had a great visit.

Self guided tour we took at night. Very interesting stories that you would follow listening on a head set. My husband and 14 yr old son were there Memorial Weekend. Had a nice crowd but didn't feel like you were on top of others. Definitely worth visiting for a different type of adventure!

Disunion of visiting an old prison is challenging.
The reviews were not very attractive but we went and we were satisfied .
Audio guide is available, useful and includes the ticket.
It takes 2 hours . Architecture of building is interesting . History and lots of things that you learn.
The most important part was a brainstorm for me.
Highly recommended.
Ticket is 21 online and 23 onsite .

Well worth the experience. The self guided Audi tour comes with ticket was really great. The audio options go up to 180 . You'll understand when you start the tour. The stories were amazing. The guides were really interesting.
Buy tickets on line a little cheaper. I bought online when I got there.
Great value.

I wasn’t sure what to expect but my visit here exceeded expectations. The place is huge and the semi-abandonment by itself is incredibly atmospheric. On top of that, the audio tour narrated by Steve Buscemi was one of the better museum narrations I’ve heard. It had some good info and exhibits about prison and incarceration history and reform too. Unfortunately one well made short film hasn’t been updated since 2016 though. Well worth a visit!!

I work in a juvenile prison, and my husband worked as a nurse in an adult prison so this peeked our interest. LOVE that there was an audio tour so we could go at our own pace and listen to different things along the way. Like that there was a clear path/flow to follow, but after doing that you were able to wander around and see other areas or revisit certain places. Stories from former inmates were particularly moving. This was a cool attraction and would be even better to do at night or around Halloween. We were there over 2 hours but it flew by.

Graham was an amazing tour guide, he knew so much about the prison as well as how he
presented in a fun informational way. He was patient and allowed questions and was honest if he didn’t know the answers and said he needs to do more research before stating for certain. I would highly recommend the private tours which are no additional cost to visitors.

This was may favorite site in Philly, it is worth a visit. So much of the prison has not been touched since abandoned in the 70's so very original. The guides are very knowledgeable and the prison is a simple walk form the rocky steps

Takes at least 3 hours to see it all. My wife and I had an amazing time and can't stop taking about it 1 week later. Converted her to a haunted house enthusiast. We were surprised by the festival/club atmosphere and impressed at the variety of attractions open at night, including the museum and audio tour, the dance floor, food, story-telling and music. Can skip to those if you have squeemish folks in the group. The various scary attractions take only 5-10 minutes each to walk through and are independently themed and very creatively done. My favorite was Nightmare. The actors are skilled and conscientious (and scary!). Can opt in for interactivity (we didn't because we wanted a milder experience). Criminal justice reform is a present theme in the rest of the penitentiary. The facts (80,000+ Americans are living in solitary confinement) are the scariest part. Could have spent more time! I could see it taking 4+ hours to experience everything.

We bought our tickets in advance prior to going to Philly. We used the Hop on Hop off bus from stop #1 and it took us to the stop in front of the Pen. The tour was well worth it. We have seen Kingston Pen in Ontario and the Eastern PA pen is similar but worse conditions. It’s great to be self toured as you can take as long as you want in any area you are in. They give you headsets and you press numbers as you arrive at that numbered station to hear audio explanations about that area. Theres no food or drinks available on this tour so be aware. There is no heat or A/C so also be aware the climate is as outside. We were in August /23 and it was 34 celcius. This tour is well worth the admission. We came out and walked to the corner where we waited 15 minutes and another Hop on Hop off picked us up.

This is a historic building worth visiting. I was surprised, but I was actually WOW'd by our visit as was my son. Al Capone's cell was interesting to see.

The tour consists of a very well-done audio tour via headset that you do independently. The audio tour is clear, easy to use and interesting. You walk independently, at your own pace, through this very interesting building. After completing the general tour, there are many other sections that you can visit with corresponding numbers on the audio tour to provide you with additional commentary. The experience is educational, not exploitive of the experience of incarceration. The exhibits exploring issues of incarceration are informative and thought provoking. The guides located throughout are all helpful and interested in engaging in conversation. After this somber experience, it was super enjoyable to relax with a beer from Triple Bottom Brewing in the courtyard beer garden, open as part of the nighttime/twilight tours. There are a number of great bars/restaurants right across the street to visit as well.

Fascinating look inside an old prison. Some areas rehab'd. Most areas as is condition. Audio tour a must. Overall take your time and soak it all in.

We had the option of doing a self-care tour or guided tour and went with the guide. It was a great decision. Not only gave us a historic impact of this penitentiary, the social impact as well. He was able to answer any questions thrown at him and gave us a well-rounded tour.

Pretty disappointed. I was hoping to this was going to be an exhilarating visit and it was nothing of the sort. In regard to historical/architectural purposes, it was pretty cool, but in terms of all you hear about paranormal activity, it was a dud. I really thought I would at least "feel" something, but nada. Guess I can scratch off the bucket list at least.

As we enter our first attraction we were scared we were supposed to be but because of that we were singled and giving a warning for being to loud and touching each other, I didn’t know we had to quiet when frighten but I will never go here every again I should of went with my first instinct bates motel when I’ve been going every year

An amazing tour. We got there right at 10am when it opened and we’re able to park on the street for free right in front of the entrance. Audio tour was easy to follow and had lots of interesting info.

Would definitely recommend doing the three little “extra tours” that are offered. You have to get a scheduled when you buy your tickets and it tells you the times. Otherwise no one tells you about these tours. You get to see three sections that are locked from the public. Soup Alley (the kitchen and where the prisoners ate), chaplains office (there are amazing murals from a former prisoner in there that they are trying to preserve) and the hospital where you see the cells that they did surgery and different therapies. So glad we hit all three of these tours and JEROME was an AMAZING guide for all three, very knowledgeable and entertaining as well.

We found the prison to be fascinating. The senior price for us was $16 each. Be aware that they expect you to order your tickets on line, but when we technically challenged seniors had problems doing it on our phones, a helpful woman working there got the tickets for us. We then got a headset and went on a self guided walk through the prison. You get to see a lot of the prison, described by the voice on the headset. Note that these come in several languages besides English. I would definitely reccomend this as an unusual tourist attraction.

While overshadowed by Alcatraz due to location and Hollywood Movies, America's first penitentiary provides a glimpse into the history of incarceration and stimulates thoughts about current day imprisonment.

First time in Philadelphia and this was a must I was impressed by this building that looks like a castle from the outside and the history it's sad that it's in such a state of collapsing it seriously needs to be repaired specially were tourist walk but for the history it's a must see

A visit to the Eastern State Penitentiary is surprising and informative. The first phase of the prison was built in the early 19th century as part of a penal reform effort. Thinking that isolation was beneficial to allow prisoners to reflect and moderate their behavior, the Penitentiary is composed of hundreds of individual cells with their own outdoor areas sunlight and fresh air. The penitentiary was replicated in many parts of the world over the next century, but the experience of Eastern State suggested that such treatment of prisoners was crippling and did nothing to mitigate recidivism.

There has been little effort to update, modernize or glamorize the individual cells (except for Al Capone's). You are, in effect, walking through a contemporary historical ruin. Beds, furniture, toilets, and plumbing are much the same as they were when installed. A really great audio tour narrated by Steve Buscemi provides an enlightening history of the penitentiary from its founding. Although skeptical about this tour, I left with a greater appreciation of the evolution of our thinking about the penal system and the challenges associated with improving it. This is well worth a couple of hours if you are in the area.

Very interesting and historical visit. The audio guide is only in English but you can scan a QR code to have the explanations in French (transcription of the audio guide) and/or request the booklet with the text (easier for children than the screen).
Allow at least 1h30.

This penitentiary has self guided or guided tours. We did the self guided and enjoyed the narration. The structure is showing its age, but renovation is underway. You can go in some cells. It's a combination of interesting history of incarceration and architecture.

A place full of past history and stories. Plan at least 1-2 hours to visit and use the free headphones narrated guide to use and get the information of every place you tour during the visit

Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1830 and closed in 1970, so there is a LOT of history going on. I feel like a learned a lot, and the tour is a good combination of guided through the use of the included audioguide and just wandering on our own. I liked the looks at how people's ideas about incarceration changed over the years, as well as how that reflects various demographics. Well worth the trip.

Seeing where criminals were incarcerated was chilling. The self-guided tour was perfect. We especially liked the presentation where past presidents related to statistics and the social impact to society.

We couldn't find street parking so we parked at the lot beside it. It was $8 for up to 2 hours. I liked the audio tour and learned a lot of the facility. We didn't see everything at the penitentiary, but I thought the tour covered a lot. There were a few exhibits outside. The items at the pop up were inexpensive to me and I ended up buying more souvenirs than I thought I would.

We enjoyed our visit. We have toured several prison museums across the country and this is one worth seeing. Interesting concepts about crime and punishment through the years. The prison is interesting architecturally because it created total prisoner isolation in the beginning.
There is an enjoyable self-guided audio tour for the basic tour and then additional locations with audio information are spread throughout the cell blocks of the prison. These included stories about prisoners' lives, breakout stories, and interviews with guards and prisoners. Very interesting stories of the past. I liked the diverse range of topics.
Very historic site and worth visiting. I hope they can maintain the prison site from additional deterioration. You can see almost everything in about 2 or 3 hours. I would recommend this prison museum if you have a few hours in Philly!

Visited Eastern State with my parents back in September and loved it, the main audio tour itself isn’t very long but there are lots of additional sections you can listen to. I’d recommend listening to the ones about notorious prisoners such as Al Capone, there’s some great stories there. There are lots of parts of the prison you can explore, which was great, a lot of original features remain and the cells they have reconstructed are beautifully done. Overall a great place to spend a couple of hours.

Eastern State Penitentiary was one of the things we were most excited to do during our visit to Philadelphia, and it did not disappoint! Once you walk in, you are immediately removed from the hustle of the city outside, and the quiet eeriness takes over. Luckily, you have Steve Buscemi narrating your walk through the grounds to make it a little more comforting. Unfortunately, some sections of the grounds are currently closed due to the high amount of damage in said areas, but that was still refreshing to see in a sense as it showed the dedication to original preservation that the staff of ESP has now. One of the wings that my spouse and I wished was available to visitors was the old Hospital Block. I'm sure a lot of medical professionals like ourselves have walked the grounds wishing they were able to see what the healthcare provided to inmates looked like. There was a small sign stating they were hoping the cell block would be open to the public by the end of the year, so as soon as we hear that news we will be planning a visit back!

A Great Place to visit. I think it was one of my Hi-lights of my trip to Philly. Loved the History of the place. So glade the City Kept this Treasure.👍

Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829 and holds a lot of history. You can tour the facility on your own with a audio tour or in a group. We easily ordered our tickets online and did the audio tour. The building is hauntingly beautiful and the history is fascinating. You can walk into some of the cells and you can look into the cell that held the infamous Al Capone! Part of the tour included information about current day prisons. A fascinating way to spend an hour or two!

I enjoyed this more than my family. I enjoy the history of places like these. My kids and husband thought it was interesting but not worth waiting to get in. We purchased Friday - Summer nights tickets, and had to kill an hour before going there. We were going to go to Rocky statue and steps but could not find parking. The Penitentiary has a lot of history and is interesting to see.

Great if you want to wait in lines for 40 bucks. Absolutely awful. All you do is wait in lines to pay money to do nothing

I love history and try to see as many historic sites as I can. This prison is packed with history and the audio tour is a very creative format and super informative. We did a self tour and they had mini tours but since we didn’t know about them we missed out. I would’ve liked to have done a couple so make sure you check for the schedule. Parking is also a nightmare. It says free street parking but street parking is impossible due to the housing in the area using it. There was a lot next to it we parked in but it was a charge. Overall it’s a cool and interesting place to visit.

We only left ourselves 90 minutes to tour, which was 30-45 minutes fewer than we needed to really see everything... Definitely worth the time to tour...

The penitentiary is well worth a visit, especially if you are interested in old prisons.
It’s enlightening to see just how the inmates were treated, how the prison was built, their thoughts on how solitary confinement was the way to help the prisoners be rehabilitated into society.
It was great to find that a free audible headphones with individual tour guide was included with the entrance fee, which allowed you to tour the penitentiary at your own place.
The only thing that you need to be aware of is that it is a long walk around and with little seating areas, it can be tiring if you have difficulty in walking distances. There are also a few second floor rooms with fairly steep steps if you want to see them.
On saying that we enjoyed the visit, and the staff are very helpful.

After our visit, we went across the road to Jacks Firehouse for lunch, of which I would recommend.

Was last here some 15 years ago, but my memory was good--this is an excellent place to visit. We spent 2 hours here, but did not get through the whole prison. The audio tour was excellent, even covering some of the movies shot here. Fascinating slice of American history.

It was a fun Halloween date night, and I enjoyed walking through the penitentiary in general. I love that I was able to send a letter from jail and that I will receive it in a couple of years via email.

I wasn’t so sure about this. I don’t like creepy and my youngest daughter doesn’t love History. What could go wrong? It was awesome. We did the full self-paced walking tour. I would totally do it again!

Sunday Aug 19th
Eastern State Penn
The oldest penitentiary in the US and considered the oldest in the world. This historic building is located in a very populated area of Philadelphia and stands out as a giant castle.
The historic building has long been defunct as a prison, and after many years was allowed to fall into decay.
IT has been turned into a museum with a self guided (audio) tour where you can learn the history of the building, some of her stories, learn about her famous residents, and the escapes that were attempted and successful.
Visiting the penn will take you quite a bit of time, we were there over 2 hours – and we kind of rushed.
This also served as the filming location of many movies, television, and music videos (Tina Turner).
You will love exploring this old building with a rich history.
Parking is a challenge as there is only street parking available.
The cost to enter is not prohibitive at all.
Bring a bottle of water – especially when you visit in summer – it is hot and dry as it is kid of outdoors.
Wear comfortable shoes – avoid sandals – because the ground is rough and gravelly – and can be rough on the feet.

We came here for a look around ‘an old prison’ what we got was so much more, we got an experience!

We had an amazing time, Matt our guide was fantastic! Extremely passionate and knowledgeable about everything to do with the prison. Every question our group asked, Matt had a detailed answer for.

It has to be one of the best guided experiences I’ve done. I would absolutely recommend anyone to go and have the guided tour. We also had the time to do an audio tour, which again was as brilliant, very clear and easy to understand as you walk around.

Definitely go and enjoy the history and experience.

I didn't know what to expect with this and was pleasantly surprised. The self-guided auto tour is engaging and the visuals of this place are a photographer's dream.

Audio guided tour was great. Very cool grounds with a lot of history. Be mindful it is mostly outside/open air so greatly affected by weather! Just found it to be a touch pricey.

Great attraction. Located reasonably close to the centre this historic site suspended in a state of ruin (intentionally) provides hour of interesting exploration alongside other exhibits within its walls. The staff are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend this to others.

We did the self-guided tour with our Girl Scout troop and the girls loved it. Very eye opening in a historical perspective and how the prison system has changed. Thank you for an amazing enjoyable educational place.

We were part of a guided tour of the facility. We have an hour or so with our guide; it's not an all encompassing tour, but she was very good at explaining the history of prisons in the early US to more modern times. ESP was the first solitary confinement facility in the US! Capone was an inmate here and they explain the early process of solitary confinement. Really neat history and you can walk the grounds for as long as you want on your own after your tour is done.

Very interesting. It wasn't much advertised but it's worth a visit. Very well organized and very well explained both with panels and audio guide

It is an old penitentiary used as a museum where you can still see the cells, and you can walk through the corridors that divided them.

At the end of the course, particular attention is also given to the current global prison situation and I was very struck by learning that the United States is in first place for the use of prisons.

It was easy to order the Tickets and they also have a quick and friendly email support. I was really looking forward to it because everything went smooth.

The Audiotour is really really interesting and the to see the Penitentiary was really impressive.

Nice visit to America's first penitentiary. Left in its juice, the difficulty of the visit comes from an audio guide in English exclusively to keep the attention of the youngest. At best you are given a notebook with the French translation or the pdf to download on smartphone. For visiting Alcatraz in 2008 which already had a French audio guide, a huge technological backwardness of this site in the land of Microsoft and Apple! Difficult to understand

Very interesting place. A bit spooky. So much dark, but interesting history. The tour guides were very helpful and full of knowledge. There are some cell blocks that are closed off for safety reasons.
Highly recommended.

The staff was excellent and although a bit eerie, this was such a cool experience to have while in Philly. Interesting to take a dive into this sad part of the past.

Visit to do because visiting a former penitentiary is not common. A model prison at its creation, it would serve as a model for 300 other centres in the United States and Europe. The guards offer tours of the cells and other places. Audio guide included. Visit included in the Philly Gocity Pass.

This place was amazing. Really liked the auto guided tour. It was easy to use and follow. Nice experience and lot to know. Had to see Capones cell.

Only museum I've been a consistent member of. Love coming here to get educated on both the prison's history (1st true penitentiary in the world that served as an inspiration for many prisons around the world) and incarceration reform.

What a great place. We booked on to the free tour and our guide Jerome was just amazing. His tour was fun, educational, interactive and we were all encouraged to ask questions as we went. An outstanding guide and human being. Highly recommend. We went as a family of three with our 16 year old son and all of us enjoyed the experience. There are restroom facilities and a small shop with some great merchandise. There was no cafe.

Went twice on our trip, once for Halloween Night haunted houses and then again during the day for the history tour. One of the best haunted house experiences I have had in terms of quality of the venue and decorations as well as the staff. Had about 5-10 experiences where the staff customized their comments according to my personal interests due to what I was wearing and this made it very special for me. The day tour was audio and was narrated by Steve Buscemi and was well done and informative. The way we were able to freely wonder at our own pace with the audio tour was nice. Exhibits within the cells were cool to see. Would go back to both the day tour and the Halloween haunted houses.

So cool. Loved going to ESP. So much history. Was planning on doing a daytime tour but Halloween nights just started so we did that instead. It was fun- not very scary. Not everything was included in the price of the ticket which was frustrating but it is what it is. The jail itself is super creepy and eerie. If I ever visit again I’ll definitely do a tour of just the jail.

Very historic site and worth visiting. You can see most everything in about 2 hours. Very well done self guided tour with ear phones and sites clearly marked. Very interesting stories of the past.

I feel I’d have a better time if I just came to the tour of the prison during the day, rather than the Halloween nights. I’m not an easy scare, but my group agrees: it’s just…not scary. It’s extremely well funded, well acted, and well decorated. The only scares I got were bursts of air blowing very quickly out of machines. Maybe I’m just having a really hard time suspending my disbelief, but I laughed more than I screamed. All of the other attractions without the red “X” are great! The audio tour, the exhibits, etc. As I said, I think I’d like to come back when it isn’t Halloween season, during the day.

Brilliant venue restored to right level. Good audio guide and nice beer garden too. Friendly staff all round. Captures what prison was like.

In a word this place is a sobering reminder of how we’ve punished people in then and now. The self guided audio tour does a superb job of giving you a historical account of how the prison was constructed, the inmates, guards and eventual closure. It then speaks to today’s system and the future.

Totally worth going to. Add it to your list of top sights.

I've been wanting to visit this place for a while. It delivers for sure. Lots of history and such, creepy vibe. Self guided tours let you explore at your leisure. It's also close to all the Philadelphia attractions.

My wife and I visited the penitentiary. It was an intense and interesting experience, because You have see the thing from a different point of view and understand the historical period of which It was built and It's purpose.
We recommend the to visit it.

Took the audio tour with the kids today, it was interesting to see and hear the history of the building and some of its inmates. Masks are required at this time.

Well-narrated audio tour providing history of this penitentiary—designed initially for monk-like social isolation of the prisoners to make them penitent.

We visited this old prison with a Go City Pass.
It is impressive, we walk in this huge gloomy building with a heavy atmosphere, exhibitions and reconstructions that make us aware of what happened here.
It can be done with children from 10 years old, there is just an area not recommended for sensitive souls.

Not as creepy as you would think. The audio tour guide makes this a fascinating and educational visit. I learned more than I could have imagined about prisons past and present. I was amazed how the prison started in an open area and is now surrounded by city. The audio tour is narrated by a Hollywood star, former guards, and prisoners. This is a must see!

This was much cooler than I thought it would be. The audio tour is well done, and the modern prison exhibit brings to light excellent points. This is a must see in Philly.
Here are the only issues we had: 1) While their website and places like trip advisor say it’s a 30 min tour, this is misleading. The main audio tour is 30 min, but there are 40+ other points of reference you can listen/look/learn about. We spent two hours and still ran out of time. 2) apparently there is a time limit to your stay. We came at 3pm after reading their site that it is 30 mins. By 5pm we were not done. I didn’t think this was an issue because they are open til 9pm with their sundown time but even though it’s the same thing and same pricing as the regular day, they still made us leave at 5pm. If I had known that I would have skipped some exhibits to see the ones I wanted to see. Definitely need more info explaining that and fixing the misleading 30 min tour statement.

We had an amazing time. Beautiful facility. Staff was super helpful. Awesome history lesson. Audio tour was great. Definitely worth it

Incarceration history in America is clearly documented during the tour, I recommend the audio tour, the focus here is on the early model used for imprisonment, well worth the modest entry fee.

Very good audio tour. Worthwhile for teens and older. Plenty of walking. Nice portajohns if that is not an oxymoron. Restaurants across the street.

A great place allow at least a couple of hours. You get an audio guide so you can go at your own pace, the audio is very good. After the audio you can wonder around the other wings of the prison. All very fascinating.

This jail is huge with so much history! I visited on a week day morning and there were not too many other visitors. Going through the jail, visitors learn about various offenses committed by the prisoners, rehabilitation, life in the prisons, and history of the building. There are also restrooms and a small gift shop. Overall, I enjoyed my experience here!

I recommend going, but don’t expect complete delight from the visit. The prison looks much more impressive from the outside than from the inside. Entrance fee is $21 per person. For pensioners' $19. But there's not much to see there. All the cells are the same: devastation, in some places toilets remain (they were installed in each cell), iron beds. The more or less preserved cell is Al Capone’s place of imprisonment, where everything is preserved as it was while serving his sentence (in fact, it’s simply the best place to preserve Capone’s life during the mafia showdowns). There is a cell with a curtain and blanket made from prisoners' shoelaces. At the entrance they provide an audio guide (there is no Russian language)

This is a bleak place, and that's for a person not placed in her for criminal activity. The cells (used up until 1971) are depressing and I can only imagine that life inside was sad.

Today, it's used for a big Halloween haunted prison event and prison education.

Part of that reform is a display or two on how the traditional prison system doesn't truly attack the problem that is shared by a huge portion of the inmates. One exhibit is an artist's drawings of over 700 inmates and he is now working on portraits of a similar number of people who express interest in prison reform or who are actively involved. The artist is Mark Loughney. On Wednesday nights, they have educational programs and Mr. Loughney is also present to discuss his work and draw portraits.

A really interesting place, but not really upbeat.

This is without a doubt a staple of Philadelphia that must be included in every first-time itinerary. A message to history buffs: you will not be disappointed!

Eastern State Penitentiary is the oldest true prison in America. It was built around 1830 and operated until 1971, amazingly just a few blocks from Philadelphia's Center City. After it was abandoned for decades, it fell into disrepair and crumbled into ruins before being partially restored and turned into a museum. The easiest way to tour the prison is via a self-guided audio tour. There's a short main tour with 10 audio stops, but there are dozens of other audio stops to find on your own after that. They cover different buildings of the prison, aspects of prison life, the cell where Al Capone was held and the numerous art installations that occupy various former prison cells. It took several hours to really tour the prison thoroughly.

We weren’t sure if we would enjoy visiting this site but we are so glad we did!
This prison is a precursor to the layout of many prisons worldwide and is full of social history. We purchased tickets the night before and the admission incl an audio guide.
This allows you to go at your own pace for the main tour and then decide which additional sights you want to see based upon the paper guide supported by extra narratives on the audio guide.
There is also a magnificent separate display which highlights the issues with justice and imprisonment in the US, the much discussed idea of reformation for prisoners and the massive financial impact on the country. This left a lasting impression on me and I will research this on my return home.

Took the guided tour with Jerome and had such a great time! So many good stories and we learned so much! This was my second visit.

This was a very interesting tour. The cells that we could walk through told a lot. The audio helped a lot. We hope that they continue to fix the roof so it doesnt go into more disrepair

Great audio. The history is amzaing. learned so much. times have changed. the mentality of Penitentiaries no longer exists. Everything explained. Leisurely walk. great exploration.

We visited on a Friday night with there summer night promotion. It was around $25 per person. Such a neat place. So much information and so much to see. They did not have audio as an option at night. We would have liked to be able to hear the audio. A must do if in the area. The building is pretty amazing.

Historic both in its architecture and its history. A good audio tour worth listening to. More than just Al Capone’s brief home. Takes about an hour or so.

Personally I like history and I've always been interested by it. My wife and I came here while in Philly for our anniversary and we both enjoyed it. You get a head set that has everything you need on it and you walk around on your own so you can decide where to go to next. Definitely a big difference from seeing Al Capone's cell compared to other inmates.

Really enjoyed visiting here from the UK. The tour was really good as you were given mini electronic device and headphones. You could take as long as you like when exploring. All you had to do is type in the corresponding number on the walls and you then get to hear the information. There was plenty to see and some parts felt really eerie. Once you have finished the tour you could then go and explore other areas (again typing in numbers to hear the different information) I really enjoyed it. The small shop was great for picking up souvenirs.

Glad we went - but I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit. Open till 5pm with last admittance at 4 pm. Got there at 3:30 on a Labor Day Sunday and the parking lot was full. Found some parking on the street behind the prison though getting there was a pain due to one way streets and traffic. Bought tickets online and once parked - was easy access. Neighborhood felt like a rich college town so no fears there.

Staff very pleasant and helpful. Picked up headphones and audio device and off we went. Audio tour was too long att each sop, IMO, and I did not see any indication of how many audio stops there were in total. We did 10, thought we were done so then just walked around. Highlights were the recreation of Al Capone’s cell, realizing how few prisoners were kept there, the fact that despite having a death row - inmates were sent elsewhere to be executed. Some areas were closed off (escape tunnel was one). There were a few exhibits in some cells (including a recreation of a GITMO cell. Unable to go up to the watchtowers (saw some people up in the main tower - asked and was told that was a staff member with their family; otherwise off limits). Gift shop was weak (someone asked where the main shop was located). But mainly just a bunch of empty cells. Spent an hour then fought traffic home. Overall - seemed like a work in progress to make this into a neat US Prison Museum and allow full access to include access to the watch towers, add more displays in the cells and complete the refurbishment.

I had a bunch of foreign exchange students at my house and wracked my brain for what would interest teenage boys even while the weather was bad.
My positives: easy parking, cute neighborhood. We bought our tickets online and it was very easy to get scanned in and grab our audio tours. They do have multiple languages. My German students couldn't figure out which number was the German version so they listened in English. So if you need another language, you should probably ask the people at that desk before starting the audio. The special exhibit comparing how many more people are incarcerated from the 1970s to today is very interesting. My students - both American and German, found that disturbing.
My negatives: This is an interesting place but all the cells are the same. I felt like they were trying to stretch out the information because there wasn't that much to see. More special exhibits would be great. And if there were more cells that had something different in them would be fun. The bathrooms are not great. We had driven quite a way and all needed to use them before we got stuck in traffic again and that was not the most flattering portrayal of American bathrooms!

Al Capone was briefly incarcerated here but not any other famous people. We visited Alcatraz last year and I couldn't help but compare the two. Obviously, Eastern State is the more convenient (no ferries, no waiting around) and cheaper choice. But there is less to see.

Really enjoyed the audio walking tour. Plenty of see around it and some really interesting stories. Definitely a must in philidelphia

We learned about things about the first prison and how prisoners were treated over the years. Benjamin Franklin was involved in trying to get better treatment for the prisoners.

Audio tour was engaging and only took around 1 hour - which was enough for the teens. You could spend more time exploring on your own too.

This place is easily accessible from City center (we walked from the Logan hotel) and the neighborhood is young / studenty with nice cafes for lunch.

I arrived in Philly for one day leaving my wife and son back in New York.

I had no set agenda (other than the Rocky steps, obviously 😂) and happened across this place so thought I'd take a look.

We enjoyed the Alcatraz tour many years ago and Eastern State was right up there.

Superbly narrated (by Steve Buscemi) audio tour at just the right pace and pleasing to see most aspects of the penitentiary have been left as they were, a key aim of the foundation.

Highly recommended, as is the pub opposite, review of that to follow too!

Did the audio self-guided tour. Very well done. Get to explore the facility at your own pace. Very interesting and informative.

We visited Eastern Penitentiary and it was fascinating. It was well done and full of great information. Really do not miss it

This is an unusual, fascinating, and important part of US history--something that you're unlikely to find elsewhere. While some limited parts of the Penitentiary have been restored to help visitors see how things used to be, much of the prison has not been restored. Even these parts are intriguing. The architecture is grand.

While the pen is falling into ruin, the staf does a good job informing one of the history and conditions of the place.

This place reminds all of us of how far we’ve come with humanity and how much more we need to go. The audio was well done, paced well, and informative. Took around an hour. Easy to walk. Couldn’t get over a building with no ac. Wow.

As it's been described it is hauntingly beautiful. It's eerie, the guided tour was great with the headphones. It was neat learning about prisoners and prisons. Everyone in my group seemed to enjoy it and my kids even wrote a letter to their future self I will email them in a few years.

I love that you receive audio devices. This allows you to wonder around at your leisure in the order you want to. The recordings are very well done.

The wall information signs are very informative.

We'd been looking forward to visiting Eastern State Penitentiary all holiday and it didn't disappoint.

We did the Guide Led Tour & Discussion. This was around an hour long. The guide was very insightful and it was a good way to do a quick whistlestop tour of the penitentiary.

You're free to have a look around after. So we grabbed some audio headphones and started exploring further. I'd recommend doing this as the tour guide can only cover so much.

We spent just over 2 hours here.

I visited this place per recommendation from hostel. The venue offers an audio tour that is more or less mandatory for understanding the history. Through the audio tour, I learned about the “Pennsylvania System” of prison management, as well as other notable features at this location. I wish the audio tour can be accessed remotely after the visit, so that I can listen to the 100 songs afterwards.

This is no Alcatraz, but it is still really interesting and has a lot of historic significance. The self guided tour was really insightful. We parked on a side street near on the same block as the penitentiary and had no issues. Would love to go back for the Halloween event.

My adult son wanted to tour this and I reluctantly went along. It’s very well done, and gives one insight into our past and current justice system. The pictures, narration and walk through the old prison was insightful and interesting. If you have any interest in human behavior, psychology, law enforcement or law especially I highly recommend it.
I walked away with interest and a passion for improving our nation’s justice and penal system.

Amazing experience, audio tour was very informative along with the pictures. Self paced after the initial 30 min audio tour.. give yourself at least 2 hours at the parking area. Parking is right next door, parking lot unmanned pay with app or at the kiosk. Wear comfy shoes and dress for the weather outside as some of the tour is inside (not temp control) and part is outside. Pay ahead of time and save $2 per ticket and scan code at entrance. Cute souvenir shop in courtyard outside.

I loved it! Our tour guide, Yara, was great. She explained the history phenomenally and took us through the best parts of the abandoned prison. It is so interesting to see the abandoned cells (which you can go inside!), and the learn about the new idea of solitary confinement, when the prison was first opened. Also, it is not haunted at all. I highly recommend coming here!

ESP is definitely worth visiting. We did the self guided tour and it was really interesting. Very historic and chilling place.

Unless you're with a tour group, we recommend starting with the 10-stop audio tour but don't leave after that. Wander down the different cell blocks and check out Al Capone's cell, the art installations and, from the courtyard, the room with the red door. Everything is so well done. Everyone should know the information presented.

First time visiting with my Girlfriend. Definitely needs acouple hours if you want to hear the audio guide. There is a lot of walking involved so be prepared. Also face masks are required on the property.

We initially wondered why did we come to we were glad we went. It was a self guided tour with audio. It was very informative. I wished there was one cell that had been restored.

I'd been wanting to visit this place for a while and was super glad of the opportunity to finally do so. This former prison is a fascinating look into the judicial/rehabilitation system in the US, particularly as it relates to solitary confinement. We did the audio tour so we could go at our own pace, and found the narrator to be very engaging and super informative. I appreciated hearing from previous inmates as well. The jail cells are stark reminders of the judicial system of the 19th century, although there was more natural light in the penitentiary than we expected.

The history here is amazing and they have done a great job opening this up for tours. You can spend as much time there as you want and there is so much to take in.

SO interesting! Located less than 5 blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art - easy walk. This solitary confinement prison set up in 1831 was closed down in 1971 and abandoned, left to become derelict. Now open as a museum, I thought it was fascinating and spent about 2.5 hours there. The audio tour was very well-done and I did all the "extra" things to listen to (which takes you onto other cell blocks than the ones that the basic audio tour goes to). The level of disrepair and dereliction was amazing - roof collapse, crumbling plaster, paint curling off walls, dangling electrical items, etc. Note that unsafe areas can be seen but not entered.

Walking around the cell blocks, perimeter, exercise yard, etc was very evocative. Definitely worth going to.

We did the daytime audio tour which was very interesting and educational. Wish we could have done the Halloween nighttime tour. Parking is available ($) next doo along with restaurants. You can walk the tour at your own pace and not hurried.

Very interesting! The tour is self-guided but in conjunction with headphones. The first part of the tour is very easy to follow. Once you reach the end of the 'tour' you can go off on your own and explore the open areas at your leisure. This is great if you have a lot of time to spend here. Each open area also has a setting on your headphones where you can learn more about that area, should you choose to do so.

The gift shop leaves A LOT to be desired though, so do not expect to get any good souvenirs from your time there. I expected to find more books about the history of the place, but instead found more books about prison reform in general and t-shirts that gave off political vibes.

We took the hop on/hop off bus to this location and it worked out great since the stop is just on the other side of the street across from the corner of the penitentiary.

We really enjoyed our visit. Interesting concepts about crime and punishment through the years. The prison is interesting architecturally and there are a lot of stories about prisoners' lives over the more than a century the prison was in use. Men, women and even some children were prisoners. There is a long audio tour with headsets that is pretty straightforward, but once that is additional locations with audio information are spread piecemeal throughout the cell blocks of the prison. That can be a little confusing, but there is staff throughout the building to help you find your way.

I could see this being too dark and grim for younger kids. I guess it depends on the child and how you frame the visit. I think younger kids will not want to stay and explore as long as adults so be prepared for that.

This is a must see in Philadelphia! There is so much history there and they give you ample amount of time to get through everything you want to see.

I can't say much more that hasn't already been said. This was a fascinating trip into prison history. I have been to Alcatraz a few times. This is so much better. From the restored sections to the original dilapidated sections, this did not disappoint.

How did I not know this place existed for the last 50 years?? What a great place to visit. It gives you insight into not only an old prison, but also how people thought about crime and punishment in the early 1800's. Highly recommend!

Did the self guided tour recently with the handset. Took a couple of hours to go thru the facility and see various exhibits about the history of the prison and life of prisoners there. This was my least favorite thing I saw on my recent trip to Philadelphia. Would have rather spent more time doing more of the museums and things in old City .

Super interesting and a step back in time. I love going to historic places while visiting new cities and this place was no exception. much is left to its original state, and closed off. you can see through doorways however and imagine what it was like to stay and work here.
other areas are cleaned up and restored for tourists to walk through. They give you a small electronic device with headphones to use while walking through. at each area of importance, you simply press the corresponding number and listed to the narrator explain what you are looking at. FANTASTIC!

Loved it. I had also visited the Missouri State Penitentiary and enjoyed this one as well. I am the type of guy who likes to read every placard, and two hours was not enough for me, although it may be for most people.

It is just as cold inside the cell blocks as outside in the winter. So dress warmly.

Booking online saves $2. You can book on your phone, on site, assuming they have not sold out and there is no wait. (I went on a Wednesday afternoon in February, which was the perfect time to visit. While it was bitter cold, there were so few visitors. In some cases I had a cell block to myself, which was awesome.)

There is nothing on the website about luggage or bag storage, except a posting that no or limited bags are allowed during Halloween festivities. I came straight from the airport, so I checked out third party luggage facilities online. I was pleased to learn that they have a large, locked room for luggage, with claim check tags. It appeared large enough to store large suitcase. Your mileage may vary depending on time of year and how many tourists they have.

The audio guide is great. The placards are great. The exhibits are great. Walking around is great. Highly recommended. There are also appear to be a number of nice restaurants in the area, on Fairmont street, right outside the penitentiary.

We loved this trip to the Pen. We loved seeing the actual quarters and the history behind it all. The air was heavy with others there with us! LOVED IT!!

We were a group of eight, who visited last Friday. We did receive a Military Discount. The tour is self-guided with an audio box and headphones. So much history here! We learned a lot and did enjoy our visit.

The tour was excellent. Our guide, Graham, was very professional, personable, and knowledgeable. He made the place come alive, responded to all our questions. We approached this tour hesitantly, but came away impressed, informed and delighted.

So if you are looking for historical information on a prison system and how it was in the past compared to now then it is good. We were disappointed that so much of it is a mess. Little kids will not like it. The audio tour is interesting but this is a poor museum compared to Alcatraz

Enjoy the architecture, history and stories on audio guide. Al Capone’s cell makes you think
I didn’t care for the Kool-Aid they added that wasn’t relevant or in keeping with the historic vibe.

Highly recommend this attraction. The audio tour is outstanding. I found that there are areas outside of the tour path that you can explore, with audio stops to accompany. I made good use of the paper maps that are available, and made it a point to ensure I walked everywhere, and not just the standard tour route. Looking forward to visiting again in the fall, during some of their seasonal attractions and special events.

The Eastern State Penitentiary is situated in the Fairmount district of Philadelphia.

We took a 15 minute ride on the 48 bus from near Jefferson station to get there.

It is a large, austere building containing numerous cell blocks and was operational from around 1830 until closure in 1971.

Early prisoners served short sentences for crimes such as horse stealing. They were incarcerated for 23 hours per day, hooded when not in their solitary cells and were not allowed to speak.

There is an audio guide which talks you through the various blocks.

There are numerous anecdotes from prisoners and guards alike.

Al Capone was imprisoned here for a year for unlawful possession of a firearm.

His cell is particularly luxurious.

There are many interesting facts and statistics about incarceration throughout the world.

In particular, the USA has the world’s greatest percentage of prisoners at a rate of 655 inmates per 100,000 of the population (around 1.8 million prisoners).

Admission fee is $23 ($21 if over 65).
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Coming from the UK I had seen ESP on multiple websites stating a high rated attraction and did not disappoint. Thankfully we went on a day when it was not too busy however it is so interesting. The area covers a lot of ground, so wear comfortable shoes, and I would recommend using the audio guides so if hard of hearing bring your hearing aids.
The giftshop was fully stocked and the staff were kind & polite. I'm sad I didn't come in October as I have been told the fright night at Halloween is also fantastic!

Incredible experience, told extremely well through the audio headsets. Certainly a Philly must do along with the more traditional other Philly American history related attractions.

Very interesting to visit when you are in Philadelphia. The history is very interesting. We booked a guided tour. I'm not 100% sure this was necessary, there is also a lot of info you can read, but even more than we had the time for.

Was very impressed with this facility. The audio tour is excellent - and free - so don’t skip it. Walking through the prison with the sounds in the tour gave it an eery and authentic feel. You are able to walk through much of it and there are exhibits to learn about the history and also incarceration and prisons today - very eye opening.

A full blown penitentiary within walking distance of Center City and the Franklin Parway area. Well worth the detour for a visit.

Looks like a gothic castle in the middle of a very nice neighborhood. But once you step in side - you are in a prison. You get a self guiding audio tour with admission. As you walk through the facility, there are narrations for each numbered stop. And there are some really cool stops along the way. Derelict cells, restored cells, entire cell blocks, the infirmary, barber chairs, outdoor spaces.

There are also several art installations in individual cells, again each with a corresponding narration. Take the time to listen and learn. Extra points for narrations provided not only by celebrities and museum staff, but by both former prison staff and guards AND former inmates. There are some very powerful stories.

And a unique highlight - a fully restored Synagogue. With it's very own story to tell.

And one more - Pep. The puppy inmate. A very poignant, amusing, maybe even a bit of a cautionary story (almost said tail/tale). Especially if true

Staff is very helpful and VERY knowledgable. Always able to answer questions and point out spaces not to be missed. A small but well stocked store.

Well worth the time

What a pleasant surprise. We did the audio self guided tour and my 12 and 9 year old loved it. Spent about 2 hours at the jail. Staff was friendly and the tour was very interesting.

One thing to know before going is that you need to be properly dressed for the weather. We went in November and it wasn't a particularly cold day, BUT inside the walls of the prison, it was drastically colder than outside in the sunlight. Just wanted to put that out there so others dress a bit better than we did!
That piece aside, I would definitely reccomend a visit here if this is something you find interesting. The self-guided audio tour is very well done. It walks you through the prison in the way that a live tour guide would. It is easy to follow along and navigate based on the map and descriptions in the audio guide. There is A LOT to see and learn. If you really want to get the most of your visit, plan to be there for several hours meandering around and learning as much as you can. There is a lot of information. On the other hand, the audio guide is broken down into the main aspects of the prison and the additional features, so if you don't have a lot of time, you could just see the main parts and still feel like you learned a lot about it.
Walking around is easy. There is one area with a set of stairs, but it is an optional viewing area, not required to continue along the tour.

We got lucky to discover this gem on the last night of evening tours! The walking tour in combination with the audio was outstanding. Although a bit creepy in the dark - I am very happy we took the time to learn about this historical site.

This was a very interesting tour. Parking lot is right next to the penitentiary, you pay at the self pay kiosk. There were no lines getting in and probably about 10 other families around at the same time. This was during the week. It is an audio guided tour and I found it very interesting, lots of information. If you want to learn about penitentiaries or into creepy history this is a good spot. I was not area of the Pennsylvania solitary system. Some of the cells have been made to look as they did at the time. Al Capone's cell stands out in contrast to other cellmates' cells. There are portable bathrooms there that have running water. My 11year was not impressed but my 15 year old liked it. It was a hot day and you don't get much relief inside the buildings. Overall I enjoyed the tour.

Great History! The audio tour was perfect, the Al Capone cell is a must see. I would have loved to be here later in October when they turn it into a haunted house!

Wonderful! The audio tour was easy to use and a wealth of information. Being able to hear from previous inmates was an added bonus. Facility and staff was amazing. Would recommend this tour.

Simply amazing. I thought going in that I would learn about the history of prison, of course, but I wasn't prepared for how long the history of the place was, and I definitely wasn't prepared for the work they've done on researching incarceration today. Honestly, the last part of the tour was the most sobering. It's just so well done, and the information presented so clearly. One note- my sister and I found the best way to get here was the bus.

The audio guide by actor Steve Buscemi is terrific. It may not sound like a fun tour, but it's just fascinating to see where we experimented with well-meaning but utterly terrible ideas of early rehabilitative incarceration. Being Jewish, I was very surprised and intrigued to see the restored inmate synagogue. And the "Graph" sculpture showing how US prison populations grow and compare to other countries provokes a lot of thoughts.

It’s an old prison now turned into historic building needing good 2-3 hours of tour time. It is historic and famous for gangster Alcapon room where he lived like a royalty 🤴

My friends and I went to eastern state penitentiary for a class assignment and we took the tour they offer and we learned so much. It takes you through inmate stories and really gives you a sense of what life was like for the people that went through that place.

We did the night time visit and it was an eye opening experience. From the waiting outside to the interactive postcards and the visual insights to the criminal justice system this is an incredible place to visit. I could have spent many more hours just experiencing the feel of isolation in a dark, stark, and scary cell.

Definitely worth a visit here. A good audio tour guides you through the prison. Some corridors have been supplemented with art. Very nicely done.

We had a great time on a middle school trip. Our guide, Graham, absolutely made the tour. As a history teacher, I appreciated his knowledge and thoughtful modern connections. I’d highly recommend it for an engaging and unique experience!

This is a very interesting site to visit in Philadelphia. Perhaps I would have given it a higher rating if we had used the audio guide. But we chose to participate in a Saturday morning guided tour with one of the museum's local guides. As a professional tour guide myself, I can confidently say that the tour guide assigned to our group was not at all professional. He had trouble taking charge and leading the group. It felt as if the group led him and not the other way around. The guided experience should have been much more structured than it was.

Don’t miss this tour of the prison. It’s a place that provides you a glimpse into what early prison life was like. You walk through the different wings of the place and get to hear the experiences the prisoners had. Capones room is a much different experience than what most had here. After the tour ends, you get to walk the grounds at your own pace. Very interesting place!

Everything was awesome, you could tell a lot of thought and work was put into the entire experience. Bathrooms in the trailer didn't work too well though.

Super interesting look at an early prison. Audio tour had voices of actual prisoners and added a lot. Fascinating and must see for kids and adults.

I've been to Alcatraz twice and this place is ten times better! The history is beyond fascinating and the tour guide was very, very knowledgeable. We arrived an hour before the start of the guided tour and toured some on our own. Every employee we came in contact with was so helpful and knowledgeable. It's SO big that we could have stayed a few more hours had we not had plans. I highly, highly recommend this landmark, and be sure to eat across the street at Zorba's Greek restaurant.

This is a lot easier to get to then expected, it's walkable from the art museum. And definitely worth the visit! The audio tour takes some time but is thorough and interesting. And the "controlled decay" of the prison makes it very interesting to see what it was like/what it is like now when nature takes over.

Not overwhelmingly long. It was a nice stop for us and easy to walk. Really cool history of the place, can totally see this being haunted.

Very interesting tour of the ESP . Very important historic and social value for all ages. Definitely worth visiting in Philadelphia!

Love the self guided tour with headphones and player so you could go as fast or slow as you wanted. Could also go in whatever order you wanted. We spent 2 hours here but could have spent another 2! So informational and so much to see. Excellent!!!

Found this after visiting Philly Art Museum. Looked intriguing from the outside and went back for a tour. It was self guided but did my own thing and wondered about. Really enjoyed this, fascinating history! Recommend.

Interesting historical landmark, it is very well organized. Need to book online ahead to avoid lines . Once you show your tickets , you will be directed t enter and given earphone with self guided audio your. Each area is marked with number, you will dial the number and play as you walk along until next stop. We did the 8pm tour, it was not crowded and very easy to self navigate. You’ll also receive a brochure with a marked map. All of the staff were very friendly , knowledgeable and helpful. We didn’t think we would spend as much time as we did exploring. But we end up stayed almost two hours looking around. I would definitely recommend anyone interested in history or buildings to check it out. ( they do not have designated parking so we looked and parked on the streets nearby and walked over ) and

The history of this site, while disturbing and sad, is also extremely interesting and enlightening. Everything from the audio tour to the exhibit signs are very well put together. There’s something for every interest, from escape stories and journalism to Jewish life and medical history. A lot of the cells also contain artist installations, although a lot of these are quite sad.

I need to give special mention to the staff of this site, who all went the extra mile during my visit. When I asked one particular staff member if the journalism studio tour was going to run that day, his response was “come with me and I’ll do it with you right now!”. Other staff asked me if there was any special areas I wanted directions to. Overall, amazing visit.

Definitely worth a visit if you are visiting Philadelphia. Do the audio tour and skip the guided tour. Our tour guide spent more time interjecting his political views into the tour instead of sharing the history of the penitentiary. We stopped the guided tour midway through and started over with the audio. We learned so much more about the actually facility, inmates and history with the audio tour. It’s very interesting and I highly recommend. Would be nice for guided tours to be more about the actual place and less about personal views.

The tour was self-guided, but the assistance available was excellent. There are clear markings and directions to guide the audio content and physical directions. There was a lot of freedom to explore as much as desired. This is a place of amazing architecture and history. At the end there are displays with content to explore the current state of incarceration - the goals of incarceration and progress in meeting those goals, in the US as well as internationally.

Went to Eastern State Penitentiary on Thursday while visiting friends and found the self guided tour to be informative. To learn how the this site influenced how the penal system was developed in this country was educational. It was not crowded and I recommend going.

Went there a few years ago to Halloween Nights and it was awesome. This year, nothing scary at all. Came all the way from Long Island and will not be back. So sad

This was so interesting to see and to see how luxurious Al Capone's cell was in comparison to the rest was unbelievable. There was holograms of prisoners stories.... Which I didn't expect so when walking past a cell when I saw it I thought it was a ghost 😂 also stop by the gift shop and get a few bits if you can, the staff were lovely.

This is an environment that is still crumbling and deteriorating in places, but I felt that added to the experience. You can explore a number of the wings, and the audio tour provides a lot of insight into what the experience would have been like for many of the inmates over time. The information presented about US incarceration rates was also eye-opening.

What a great place to visit. You can see so much of the prison. There are many interesting stories that goes with the tours. A must place to go in Philly!!!

We were not sure what to expect but this attraction exceeded our expectations. Spent an hour viewing but could have stayed longer. Should be a field trip for all young children.

This was a highlight of my time in Philly. Of course you have to like this sort of thing. I was able to roam the ground with the audio guides for 3 hours. It was great. They have tried to keep the look and feel of the penitentiary whiteout making too many changes with renovations, but the building has to stay up to code and not fall apart. But the penitentiary itself still has the feeling and look it did when it was built apart. The history and the art installations are really interesting and definitely worth taking the time to book a visit.