So excited about my trip here. I definitely want to go back for a night tour. So much history. And I love that the place is so well preserved to look like an abandoned building so that everyone can experience a little “urban exploring”. I especially loved how you could enter a bunch of the cells. The tour is self guided which is perfect for going at your own pace. The featuring of modern artists in certain cells were a nice touch too.

Beyond the walls of eastern state is over hundred years of history. Equipped with an audio player you tour each of the cellblocks and learn so much about topics such Pennsylvania system of corrections, mass incarceration, Philadelphia history, and even art.If you just wanted to do the basic tour and listen to audios 1-10 it would take about an hour and a half or so. But I highly recommend coming early and really taking your time through there is so much to learn about and see it can easily encompass an entire day.Also a great place to test your photography skills!

Definitely an experience I’ll remember. The exhibit was interesting. We originally thought that the tour would be done by an actual guide, but instead, you put on headphones and walk around. It’s an individual audio tour, which if you’re with other people, you can’t really hear who you’re with unless you remove your headphones. You also can’t sync your tour with them either so they could be listening to something completely different. Besides that it was a fun experience.

So much history! We learned so much while walking around. Throughout the crumbling buildings and structures, theres so much beauty. Definitely recommend visiting this haunted historic site. If you want a spooky tour, purchase tickets for their Halloween nights!

The Halloween night was great! The sets just cannot be beaten and there were lots of actors with nice scares. We arrived at 7 and there was barely any line. All in all a great experience!

Best attraction in Philly. The audio tour that comes with the entrance adds so much to the experience. I really liked the extra exhibit on the current prison system. You can do the main self guided audio tour in about 45min to an hour. But then you have the opportunity to discover and check out other side stories on your own. Highly recommended to anyone visiting Philadelphia. Oh and they also sell water at a reasonable price, $3 for two bottles of water. Thanks for not price gouging.

Soooo much history here. I was here for a while. Im a need at heart so I wanted to hear each story, read each poster, and see every room. I couldnt imagine having to spend a lifetime in this place. I really love how they had statics to compare then with today and also the future. If youre needing to blow a few hours and totally into history, check this place out. You can feel the.... mmm.... idk of its spirits or what. Maybe you can call it energy, but you can feel it.

Wow… that’s all I have to say. Going into this tour I had a decent knowledge of the history and reputation of this penitentiary but seeing it in person was a completely different experience. It’s chilling to stand in the actual cells and hear the stories of former inmates. This is a bucket list trip for sure and if you have the chance you should absolutely check it out. We did the full tour narrated by Steve Buscemi as well as all of the side narrators and art exhibits which lasted just about three hours.

So impressed with our first visit to this storied landmark that we became members. The special exhbits about prisons today (big graph) and the artist installations are highly recommended. The self-guided audio tour was enlightening and heightened the experience vs having a live guide. Allow 2-3 hours for a visit.

I’m mean, it’s a prison. So definitely sad to walk to and read the stories and things that used to happen here. At the same time definitely interesting and must-see.

This was a very haunting, eery experience. Some parts of this tour was also informative and very interesting. I cannot imagine being there at that time not communicating with anyone in anyway. madness! Worth every penny.

Definitely recommend going! It was a lot better than I expected, not that I expected anything bad it was just a lot to do! Stayed for 1.5 hrs and still didn’t do everything offered especially seeing everything and the listening tour. Worth the money and very informative

Has an eery feel to it. God only knows what truly happened here to give off such a chilling feeling. It was still a fun and educational tour. I’d do it again.

I’ve been to Eastern State twice in 2021. It’s always informative, intriguing, and mysterious no matter how often I visit. Seeing this slice of modern history in a city already ripe with so much, knowing it’s possibly filled with untold amounts of paranormal activity is exciting for me.The exhibits about this country’s needlessly massive prison populations are equally frustrating, heartbreaking, and thought provoking.

This is definitely worth doing while you are in Philly. Didn’t have it on my top list of things to do but now that I’ve been there I would 100% recommend you add it on yours. The audio tour was really good and very educational. Also the fact that it’s all so raw gives it a sense of reality and not just a museum.

Hesitant about paying the entrance fee but we figured since we will probably only come once again in our lives, why not? It didn’t disappoint. We spent about 2 hours there and I was very intrigued by it all. I loved the audio part and some parts we liked just exploring by ourselves. It’s crazy to hear some of the prisoner’s stories.

100% recommend visiting! This tour was amazing and is definitely in the top 5 coolest things ever ever done in my life. We learned so much.

My husband and I spent our honeymoon checking out this beauty! Definitely worth a stop if youre in the area. History and beauty all in one. Surprisingly fun! And love the inmate artwork for sale!

Went here with my boyfriend last weekend! A lot of history to learn. It was a great experience. We were able to go at our own pace while listening to the narrator through the audio headset we had. Definitely recommend

A must go! The building from the outside is breathtaking and majestic. I took the night tour and I was not disappointed at all! I highly recommend Eastern State Penitentiary to be put on your places to go list in Philly.

I went not expecting much but it turned out to be one of my favorite places we visited in PA. We actually got a special tour of the hospital wing by a gentleman named Matt and it was a pleasant experience. They offer an explorer pack for kids that our kids loved doing. The gift shop is card only and they have a penny machine so bring quarters. What a great experience.

My boyfriend and I did a day time tour. If old prisons are your thing, its worth the trip.

This place was amazing! My family enjoyed all of the different areas to view and explore. The audio tour was very stimulating and educational. My youngest children are 7 and they enjoyed the information they were hearing.The parking was reasonably priced and very close to the front door.The bathrooms provided were port-o-pottys but an upgraded version.The souvenir shop was the only thing a bit frustrating because they had a penny maker with NO change available at the shop.

Great museum. The self guided tour is fantastic. The beer during the night tour is fun. Would highly recommend. Most interesting museum we experienced in Philly.

This place is seriously amazing! I went here for the first time after randomly seeing a brochure for this place somewhere and was wanting to go ever since. The tickets are inexpensive and the history and experience is incredible. There is so much to learn and explore and the audio tour is really neat! The architecture of the prison is intricate and spooky and beautiful all at the same time. I am definitely planning on coming back around Halloween to experience the prison’s “haunted house.” The only thing I would complain about is the amount of large, loud, and obnoxious groups of people that would be so loud at times it is hard to hear the audio tour. I would recommend showing up right when they open for the best experience. This is definitely a must to visit when coming to Philly.

Wow.. that place is worth a visit! the audio guide was really cool and just in general it was super interesting! Ive lived in the philly area for almost 10 years and Im very glad I finally visited this very historic place!

Amazing visit, very interesting and educational can’t beat Steve Buscemi narrating the audio tour. Incredible history. Challenging look at the current levels of incarceration in our country illustrative visually. Very though provoking. Everything I hoped and expected, plus more. Excited to see how they continue the preservation of this unique site!

Uncanny experience. Really good audio tour to guide you through the maze of this now closed prison. Each corridor has its own story, including AL Capones cell and death row.Apparently haunted if youre into that...

A really well put together experience. I went at night and it is a self-guided audio tour (no extra charge). The path was well laid out and the placards of info gave a good insight into many facets of the place.I ended up spending a little over 2 hrs there for doing almost all of the tour. Ticket price was $19, but goes up at night for Fri/Sat.

Interesting place right in the city. The main audio tour lasts around 45 minutes, but we spent almost two hours inside following the additional tour paths and listening to more of the stories.The staff was incredibly accommodating. Our group was running late, and while in many cases due to COVID they may not be able to honor arrivals outside of the 30-minute time block, for us a quick call and email immediately reassured us that we would be able to use our tickets an hour later than our time window. At the front desk they didnt hesitate to scan our tickets and let us in.Do note that most of the experience is delivered through a audio tour system, be prepared to quietly listen to the stories and history as you progress. After only a couple minutes of adjusting to it, this style of experience worked really well and engaged everyone in our group. Seating is available periodically throughout, but depending on how much you want to experience after the main tour there will be a good amount of standing and walking.

Absolutely incredible tour. Enjoyed it so much. You get a little Walkman player with headphones and walk around at your own pace looking at stuff. Very easy to get to from any of the big bus tour stops.

Lots of history if you visit Philli. We spent about 2.5 hours here the audio tour was excellent. There are busses that take you there. If your are vacationing or visiting the great city of Pennsylvania this is somewhere worth visiting!

Definately very cool architecture. Liked the places where the vault construction is exposed. Thought the exhibition on mass incarceration is timely and good.

Excellent way to spend about half a day, with excellent restaurants right across the street! The history is very interesting and the audio tours really immerse you in it.

Intersting visitThe included audio guide was a nice add

This place was a the highlight of my Philadelphia trip. So much history and meaning condensed into such a poignant message. The audio tour was phenomenal, Steve Buscemi was the guide. This was so well done and thoroughly enjoyable. Well worth a visit, in fact, I will be back for another visit.

So cool! We loved the audio tour and the ability to explore the grounds. We also appreciated being able to learn the history of other prisons and incarceration in America as a whole.

I LOVED the self guided audio tour. I’m always up for self guided tours. The building was beautiful and the atmosphere was eerie. My only complaint was that it was pouring out during our visit. But that can’t be helped by the staff and all. Was just bad timing on our part. It was still great even through the rain. 10/10. Great place to visit. Will be returning for a night tour as soon as possible!

This place is hauntingly beautiful! I got tickets for the haunted house edition for Halloween night. They say its scary but it wasnt scary at all to me. They offer you a glow stick for the scariest experience and that still wasnt scary lol. I was more interested in the architecture then the actors. Guess next time Ill have to do a daytime tour or something.

Great place to check out when visiting Philadelphia. A friend of mine recommended going and it was definitely worth it!Super interesting and educational.And the self-guided tour was awesome.You can easily spend several hours there.

Very interesting place.

Such a really great experience. The self guided tour is great. The audio recording is a fantastic guide. We were able to see Al Capones cell when he was incarcerated here.

Amazing place! Easily one of the best spots we visited in Philly.

A must see whenever in Philly!! Lots of history and very informative tour guide.

This penitentiary is one of the older ones and has a feel similar to Alcatraz. At the moment, self-guided audio tours are available and are very well put together. A lot of the structures are in rough shape but that’s what makes it cool. Tours are reasonably priced and there’s a lot to see including one of Al Capone’s cells!

Every time I come here I am always happy. I love taking photos of everything and walking around and seeing the old, decaying Penitentiary. I’ve never went to Terror behind the walls but I want to.

Theyve RUINED it. Now its just a bad Halloween themed bar with expensive drinks. Everyone Ive talked to this year(21) said it was not worth even a 1/4 of the $45 ticket price.

Great tour! The audio was well narrated and detailed, most of the penitentiary is open to walk through. Great history of inmate life and how it changed of the years, amazing that it was kept intact.

A very interesting museum with a good audio tour. The exhibit about modern-day prisons is very well done. Id recommend at least 2 hours to walk through. It can get very warm, so be prepared.

Fascinating place. The audio guides are very informative, and there are several exhibits and art installations throughout the grounds.

Super creepy and awesome at the same time. The tour was great and the staff were wonderful. Witnessing how these inmates lived was a surreal experience. This location was on our bucket list for some time and we were glad that we were able to visit. We have a full review on our blog site and YouTube channel.

Wow! So much history and so many stories to discover. Recommend doing the audio tour. It walks you through the prison and teaches a lot of information. The prison also explains how we came to the prison system we currently have. We were there for an hour and a half before it closed and we could have stayed at least another hour. Would love to go back for the night tour.

Amazing! Very informative staff. No guided tour needed however for there are signs and informational packets as well as self guided listening tours available. Super creepy and really cool to experience!

Very cool to walk the halls of the previous inmates and even enter their cells. The tour is on a recording device, so it allows you to go at your own pace. This prison is a maze, so you’ll be here for an hour or so!

Weve been to ESP 4 different times, and seem to learn something new each visit. We enjoy the inmate history, the prison stories, and the preserved grounds themselves are just cool to walk around. Be sure to check out Al Capones decorated cell!

Very cool museum! The employees are very friendly and helpful.The story of the prison was interesting.My high schoolers (boys 15 & 16) were engaged and interested.My middle schooler (12 year old girl) was into it somewhat.Elementary age was not interested at all.

One of the most incroyable places I’ve ever visited.

Just feel it. A lot of history. Take some time to listen the audio device they gave you......you will enjoy the journey in history.

Very exciting I really love criminialfjowbfjandjf

Such a fantastic historic site here in Phila. I’ll let the pics and videos speak for themselves! Just book a ticket and go! Now!

Absolutely worth the visit, this historical landmark is incredibly interesting, has an audio tour, and is wonderfully preserved it its ruined state. Its large enough to hold your interest and small enough to still be fun to explore in a few hours. Dress as though youre outside because, in effect, you will be as you tour the place. Its camera friendly, you just need to pay a little extra for the ability to use a tripod if you want. Worth it, in my view. Id love to return!

Absolutely excellent museum and well worth the visit. Parking was easy between parallel parking in front and a lot nearby. Prices were very reasonable given the huge amount of content.I followed the audio tour (headset / keypad) which does an excellent job stepping you through the key parts in a very efficient manner. Took me about 1.5 hours to complete it. Once done with that (or at any time really) you can venture around freely. Many areas have additional audio content that you can read / listen to.My favorite part was the variety. As its extremely old, its neat to see different sections set up to be period correct to a certain era. I was also worried it would just be a bunch of empty cells, but its far from it. There are numerous exhibits within cells both historical and artistic to mix things up. Lastly, there is an excellent section on modern prisons and modern statistics that provides and interesting look at the current state of our system.Id certainly reccomend this to anyone!

Absolutely loved this place, great for horror fanatics. The people were sweet, the ticket prices are reasonable. It is a great spooky place, i recommend doing the night tour, makes your experience more creepy and better.

Awesome!! Only $16 ($12 for students with ID) for an amazing experience. Many cells are open and accessible to the public. Let’s not forget Al Capone’s fully restored cell! A must see if you’re in the area.

The experience at the Eastern State Penitentiary is honestly a very education and enjoyable time. The architecture of the Penitentiary is worth the trip alone: with stone walls up to the 30 feet high, the prison looks more like a castle in the middle of North Philly. The interactive audio tour was extremely engaging, narrated by Steve Buscemi and was a great format to exploring and learning about the prisons history. The most surprising aspect was the Prisons Today exhibit at the end, where they examine the changes made to imprisonment in the United States in the 70s and 80s, leading to the current day state of mass incarceration. Definitely a worthwhile trip in Philly for anyone who likes museums or architecture.

This place is great. So much history and such a great tour. They give you your own personal audio tour so you can take your time. Then when the tour is over there are countless points if interests that have more information via audio recordings. It is an easy two to three hour expedition. The recordings range from former guards and inmates to psychologists and sociologists. There is something for everyone to learn and experience here. The staff was all very helpful and courteous. There are some great photo opportunities as well. We walked from city hall and it was a beautiful and safe walk. This place is great, right up there with Alcatraz as far as history, architecture and information.

My boyfriend and I made a day trip to Philly and he introduced me to ESP. This is one of his favorite places. I definitely loved it and cant wait to go back!

Such a fascinating place. Loved that they offered audio tours with your own headphones (watched them clean it as well!)Learned so much and appreciated that they gave previous and current statistics on prison numbers.Definitely worth going to.

I will never be able to say enough positive things about ESP. I have visited several times over the years and have always had a fantastic experience, even during their modified covid times. I seem to find something new every visit.This wonderful business will always hold a special place in my heart. The self guided audio tour is very educational and offers so much beyond your inexpensive admission price, you could truly spend hours there just soaking it all in. I love their commitment to detail and history, preservation of as much of the building as they can, always keeping customers safety in mind. They acknowledge the wrongdoings of the prison systems past, as well as the present, and it really leaves you thinking about what is wrong and right, and ways to reform.And the staff! I have never had a bad interaction with the staff! In fact, during my second visit I accidentally locked everything I had with me in my still running car (I had gotten out to make sure I was parked legally and locked the doors out of habit.)The staff was incredible and so kind. They didnt judge me for public crying, they watched my car for me as I used their phone in the gift shop. They even tried to help me break into my car when the police refused to help me. They actually gave me a free pass to visit the museum once I was able to get into my car.I have donated on several occasions during their closure due to the pandemic, because this is a business that deserves support and I cannot recommend it enough.

Absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend from a historical, architectural, and educational standpoint. I really appreciated the effort they put into contrasting Eastern State against our modern prison systems and modern incarceration in general.

I’m not into visiting museums but this one is definitely worth it. Take a guided tour or at least the audio guide and you’ll find lots of interesting facts.

Went here on our first trip to Philly with my significant other. We purchased the tickets online (you save $2) and went right through with our mobile tickets. Staff was immediately helpful and very polite! Walkable from the Art museum (less than 15 minutes) Lots of stuff to do, and things to see! You also learn so much about incarceration especially in our country now! So many things to see and enjoy you can be here all day long! Very cool to see and cool things to learn. Left with some cute things from the gift shop that weren’t too overpriced! Keep up the good work!

Interesting place to visit. Lots of history involved.

Took the VIP tour here for Terror Behind the Walls haunted house. Had an amazing time and well worth the expense! You get to skip the line (which was extremely long) any have a behind scene tour of the jail. Opted in to be touched or taken from the tour and they did not disappoint. Was ‘taken’ three times! Put into a dentist chair once while a demented dentist terrorized me. Taken into a contamination area and grabbed a few times while walking through exhibits. The behind the scenes history tour we took prior to the haunted house was amazing and highly recommended! Spent time at the Speakeasy afterwards and enjoyed a drink. The souvenir shop is very small and was extremely congested. So much so, I turned around and left because of it. They have food vendors at the end that are meh and overpriced. I don’t recommend them. Wish I lived closer so I could do this every year!

Eastern State Penitentiary is an awesome place to check out any time of year, especially Halloween. I love the history of this prison complex and all the history it holds. I would definitely recommend any & everyone to visit the prison at least once, you wouldnt be left disappointed.

Favorite stop on my trip to philly. not only is the history fascinating, but the art and activism is really powerful. very interesting to learn about prison reform from within such an oppressive structure. the art exhibits are worth sitting and absorbing, but they can be pretty draining. the photos from solitary exhibit made me tear up, be sure to visit it. i went to see something morbid and spooky but left feeling emotionally impacted and with revitalized passion about prison reform. way cooler than the liberty bell.

Great place to tour. Make sure to clear some time in your day because it’s a big place. You’re provided Walkman style devices to guide you along the way. You can also opt for guided tours. (Pre-COVID)

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

One of my favorite places in Philly. They do an amazing job at keeping the prison in a suspended state of decay, along with teaching you about the history of the prison and the criminal justice system and the current issues with the system.P.S. if you come in the winter wear a coat, the entire prison is open to the elements.

Super interesting histrorical place to visit. For me just being here was worth the trip from NYC to Philly. The penitentiary is really impressive and a bit creepy, too.I recommend to join the 2 pm guided tour (it lasts about 1 h). Our guide (Alex, I think) was well prepared and managed to involve all the people of the group asking for opinions and comments quite often.I suggest to buy the tickets online, thus saving 2$/ea.

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

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

Im not a museum guy, but this is a recommendation. A very special atmosphere!

Very fun and eye opening! it was interesting walk through and listen to the audio tours.would recommend to for any newcomers to Philly

Drove from north Jersey to get here, and Id say it was worth it! The entire event was so well planned! Parking is tough to find, so keep that in mind. From the second youre in line to even the zombie guard dance show after the scare event is over, its entirely immersive. If you go on Thursdays you get a free daily tour ticket if you buy online. If you come early for the day time. You should try to reserve tickets for the walking tour(its included for free, just limited in space). I know everyone on here has taken those iconic perspective shots down the prison corridors, but it doesnt do it justice to the real thing. Awesome exhibit on how messed up our prison system with mass incarceration fever is. Hope you enjoy!

Amazing time! Not spooky like I thought it would be. A lot of good history and exhibits. Highly recommended especially for a date (if youre into that)

This place was fascinating! They had wonderful tours, along with self-guided tours. I hope very much to be able to make it to the Halloween presentation at some point. There is a ton of History, and getting to see and touch all of these different pieces of History was incredible. They have many displays of animals and videos about procedures that are fascinating to watch as well. There are few places that are closed off to the public, which naturally nearly killed me with curiosity, but for the most part this is all open and informational to the public. Great trip. I would definitely recommend.

My daughter requested to go. She loves places that are potentially haunted. Great museum for the whole family. We did the audio tour. I highly recommend that. Very interesting stories about the construction of the prison to the lives of some of the inmates and guards. We spent several hours. To take it all in go through it slowly.There is no air conditioning in the prison. One room that provides facts about prisons today does have air conditioning.My daughter took a photo of Al Capones cell and if you are a believer.. then you will be able to see his face on the wall.

Eastern State was for sure my favorite place while visiting Philadelphia. It’s incredible to see so much history and actual visit one of the most known penitentiaries that existed or even more, have a look in Al Capone’s cell. The audio tour is incredible informative and the time was well spent.

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

We had a great experience here. Loved the self-guided tours. It was great to compare this jail to the Ohio State Reformatory.

Excellent place to visit! Staff is very friendly and helpful! The prices are really not bad to get in. Kids under 6 are free which is very fair. The kids also get to participate in a scavenger hunt and get to earn a prize at the end. All the staff members were very knowledgeable. It is a huge place tons of information so make sure you have enough time to go through it. I took my kids 4 and 6 and they loved it. It was a lot of walking and it is cold so make sure you have jacket if you go in the winter. Really is an Interesting place a lot of fun to visit!

I think this place is one of the coolest museums you may ever seen. They atmosphere is so cool including a lot of different aspects of daily life of a prisoner back in 1800s and 1900s.Along with an awesome voice tour guide, you can visit every single room on your own and get lots of information in like 2 hours.I believe it is awesome that they preserved the place and didnt demolish it after it was closed down. Lots of stories about famous prisoners and life styles back that time, and the architect of the place itself will amaze you. This is another MUST SEE place here at Philly.

If you are a history geek then you will like to tour this prison. Get the twilight tickets, makes the tour better. Also there is a beer garden where the inmates used to play baseball. Due to covid-19, no tour guides are available, you will be given a double sanitized headset with a recording device. As you get to different spots you will see the numbers you have to enter and will hear a brief history of what youre looking at. Will definitely come back especially for terror behind the walls

Amazing history - free street parking, so much to see. There is an audio tour but that only lasts around 45 minutes and isnt everything. So many cells are art exhibits. We spent 2.5 hours but you could spend more. Also, amazing staff, so helpful

This is by far one of the coolest places I have been crazy history with lots of cool stories. Its an interactive tour you get a head set while you walk around at your own pace. Al Capones cell was very cool and some areas are very creepy.

Audio tour is so interesting i couldn’t make any pause.These cold days get a suitable coat. It’s freazing cold

We took a roadtrip from New Jersey to Philadelphia and I wish I would of made the visit sooner. We parked across the street for $25. I purchased my tickets online, I was told the price would be $2 more if I brought them at the prison. I advise going when the weather is not too hot. It was 86° degrees outside and you felt it during the tour. Go when the weather is a little cooler. We stayed for over 2 hours but could of stayed longer. The prison was amazing to see. We saw the famous Al Capone cell. Im thinking about visiting again during their Halloween event Terror behind the wall. Its a must see while visiting Philadelphia. Great historic prison to visit and photograph.

Incredible experience. Probably my favorite thing in the city. The audio tour is so interactive and because it’s broken up by number you can skip what you’re not interested in and stay on track with others in your group. If you’re in the city this has to be on your list.

The Eastern State Penitentiary is worth a visit. You can really imagine what it was like there with the excellent stories provided on the audio tour. All four people in my party loved the visit! Plus there are good restaurants and pubs around for after the visit...