Eastern State Penitentiary

“Shipwreck” is a word that came to mind when visiting Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, but when it opened in 1829 it was the most modern facility in the world.

One “cell block”

The structure was designed to reform criminals, instead of merely punish them, through strict isolation and labor. Seven wings like wheel spokes were built around a central surveillance hub, and each 8×12 cell was equipped with a primitive flush toilet, central heat, and small outdoor exercise area. No visitors, books, or contact with other prisoners were allowed.

Recreation of prison cell

Early flush toilet

Tourists came to visit the cutting-edge building, including Charles Dickens, who denounced the solitary design writing, “I hold this slow and daily tampering with the mysteries of the brain to be immeasurably worse than any torture of the body.”

Solitary exercise yard outside of a cell

As the penitentiary grew more crowded in the 20th century, the practice of keeping every prisoner in solitary confinement was abandoned. The prison closed in 1971 and fell into ruin, overrun with vines, rust and feral cats. Today it is once again one of the most popular tourist attractions in Philadelphia, and you can take selfies in front of a recreation of Al Capone’s cell, a 97-foot tunnel dug in a 1945 prison escape, and a mugshot of Pep, an incarcerated dog.

Escape tunnel

Al Capone’s cell was by far the swankiest in the prison

The kitchen

Front gate, decorated with gargoyles for Halloween

Eastern State Penitentiary
2027 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
Note: About a mile walk from 30th Street Station. The facility is not climate controlled so dress accordingly