Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is a 501(c)3 organization that preserves America’s first penitentiary, advancing public understanding of the criminal justice system and its impact on the lives of those affected by it, to inspire a more just future.

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Please visit EasternState.org for the current museum operating schedule.

When Eastern State opened more than 180 years ago, it changed the world. Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world’s first true “penitentiary,” a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of prisoners.

Explore Eastern States historic cellblocks. Learn about the history of the penitentiary and its relevance today. Please visit EasternState.org for the current museum operating schedule. Hours of operation are subject to change. Tickets are available online or at …

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site preserves America’s first penitentiary, advancing public understanding of the criminal justice system and its impact on the lives of those affected by it, to inspire a more just future.

Opened in 1829 as part of a controversial movement to change the behavior of people convicted of crimes through "confinement in solitude with labor," Eastern State Penitentiary quickly became one of the most expensive and most copied buildings in the young United States.

People frequently travelled to Philadelphia to study Eastern State and the Pennsylvania System. For many, Eastern State’s distinctive form and its isolation practices became a symbol of progressive, modern principles. Still, as tourists flocked …

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary. Learn More

When you visit Eastern State Penitentiary, youll get an mp3 player and headphones that will guide you through the penitentiary complex and explain the prisons history. This audio guide contains a main audio tour route (available below), plus additional stops for subjects like escapes, sports, sexuality, race, and more.

Eastern State Penitentiary broke sharply with the prisons of its day, abandoning corporal punishment and ill treatment. This massive new structure, opened in 1829, became one of the most expensive American building