Ice Sculpture Contest

Dec 16, ’08

Peter Slavin from the local performance ice sculpting company, Fear No Ice, carved three sculptures in Cellblock 7 on Thursday, December 11. Visitors to the site's Winter Adventure Tours were able to vote on their favorite - the facade of the penitentiary, a "mug shot" of Al Capone, and an authentic ESP lock.

Receiving 50% of the vote, the favorite design of visitors was the facade of the building. Al Capone came in second with 34 percent of the vote and the lock received 16 percent of the vote. Al Capone may have pulled ahead, but unfortunately, the storms and warm weather tipped the sculpture over, breaking it in two before the voting ended.

See the photos at left for the top two sculpture designs.

Extended Holiday Shopping Hours: Think Outside the Box and Inside the Cellblocks

Dec 16, ’08

The Eastern State Penitentiary gift shop will have special holiday hours on December 18, 19, and 20 - the gift shop will remain open from 10 am to 6 pm. Need a stocking stuffer? Our store is filled with great gifts such as the new collegiate style ESP hooded sweatshirt, knit hats, mug shot mugs, ESP tote bag, ESP note cards for the holidays, and much more. In addition, our popular line of Terror Behind the Walls merchandise will be available for purchase on these dates only.

Eastern State memberships make great holiday gifts. Each recipient of a gift membership will receive a personalized gift card, ESP t-shirt, preview tickets for Terror Behind the Walls (2009), plus a year of free daytime admission, "Behind the Scenes" tours, and exciting events.

Can't make it to Eastern State? Our entire line of merchandise is available on our online store. All proceeds from the museum shop benefits the mission of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site.

Winter Adventure Tour Lunch Packages Now Available

Dec 1, ’08

(January, 2008) Several wonderful Fairmount restaurants, all just steps from ESP, now offer special Winter Adventure Tour Lunch packages. Packages begin at just $20 and include your Winter Adventure Tour ticket. Simply make your reservations by contacting the restaurant directly.

Jack's Firehouse
(215) 232-9000

London Grill
(215) 978-4545

Rembrandt's
(215) 763-2228

Ice Sculpture Contest to Kick Off Winter Adventure Tours

Nov 26, ’08

Cellblock 7 Model Included in University of Pennsylvania Exhibit

Oct 29, ’08

Models in the Making: The Design and Craft of Architectural Models

Terror Behind the Walls ranked the #1 Haunted House in America!

Oct 14, ’08

Special tour and book signing with author Paul Kahan

Oct 14, ’08

To celebrate the release of The History Press' new book, Eastern State Penitentiary: A History, the author, Paul Kahan, will visit Eastern State for a special guided tour, followed by a meet and greet and book signing. The tour will take place on Sunday, October 19 at 11 am, followed by the book signing at 12:30.

In the book, Paul Kahan presents the history of this revolutionary penitentiary from its inception as a model of the revolutionary Pennsylvania system of incarceration in 1829 to the demands for its closure in the wake of ever increasing violence in 1971. Through tales of spectacular escapes, official corruption, reformation and retribution, Kahan chronicles the tensions that plagued Eastern State since the arrival of its first prisoners.

The tour is limited to 25 people and is available on a first come, first served basis. Visit our online store at http://www.easternstate.org/store/books.php to learn how to purchase the book.

2008 Members' Photo Contest

Oct 7, ’08

We're Hiring All Kinds of People for Halloween

Aug 13, ’08

Sutton vs. Klinedinst - See who won our Tunnel Escape Debate!

Aug 4, ’08

Eastern State Penitentiary hosted a Tunnel Escape Weekend commemorating one of the most famous prison breaks in American history, the 1945 Tunnel Escape. The event featured ongoing debates between two actors - one portraying Clarence Klinedinst and one portraying "Slick Willie" Sutton. Visitors had the opportunity to hear their conflicting accounts of who designed the tunnel, how it was built, why the escapees got caught, and vote on who they believed was telling the truth. After tallying the votes throughout the weekend, the results are in!

By a margin of 287-216, most visitors believed that Clarence Klinedinst's story was the most accurate!

Visitors to Eastern State this weekend were also able to participate in a number of family activities including a matching mystery word game about some of the most interesting and daring escapes in the penitentiary's history and an opportunity to create a design for an escape-proof prison.

Transformers 2 Films Scenes at Eastern State

Jun 30, ’08

DarknessRadio.com/T.A.P.S. Auction Raises $18,000

May 16, ’08

Darkness Radio and T.A.P.S., from the hit Sci-Fi show Ghost Hunters, held their second annual paranormal experience weekend this month in Philadelphia.  The sold out, three day event, called Paranormal Parole Revoked, featured celebrity led paranormal investigations at Eastern State Penitentiary and discussions about the paranormal phenomena.

The weekend also included a Live Charity Auction on May 1 to benefit Eastern State.  The event featured celebrities Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson from Ghost Hunters, Chris Fleming of the TV show Dead Famous, Patrick Burns from Haunting Evidence on TruTV, paranormal legends John Zaffis, Alexander Holzer, and Linda Zimmerman, and Dave and Tim of DarknessRadio.com.  An amazing $18,000 was raised during the event.

The funds from the auction will be used for Eastern State’s Solarium Appeal.  The small, sunny Solarium above the hospital block tells the story of a prison system struggling to keep a deadly disease under control.  Today, the Solarium remains sunny and open, overlooking the baseball diamond, but it is in dire shape.  Its severely leaking roof threatens not only the Solarium’s future, but the future of the entire Hospital Block below.  To lose either of these spaces would be a terrible loss as they present the perfect place to host exhibits on medical treatment inside prisons, the evolving technology and standards of treatment, and the return of widespread tuberculosis outbreaks in prisons today.

Darkness of the Edge of Town Paranormal Radio show can be heard live every Sunday night at www.DarknessRadio.com.  Jason and Grant can be heard live Saturday nights on www.BeyondRealityRadio.com with their paranormal based radio show Beyond Reality and their show Ghost Hunters can be seen every Wednesday night on the Sci-Fi Channel.

ESP creates new Theatrical Director position for Terror Behind the Walls

Apr 21, ’08

ESP Documentary Screening at Newport Beach Film Festival

Apr 14, ’08

Eastern State Penitentiary has "Lights Out" for Climate Change

Mar 25, ’08

On Saturday, March 29 from 8 pm to 9 pm, Eastern State Penitentiary will have its first official “Lights Out” in over 30 years. The historic site will be turning off all perimeter and interior lights (street lights will remain on) to show support for Earth Hour, an international climate change program.

Earth Hour, devised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), addresses the effects of global warming by encouraging businesses and individuals to reduce greenhouse emissions by turning off their lights for one hour. The object of the campaign “is to continue to be energy efficient beyond Earth Hour, making small actions everyday to achieve our goal in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions in 2008.”

Nearly 200,000 businesses and individuals worldwide have shown their concern for the future of the environment by registering online to take part in the event this year. For more information or to sign up for Earth Hour, visit http://www.earthhour.org

2008 Regular Season Kicks Off With Rare Glimpse of Long Abandoned Synagogue

Mar 5, ’08

It has been more than three and half decades since the last Jewish service at Eastern State Penitentiary, but the small synagogue, tucked into an alleyway off Cellblock 7, still feels like a holy place. The Readers’ Table still faces the arc, the room is still lined with benches, and sunlight still falls through the skylights onto the tile floor. But very few people—aside from a handful of archeologists, preservationists, and funders--have seen the room during the past 35 years. It has never been open to the public.

Eastern State Penitentiary’s beautiful, long-abandoned synagogue opens to the public for the first time ever, and for one weekend only.

Reservations are strongly recommended for the Lost Synagogue Tours. Call (215) 236-5111 x14.

For more information about the synagogue and the Lost Synagogue Weekend visit our events page.

Construction Begins on Cellblock 7

Mar 4, ’08

The replacement of three massive skylights is the first step in
Stabilizing Cellblock 7. The sole remaining skylight is currently being
conserved and restored and will be used as the model to create two new matching skylights.

The clerestory sections below the frames will be reconstructed and clad in
galvanized steel. Because Cellblock 7 is surrounded by other buildings on
three sides, it is impossible for a crane to lift the skylights from the
ground directly onto the clerestories on the cellblock roof. Architects
from S. Harris and Co. came up with a unique solution to solve this
dilemma by the creation of a rail system which will allow the crews to maneuver the skylights into place.

In January, workers from Munn Roofing Corp. and S&S Quality Services Inc., constructed a rail system on the roof of Cellblock 7. Meanwhile Ironworkers from Northeast Fencing fabricated the two matching skylights in their shop and then assembled them at Eastern State. Once the skylight frames are ready and the clerestories complete by S& S Quality Services, Inc., a crane will be brought into the site to lift the frames up to the rail system – where they will be rolled across and secured to the clerestories. Finally, everything will be reglazed and the rail system will be removed. Once this phase of the project is complete in April, construction will begin on replacing the roofing structure of the cellblock with a new “Duraslate” roof, guaranteed to last 50 years.

The Cellblock 7 stabilization project is made possible with historic grants from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Grant Program - Honorable Governor Edward Rendell, City of Philadelphia Cultural Corridors Fund, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the Heritage Philadelphia Program, supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts; and from proceeds from Eastern State’s annual Halloween Fundraiser Terror Behind the Walls (2005 and 2006).

Notable Inmates Section Added to Website

Jan 23, ’08

(January, 2008) While many visitors are familiar with some of Eastern State’s more notorious inmates, like Al Capone of Willie Sutton, most of the over 80,000 men and women that served time during the penitentiary’s 142 years of operation remain a mystery. The majority of Eastern State’s inmates were far from famous, though many do have very interesting stories to tell. For example, after his release, Charles Yerkes went on to help design and finance public transportation systems in Chicago and London.

Francis X. Dolan, Eastern State Penitentiary Site Manager and author of the Images of America book Eastern State Penitentiary, has created a Notable Inmates Page on the website. This new page currently contains information about eight inmates. In the coming months, Mr. Dolan will continue to add information about additional inmates and may even expand the section to include information about Officers and staff.

ESP Documentary to Premier at Park City Film Music Festival

Jan 23, ’08

(January, 2008) Eastern State: Living Behind The Walls, a documentary highlighting Eastern State Penitentiary's history and current imprisonment policies, will have its world premier at the fifth annual Park City Film Music Festival in Utah on January 21, 2008. The festival is the first in the world created to recognize the contribution of composers and their music to film. Awards are given to films featured at the festival based on their categories. Eastern State: Living Behind The Walls, directed by Philadelphia native Tony Alosi, with music composed by Cody Westheimer, will be competing for Best Use of Music in a Documentary Film.

For more information on the film or to view the trailer visit the Eastern State: Living Behind The Walls website.

For more information on the Park City Film Music Festival visit www.parkcityfilmmusicfestival.com.

Winter Adventure Tours Expanded

Jan 16, ’08

(January, 2008)

An hour-long tour of the beautiful, winter cellblocks with an expert guide and a cup of hot chocolate!

Our new Winter Adventure Tours have been so popular that we have added additional tours. Our expanded Winter Tour Schedule is:

Reservations are strongly recommended for weekend tours. Tickets can be reserved by phone: (215) 236-3300, or purchased at the door, subject to availability.

ESP Hires First Assistant Director for Development

Jan 16, ’08

(January, 2008) In January 2008, Eastern State Penitentiary made its nineth addition to the full time staff: our new Assistant Director for Development Elyssa Kane.

Elyssa has worked with nonprofits in the Philadelphia region for more than 20 years. At Eastern State Penitentiary, she is bringing together her development experience with her previous museum experience at institutions such as the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the University of Pennsylvania Museum. She most recently worked for 5½ years with Opportunity Finance Network, a national organization working to increase economic opportunity and provide financing to low-income communities. Prior to that, she provided development and strategic planning services to a variety of human service, educational, and environmental organizations. Elyssa earned her MBA from Georgetown University and her BA in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania.

2008 Events Calendar Announced

Jan 15, ’08

(January, 2008) Our complete 2008 event schedule is now available. Here are a few highlights:


* 2008 Artist Reception: May 9
* Alumni Reunion: May 17
* Prison Food Weekend: June 21 and 22
* Bastille Day: July 12
* Terror Behind the Walls: Sept. 19 - Nov. 1, select nights

Please see our events page for event times, pricing and details.

Fallen ESP Officer Honored

Jan 11, ’08

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site's records reveal at least three instances where staff members lost their lives in the line of duty. On June 24, 2007, The Correctional Peace Officers Foundation recognized one such officer, Edwin H. Lichtenberger, as part of the Annual National Memorial Service for Fallen Correctional Officers and Personnel of the Year 2006. The foundation presented Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site with a plaque in honor of Lichtenberger who was killed by an inmate in 1944.

On July 17, 1944 at 4:30 AM, inmate D-1264 Steven Saunders escaped from his cell by cutting the sliding bar on his cell door in Cellblock 5. He left a bundle of blankets and a dummy head in his bed to fool the guards on patrol and joined a group of inmate kitchen workers passing through his cellblock on their way to their work detail.

From the kitchen yard, Saunders planned to climb to the roof where he would throw an anchor over the outside wall and use a pulley system he had constructed to carry him to the top of the wall. He then intended to lower himself to freedom using a rope made from rags. To draw the attention of the guards away from his activities on the roof and in the yard, Saunders fashioned an electrical device that would start a delayed fire in the psychiatrist's office.

However, when the electrical device did not ignite the papers Saunders laid beneath it, the kitchen yard was still guarded, and he was unable to carry his plan any further. Warden Herbert Smith believed that Saunders realized discovery was inevitable and described Saunders' final acts as "the answers to despair and the actions of a desperado frustrated."

Shortly after 6:00 AM Guard Edwin H. Lichtenberger was attacked with a hatchet by Steven Saunders. Saunders struck Lichtenberger several times in the head with the weapon before fleeing to the old library room where he took his own life with a contraband knife. Alerted by the disturbance, several guards came to Lichtenberger's aid and rushed him to the penitentiary's hospital. Lichtenberger was later taken to the University Hospital where he died twelve hours after the attack. He was survived by his wife and two children.

Although three guards as well as Deputy Warden Meikrantz and Warden Smith were later held by the Board of Trustees to be negligent in their duties, Lichtenberger himself was never mentioned as being at fault in any of the reports available at Eastern State Penitentiary. In fact, Warden Smith said, "He was an excellent officer, one in whom I had the utmost confidence." The warden further lamented Lichtenberger's death, remarking, "His brutal murder was a severe shock. One that can never be forgotten. It will stand out, a tragic picture, pointing the way to greater effort."

To our knowledge, the presentation of this plaque by The Correctional Peace Officers Foundation is the first official recognition of Edwin Lichtenberger's sacrifice to the field of corrections. The plaque will further guarantee that he will never be forgotten, and ensure continued effort toward penological improvement.

Help us save the hospital solarium

Jan 11, ’08

(December, 2007) You’ve probably never seen the inside of our beautiful, fascinating hospital wing, Cellblock Three. It’s been open for visitors only two days since we opened for tours in 1994. On that cold November weekend of this year, hundreds of our Members and their friends filled those tours beyond capacity.

The tours were incredible. Our programming staff mapped a route that bridged Eastern State’s entire history, using the medical treatment of inmates as the unifying theme. The tour included the operating rooms and recovery rooms, the Apothecary and Cell 40, an isolation chamber for inmates with psychological problems. And the tour contained a lot of information about tuberculosis, the disease that killed Eastern State’s Inmate No. 19 in 1830 (the first death in the building), and plagued the institution during much of its history. We even discussed the widespread return of tuberculosis to prisons, as the illness has spread to become the second most deadly disease in American prisons today.

We received many kind notes and emails from Members and friends on those tours, saying how enriching the experience was. So why not allow all our visitors to explore the hospital block?

The hospital is in dire shape. A “solarium” built to combat tuberculosis in 1922 sits on top of the cellblock, and its weight and leaking roof are creating severe damage to the building below. We were even forced to distribute hard hats when our visitors toured the block this fall.

But you can help! Our architect has designed a solution to protect and stabilize the solarium and the hospital below, and now we are raising $104,000 complete the work. Please see our Saving E.S.P. page to see how you can help with this critical project.

Think Outside the Box

Dec 4, ’07

(November, 2007) Think outside the box! This holiday season give someone on your list the gift of membership. Each recipient of a gift membership will receive a personalized gift card, ESP T-shirt, tickets for Terror Behind the Walls (2008) ranked as one of the “Top 10 Best Haunted House in the United States” by the Travel Channel, America Online and HauntWorld Magazine, plus a year of free daytime admission, behind the scenes tours, and exciting events. It's a great deal!

Need a stocking stuffer? Our online store is filled with great gifts like E.S.P. Playing Cards, Al Capone Shot Glasses, “Pep the Dog” T-Shirts and “Mug shot” Mugs.

For more information, other great Eastern State gifts or to place your order, please visit our Online Store.

Eastern State Penitentiary Seeks Artists for 2009 Season

Dec 4, ’07

Each year, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site puts out a call to artists interested in submitting applications for a site-specific installation at the site. The deadline for artist proposals for the 2009 season will be on Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 5:00 pm.

Eastern State Penitentiary now provides funding on two tracks: Exhibition Approval and Proposal Development. Proposals and deadlines for the two types of funding are nearly identical. Examples of successful proposals from previous years and a list of important dates, including the dates and times of Art Orientation Tours, can be found in the 2009 Guidelines for Artists' Proposals (Download: | ).

Rachael Ray Show films at ESP

Oct 29, ’07

Remember when Rachael Ray made her “Yummy Mummy” with Emeril in the cell blocks of Eastern State Penitentiary? Well if you were the unfortunate ghoul who missed that show, be sure to watch her new talk show - Rachael Ray - on ABC (channel 6 in Philadelphia) at 10:00am on Wednesday, October 31st.

Rachael Ray Show correspondent, magician “Justin Kredible” spent the day at Eastern State Penitentiary with Terror Behind The Walls Technical Director Jason Ohlsen. Ohlsen took Justin Kredible and Rachael Ray cameras behind the scenes of Terror Behind The Walls for a special treat. Then Ohlsen reviled a few top-secret haunted house tricks.

Want to know how Terror Behind The Walls uses compressed air to frighten and spook? Curious about ghoulish make-up and goop? Watch Justin Kredible get air blasted in the haunted house then transformed with makeup by TBTW Costume and Makeup Director Kristin Phillips on the Rachael Ray Show, this Wednesday, October 31st at 10:00am on ABC.

Eastern State on Travel Channel's new show Mysterious Journeys

Oct 22, ’07

On October 26th at 9:00pm, the Travel Channel will air a new program called Mysterious Journeys. The new series will feature the "ghosts" of Eastern State Penitentiary just in time for Halloween!

This program will also feature some of Eastern's former inmates, guards, and staff members. The show will attempt to reenact events which actually took place within the prison walls.

For more information about this program as well as future dates and times the show will air, visit the Travel Channel Website.

Terror Behind the Walls Once Again Among Top Haunted Houses in America

Sep 20, ’07

HauntWorld Magazine has once again included Terror Behind the Walls on their list of “Top 13 Haunted Houses in America.” According to Editor-in-Chief of Hauntworld Magazine, Larry Kirchner, the “list highlights new standards of fear and fun at leading haunts. These attractions are being recognized for their attention to detail, high-quality special effects, and overall scare factor.”

Ranging from haunted hotels and prisons to spooky hayrides, the list represents the best haunted attractions the nation has to offer, as selected by the editors at Hauntworld Magazine. In an industry that has reached the multi-billion dollar mark, these haunts are leading the way in scream-inducing innovations.

“The haunts we’ve included are as expertly produced as any major motion picture today,” said Kirchner. “They have behind-the-scenes teams of master Hollywood special effects technicians, make-up artists, set designers, and trained actors. We’re an industry that exists to make people scream and laugh at the same time – and these haunts do just that, and more.”

Terror Behind the Walls has consistently been ranked among the top haunted houses in the United States by the Travel Channel, America Online, HauntWorld Magazine and other national publications.

2007 Member’s Photo Contest

Sep 19, ’07

2007 marks the fifth anniversary for Eastern State’s “Member’s Only Photo Contest!” The event took place on Saturday, September 8th. During this event, members of Eastern State Penitentiary were invited to discuss, swap, and share their favorite photographs of the penitentiary with each other.

Sporting members also had the opportunity to submit one photo for each of the two judging competition categories: best color photo as well as best black-and-white photo. Serving as judge this year was none other than Tom Berault, Professor of Art, Prince George's Community College and, Curator/Director, Marlboro Gallery. This year we congratulated John Calvert for winning first prize in the black-and-white photo category, and Aaron LaTowsky for winning first prize in the color photo category.


To read about this competition’s official rules and regulation, please click here >>

“Light, camera, third act”

Sep 19, ’07

Photographer Greg Stowell brings his exhibition “Light, camera, third act” back to Philadelphia after successfully exhibiting the show in New York City (Queens) and Kansas City. Inspired by Eastern State Penitentiary, Stowell’s collection of black and white photographs “captures a place and the experience of seeing through the elements of photographic design: form, rhythm, texture, and most of all, light.”

“Light, camera, third act” a topical series of photography inspired by Eastern State Penitentiary, will be on view at "Savory off South" between October 1 – 31, 2007. There will also be a public reception on October 5th. For directions please call: 215.922.0202.

Chapman University Professor Completes Documentary about Eastern State

Sep 18, ’07

Philadelphia native, Tony Alosi, has long admired and been inspired by the magnificent architecture that distinguishes Eastern State Penitentiary from other prisons. In his latest film, Eastern State: Living Behind The Walls, Alosi narrates pieces of the prison’s complex history through the voices of former prisoners, guards, and administrative staff. His documentary explores current imprisonment policies but also investigates societal beliefs on incarceration.

Mr. Alosi explains, "The stories of those who lived within these walls remind us that the human spirit can always find a way to forgive, find peace and move on."

For more information and to view a trailer of the film click here >>

Chapter on ESP in a new book

Sep 14, ’07

Just in time for Halloween, a new book by Susan Hutchison Tassin called Pennsylvania's Ghost Towns: Uncovering the Hidden Past profiles 46 locations that have been abandoned or left to ruin. These cemeteries, abandoned buildings, and roads to nowhere are all that remain of several once-thriving towns in Pennsylvania.

Does Eastern State Penitentiary qualify as a ghost town? During its 142 years in operation, Eastern State housed over 80,000 men and women. Author Susan Hutchinson argues that it is possible a number of these souls remain even today.

Pennsylvania's Ghost Towns: Uncovering the Hidden Past is available for purchase on our online store.

Two Ways To Trolley

Sep 7, ’07

Ride During The DAY...
Daily Trolley Tour: Step aboard the ESP wrapped "open-air" trolley and enjoy the view as experienced Philadelphia Trolley Works tour guides enlighten and entertain you with humorous stories and fascinating facts about Philadelphia's famous sights and attractions. Your 24-hour Pass will give you the freedom of unlimited on-and-off privileges between at any of the 20 stops throughout the day including Eastern State Penitentiary! Click here for more information

... Or Night!
There is a new way to get to Eastern State Penitentiary on fall evenings this year for Terror Behind the Walls: The Ghost Bus, Presented by Regal Entertainment Group.

Visitors who use the off-site parking lot will be shuttled to the penitentiary on an ESP wrapped historic-style trolley. During the ride to and from the penitentiary, a costumed professional storyteller will describe some of Philadelphia's most frightening ghost sightings. The parking lot is located at Broad and Spring Garden Streets, easily found off the Broad Street exit of Route 676. Parking costs just $10.00 per car. The Ghost Bus and ghost stories are free. Click here for more information.

Travel Channel’s America’s Scariest Halloween Attractions includes TBTW

Aug 23, ’07

Every autumn a frightening fever sweeps the nation from, its biggest cities to its smallest towns. It’s the annual opening of eerie exhibitions: Haunted houses, creepy mazes and frightening fairs. Abandoned prisons and decrepit cruise ships recreate scary scenes and tales of terror for chill seekers young and old to enjoy.

Each year there are new trends in the business of fear, including live performances by actors trained to terrify even the toughest customers. These attractions have morphed beyond the neighborhood haunted house and have become popular tourist destinations across the country. Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls will be one of only eight Halloween attractions featured on the program.

For the first time ever, the Travel Channel has picked America's most frightening haunts as portrayed in America’s Scariest Halloween Attractions — get ready for an edge-of-your-seat spooky ride!

Students Study Art and Architecture At ESP

Aug 21, ’07

Art has always been a part of Eastern State's culture; from inmate drawings
on cell walls and inmate murals in the Catholic Chaplain's office, to
modern architectural photography and artist installations.

In the spring of 2007, landscape painting students from Sudio Incamminati
practiced painting their architectural impressions - under the direction of
instructors Darren Kingsley and Kerry Dunn - among the beautiful, crumbling
structures that make up Eastern State Penitentiary.

Old Friend Passes Away

Aug 20, ’07

Richard Griffin, better known simply as "Griff", began is career at Eastern State Penitentiary in 1953. A Korean War vet, he worked at Eastern State as a guard up until 1969, just before the penitentiary closed, when he transferred to S.C.I Graterford in Montgomery County where he continued as a correction officer until he retired from the PA Prison system.

In the late 1980's, when plans for a tour program as Eastern State were in their earliest stages, Griff was one of the first "Alumni" to return to the site. Griff was a gifted speaker and easily captivated visitors with his vivid stories of life behind the walls. He had a photographic memory and could easily recall an inmate’s name when a record only listed the number.

In 1992, he was interviewed for the penitentiary's first oral history program and in 1996 he was prominently featured in the History Channel's Big House program about Eastern State. For over a decade, he was a regular at many Eastern State events, including our annual alumni reunion, and appeared in several other television specials.

A few years ago Griff moved out of Philadelphia, making it harder for him to attend events at the penitentiary, but he made sure to continue to stay in touch with the historic site staff with regular phone calls reminiscing about the old days and keeping up to date with happenings at the historic site.

Griff passed away on July 17, 2007. We will miss him.

Portions of his 1992 oral history can be heard by visitors today on the "Voices of Eastern State" audio tour.

Get Paid to Scare People in Prison!

Aug 20, ’07

Halloween isn't just one night at Eastern State Penitentiary. Our acclaimed event, Terror Behind the Walls presented by Lukoil, runs 26 nights from September 21 to November 3. Lot's of planning and training take place in September. Auditions and interviews are currently being held for actors, ticket handlers, line staff, box office/retail staff and storytellers. These jobs are demanding, and FUN. Many people return year after year to join our "Scream Team!" Pay starts at $8.00 per hour, more for management positions.

All staff MUST be over 18 and pass a background check. Eastern State Penitentiary is an equal opportunity employer.

For additional information, including audition dates and times, please visit our Terror Behind the Walls Hiring Page.

UPDATE: Oral Histories Appeal

Aug 20, ’07

Eastern State Penitentiary has contracted History Association Inc. to record the oral histories of ESP’s former inmates, guards, and staff. By the end of August, the memories from three former inmates, ESP’s last Rabbi, the Print Shop Supervisor, and two ESP psychologists will have been documented and recorded. In Fall 2007, Eastern State hopes to be able to fund and execute plans for at least six additional oral history records.

Interviews with former inmates, guards, and staff are essential to understanding what day-to-day life was like at the prison. Although the Eastern State Penitentiary Task Force recorded ninety hours of oral histories in the early 1990's, more than one hundred people with unrecorded histories remain.

For more information, click here >>

New Book By Francis X Dolan called: Eastern State Penitentiary

Jul 31, ’07

The new book by Francis X Dolan titled: Eastern State Penitentiary, will be released on Monday, August 13th, and will feature over 200 rare photographs and images from the Penitentiary's last 231 years of history. Many of the photographs in this book have recently been donated to the historic site by former officers and inmates and have never before been seen by the public.

Visitors interested in meeting the author, Francis X Dolan, and having their book signed, are welcome join us on Wednesday, August 15th for a book signing. For this day only, Historic Site and event admission is FREE with purchase of the book Eastern State Penitentiary. Stay after the signing for a special guest speaker and Summer Twilight Tours.

Former Officers and Inmates to Speak at 1961 Prison Riot Commemoration

Jul 31, ’07

On January 8th, 1961, Eastern State Penitentiary witnessed its most violent and dangerous inmate uprising. Inmates eventually took eight officers hostage, stabbing two of them with homemade knives (both survived), and took control of the prison. They even set the records room on fire in an attempt to erase inmate identities.

On Saturday and Sunday, August 11 and 12 a special tour, retracing the sequence of events that took place throughout the prison complex during the riot will be offered at 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. each day. At 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., former inmate Bill Barns and former officer Bill Moore, both of whom were at E.S.P. during the riot, will join members of the public for an informal Q & A session.

All events are free with admission.

Terror Behind The Walls Introduces New Attraction For 2007

Jul 31, ’07

Construction is well under weigh for the 2007 season of Terror Behind the Walls, presented by Lukoil. The creative team is currently building out ambitious plans for a new attraction inside the historic Cellblock Twelve, a three-story wing added to the Eastern State Penitentiary in 1911. The Sci-Fi Channel’s program “Ghost Hunters” declared the cellblock haunted in 2005.

The new attraction will be the largest and most sophisticated design yet at Terror Behind the Walls. It will incorporate custom-built animatronic props, high tech lighting effects, digital sound and several special effects currently being designed for the space. The overall effect will create the illusion that walls of metal bars and cell doors are electrified. The name of the new attraction will be LOCK DOWN.

“The most important thing is to keep the character of the architecture,” said Jason Ohlsen, Technical Director for Terror Behind the Walls. “Whatever we add has to look like it’s been here for a hundred years, literally. And we always try to leave the building untouched, when possible. Nobody can create better set designs than the natural environments of Eastern State Penitentiary.”

DarknessRadio.com/TAPS Auction Raises $8,800

Jun 1, ’07

(June, 2008) This past June, Darkness Radio and T.A.P.S., from the hit SciFi show Ghost Hunters, held a “paranormal lockdown retreat” at Eastern State Penitentiary. Over 200 people attended the sold out three day event.

TAPS Founders and lead investigators, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, led discussions about their experiences and the filming of their hit TV show, Ghost Hunters, classes about the proper use and set up of investigation equipment and, of course, a paranormal investigation of Eastern State Penitentiary.

On Friday, June 22, a Live Charity Auction, including celebrities Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson & Steve Gonsalves from Ghost Hunters, Chris Fleming of the TV show Dead Famous, paranormal legends John Zaffis and Rosemary Ellen Guiley, actor Alex Vincent, the young boy from the first 2 Child's Play movies and Dave and Tim of DarknessRadio.com was held to benefit Eastern State Penitentiary. A total of $8880 was raised.

The funds from the auction will be used for Eastern State’s Oral History Appeal – A program to record the irreplaceable memories of former inmates, guards, and staff. Their stories are essential to understanding what day-to-day life was like at the prison. We have recorded the stories of some of these eyewitnesses, but more than one hundred remain. “We were proud to be a part of this auction and have the field of the paranormal give back to the community it so lovingly studies. People really rallied behind the cause knowing that the money would help to restore such a valuable piece of history,” said Dave Schrader, host of Darkness Radio.

Darkness on the Edge of Town Paranormal Radio show can be heard live every Sunday night at www.DarknessRadio.com. Jason and Grant can be heard Live Saturday nights on www.630WPRO.com with their paranormal based radio show Beyond Reality and their show Ghost Hunters can be seen every Wednesday night on the Sci-Fi Channel.

Finding love in the Penitentiary!

May 27, ’07

(May, 2007) Sammy Prince, a Zone Manager for Terror Behind The Walls, met Art Bermudez, a TBTW Assistant Zone Manager, in 2002. It wasn’t exactly love at first fright for these two, as they awkwardly met because Sammy’s radio headset wasn’t working. Later, their fates were sealed after Art hosted a party for Sammy’s zone in his Center City home. Four dedicated seasons of Terror

Behind The Walls later, Art decided to propose to Sammy, in front of Eastern State Penitentiary! The two were married on May 27th, 2007, in Chestnut Hill.

Spooky coincidence: Program Director Sean Kelley and his girlfriend/TBTW box office member Sara Kube (pictured left) were dining at the remote Valley Green Inn on the night of Art and Sammy's wedding reception. A complete coincidence, but fitting for this couple!

We wish these two members of the Eastern State family the very, very best.

Students' Research Reveals New Information About Catholic Chaplain's Office

May 12, ’07