Eastern State Penitentiary

Eastern State Penitentiary is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The penitentiary was built between 1822-1836 on a radical plan by John Haviland. Haviland's design intended to link solitude with moral and vocation instruction. The prison closed in 1970, but is still occupied by ghosts and filled with history. In 1971, the City of Philadelphia used Eastern State to house prisoners from the county prison at Holmesburg, following a riot there. This is where Eastern State gets a little personal for me. My father spent some time in Eastern State in 1971, and I'll leave it at that! Eastern State is now a museum, opened to the public. They also host a magnificent Halloween Haunted Prison spectacular every year. My visit to Eastern State was quite an adventure! The tour costs approximately $15.00 and allows you access to the prison all day. I would highly recommend taking the audio tour. You can explore at your own pace and linger at exhibits that you find interesting. Al Capone stayed at Eastern State for about one year. Things were getting rough for Al in Chicago, so he decided to skip town and intentionally caught a weapon charge in Philadelphia. You can view his cell at Eastern State and notice how different it was from other cells. Al Capone had Persian rugs, a desk, a chaise lounge and Tiffany lamps in his cell. Directly next to Al Capone's cell is a example of a typical Eastern State Cell; dark, dank, small and crumbling. Prisoners at Eastern State had a toilet, table, bunk and Bible in their cells, in which they were locked all but one hour a day. When the prisoners did leave their cells, a black hood would be placed over their head so they could not see any other prisoners as they were guided through the halls of the prison. Interaction and any form of communication between inmates was forbidden. Inmates lived a life in mundane solitude and would only get a glimpse of sunlight, known as "The Eye of God" which came through a slit in the prison ceiling. In desperate need of human interaction, prisoners would tap on pipes or whisper through vents to each other. If caught, the penalty was brutal. As the tour continues, you learn that Hollywood has visited Eastern State for a few movies: Brokedown Palace featuring Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche and Twelve Monkeys with Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis. Transformers Part II was also filmed at Eastern State. Eastern State was also made famous by the television show "Ghosthunters." Ghosthunters featured Eastern State on two different episodes and caught some ghosts roaming one of the cell blocks. One major paranormal episode reported occurred to a locksmith doing restoration work in Cell Block #4. According to the tale, he was working to remove a 140-year-old lock from the cell door when a massive force overcame him so powerfully he was unable to move. Some believe when he removed the key it opened a gateway to the horrific past and offered the spirits caught behind its bars a pathway out. The man spoke of experiencing an out-of-body state as he was drawn toward the negative energy which burst through the cell. Anguished faces appeared on the cell wall, hundreds of distorted forms swirled around the cell block and one dominating form seemed to beckon the locksmith to him. The man's experience was so vivid, years after he would shudder in fear when he talked about it. During my visit, I experienced nausea and an all around uncomfortable feeling. The strange feelings my companion and I had did not deter us from exploring the entire prison, pausing to stop and read the informative plaques and displays along the way. I would highly recommend taking the trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to visit Eastern State. You won't be disappointed and may even encounter a ghost! http://www.easternstate.org/