The castle-like walls of Eastern State Penitentiary soar high above the city block it covers in the Fairmont section of Philadelphia. From the outside, it’s almost beautiful, like the former kings and queens of Philly once lived inside. But the inside of this legendary prison holds no beauty, no kings or queens. Only ghosts live inside now.
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A cellblock at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary
I had always wanted to see what was behind the giant castle walls of Eastern State. I was tricked into going inside once for its annual Halloween scare fest called Terror Behind the Walls. If you enjoy heart palpations and being scared out of your ever.living.mind, then that Fall activity is for you. The Terror Behind the Walls event has taken place since 1995 (it’s canceled for 2020) and its Hollywood-level sets and actors scare thousands of people each year. I went one year and it was so terrifying I decided one time was all I needed. But that’s just me! People from around the country return year after year because I guess they enjoy peeing their pants from sheer terror, I don’t know. I prefer to not pee my pants.
Despite never wanting to return to the Terror Behind the Walls experience. I did however still have an interest in touring the actual prison and learning more about its history. And it turns out a pandemic allowed me to do so.
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An abandoned cellblock at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
Touring Eastern State Penitentiary in the Dark
While Terror Behind the Walls is canceled due to the pandemic in 2020, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia is open for daytime and nighttime tours. While I would have preferred to wander this creepy, abandoned prison in broad daylight, that wasn’t on the agenda. Remembering my time in the darkness at Terror Behind the Walls, I didn’t exactly know what to expect on a nighttime tour. I considered wearing adult diapers in preparation of possible leakage but ultimately decided I would be a big girl and just warmed up my vocal cords for the anticipated screaming.
Turns out though….no need for anxiety or diapers at all! The self-guided audio tour was much more informative on the history of the prison than on the ghosts who absolutely have made a nice home for themselves there.
The abandoned prison and U.S. National Historic Landmark was operational from 1829 until 1971. It was the largest and most expensive public building in the United States at the time, costing Philadelphia taxpayers $780,000 in the 1800s. That’s a lot of money even in today’s dollars!
In the early years at Eastern State, solitary punishment was used on all prisoners. If a prisoner had to be moved from his cell a covering was placed over his head so he couldn’t see any other people, even in passing, as he walked through the cell blocks. The prisoners spent 23 hours a day inside a tiny stone-walled cell. For one hour a day, they were permitted outside in their own personal, only-room-for-one “courtyard.” There was a second door in the exterior of the cells that opened up to a small outside space completely surrounded by walls but with no roof. So even when outside, prisoners had no contact with other humans. The use of solitary confinement for all prisoners ended around 1913 (due to overcrowding) but continued as a punishment for some.
The exterior of the prison walls appear castle-like to outsiders, however it’s a facade. The castle towers have no windows or entrances on the inside, and the outer prison walls are curved on the inside. There are no 90-degree corners, making it harder for prisoners to escape. Some did try, but most were unsuccessful. The interior of the prison is designed like a wheel. There is a center structure with several cell blocks running from it like “wheel spoke” hallways. In theory, a prison guard could stand in the center of the prison and see down every cell block.
The audio tour tells you the history of the prison. It explains how it was constructed and how the prisoners and prison guards were treated inside. You listen with provided earbuds (new for each visitor) as you walk through the prison cell blocks peeking inside dark, crumbling cells. The lights are on inside even on the nighttime tours (praise be!) but there are definitely places you can walk inside where there is complete darkness. Masks are required the entire time you are inside the prison and timed tickets help with social distancing.
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A recreation of Al Capone’s cell in Eastern State Penitentiary; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
Infamous Prisoners at Eastern State Penitentiary
Al “Scarface” Capone was housed at Eastern State Penitentiary in 1929. He was charged with carrying a concealed, unlicensed gun and sentenced to one year in prison. He served seven months and was said to have been housed in one of the cells dubbed “Park Avenue,” which were a bit more luxurious compared to the lack of amenities other prisoners had going for them. It’s unclear which was Capone’s exact cell but a recreation of it is on the tour and Capone’s cell may have had murals on the wall, much nicer furniture and a radio.
A dog was also imprisoned at Eastern State. His name was Pep and he was charged with murdering the then Pennsylvania Governor’s wife’s cat and sentenced to life in 1924. He had an inmate number and a mugshot. Poor Pep!
An allegedly haunted cellblock in Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia; Courtesy of Courtney Elko
Ghostly Sightings at Eastern State Penitentiary
I personally did not witness any ghostly encounters during my visit to Eastern State Penitentiary. However, I fully believe the place is haunted. Eerie noises, shadowy figures, unexplained footsteps and bone chilling whispers have been documented as paranormal activity in the abandoned cell blocks. I don’t see how it wouldn’t be haunted! Solitary confinement, violence, torture, disease and death don’t just walk away quietly from a place like that.
Witnessing the abandoned nature inside the prison walls was proof enough for me. Crumbling stone, overgrown trees in cell blocks, wooden furniture cracked into pieces, rusty, twisty metal, missing pieces of ceiling and walls, tiny confined spaces, unexplained cold air and just pure darkness (literally and figuratively) tells me that Eastern State Penitentiary is haunted. Haunted by its history and likely haunted by ghosts.
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