Really enjoyed visiting here from the UK. The tour was really good as you were given mini electronic device and headphones. You could take as long as you like when exploring. All you had to do is type in the corresponding number on the walls and you then get to hear the information. There was plenty to see and some parts felt really eerie. Once you have finished the tour you could then go and explore other areas (again typing in numbers to hear the different information) I really enjoyed it. The small shop was great for picking up souvenirs.

This was a great stop. Historical, educational, great audio tour, and wonderful for photography! Highly recommend! On the self-guided tour, you can take your time walking all over and there are plenty of audio tour pints to stop and listen.

We'd been looking forward to visiting Eastern State Penitentiary all holiday and it didn't disappoint. We did the Guide Led Tour & Discussion. This was around an hour long. The guide was very insightful and it was a good way to do a quick whistlestop tour of the penitentiary. You're free to have a look around after. So we grabbed some audio headphones and started exploring further. I'd recommend doing this as the tour guide can only cover so much. We spent just over 2 hours here.

Must do when in Philly. We bought tickets online you save a few dollars. Our tickets were general admission that includes an audio tour (they give you the headset and receiver). General admission is self-guided they give you a map and there is no time frame. This prison is not remolded it's a ruin. There are some parts of the prison you are not able to access with general admission and some parts that are off limits due to safety risks. Take water with you, they do have a gift shop and they sell snacks and drinks. There is street parking 2-hour limit or a lot down the block. They are very strict on the 2-hour limit for street parking. Throughout the prison there is staff to answer your questions. There are some cells you can go in and they have displays and several displays throughout the prison halls.

Takes at least 3 hours to see it all. My wife and I had an amazing time and can't stop taking about it 1 week later. Converted her to a haunted house enthusiast. We were surprised by the festival/club atmosphere and impressed at the variety of attractions open at night, including the museum and audio tour, the dance floor, food, story-telling and music. Can skip to those if you have squeemish folks in the group. The various scary attractions take only 5-10 minutes each to walk through and are independently themed and very creatively done. My favorite was Nightmare. The actors are skilled and conscientious (and scary!). Can opt in for interactivity (we didn't because we wanted a milder experience). Criminal justice reform is a present theme in the rest of the penitentiary. The facts (80,000+ Americans are living in solitary confinement) are the scariest part. Could have spent more time! I could see it taking 4+ hours to experience everything.

Visited Eastern State with my parents back in September and loved it, the main audio tour itself isn’t very long but there are lots of additional sections you can listen to. I’d recommend listening to the ones about notorious prisoners such as Al Capone, there’s some great stories there. There are lots of parts of the prison you can explore, which was great, a lot of original features remain and the cells they have reconstructed are beautifully done. Overall a great place to spend a couple of hours.

After seeing the prison on TV so many times I have been wanting to visit for years. It didn't disappoint. We spent ages looking around and found the audio guide very informative. The prison is much bigger than I thought so make sure to allow plenty of time to see everything.

What a fascinating peek into the past! I was able to find free parking on the street really easy on a Sunday. The massive structure gives medieval vibes from the outside and a clash of upgrades over the decades. The audio tour is very easy to follow and the narrator is very engaging! The spoke like layout makes it easy to navigate. I appreciated the people stationed at the hub areas to answer questions if needed. The facts from The Big Graph were staggering and really an eye opener! Don't miss the exhibit on the tunnel escape and the specimens that were collected at the prison. Of course, Al Capones mack cell is intriguing. Overall, I went with three generations and we all really enjoyed it!

Enjoyed seeing the jail cells and learning about the history of solitary vs rehabilitation. We chose the guide led tour and I would not recommend that. While you gets some interesting facts not on the audio tour, overall you see and learn less than the audio tour. You can walk the entire jail after the guide led portion end but you miss out on the narration the audio tour gets. Add this to your list but choose audio tour vs guide led.

Sunday Aug 19th Eastern State Penn The oldest penitentiary in the US and considered the oldest in the world. This historic building is located in a very populated area of Philadelphia and stands out as a giant castle. The historic building has long been defunct as a prison, and after many years was allowed to fall into decay. IT has been turned into a museum with a self guided (audio) tour where you can learn the history of the building, some of her stories, learn about her famous residents, and the escapes that were attempted and successful. Visiting the penn will take you quite a bit of time, we were there over 2 hours – and we kind of rushed. This also served as the filming location of many movies, television, and music videos (Tina Turner). You will love exploring this old building with a rich history. Parking is a challenge as there is only street parking available. The cost to enter is not prohibitive at all. Bring a bottle of water – especially when you visit in summer – it is hot and dry as it is kid of outdoors. Wear comfortable shoes – avoid sandals – because the ground is rough and gravelly – and can be rough on the feet.