In October of 2016, my employer sent me to Philadelphia for three weeks on a task force mission for one of our properties. I spend the majority of my time on the road for work at work, but occasionally I’ll get a rare day off. While in Philly, I spent one of those days visiting Eastern State Penitentiary. This prison-turned-museum is perfect for urban explorers – especially this close to Halloween!
Eastern State is quite notorious – both for its history and for its haunted reputation. Several high-profile inmates spent time here, and the location is featured on many ghost hunting TV series. The museum even offers night-time tours at various times throughout the year.
One of Eastern State’s most infamous residents was none other than Al Capone. While Eastern State was known for its small cells and limited amenities for prisoners, you can see here that Capone received preferential treatment.
Eastern State Penitentiary was closed in 1969 and fell into disrepair. Many years later it opened as a museum, but was left mostly in a state of preserved ruin. Over recent years, there has been some effort to stabilize other parts of the building that are currently inaccessible to visitors.
Cell in Eastern State Penitentiary. 
Cellblock in Eastern State Penitentiary. 
Cell in Eastern State Penitentiary.
Enjoying my “Looking Back” series? Over the past few years, my love for both hiking and traveling has increased almost exponentially, and I’ve been fortunate to have had so many opportunities to travel recently. With the current health crisis, our travel plans for 2020 were scuttled; so I decided I’d take some time over the next few months to write this “Looking Back” series, where I dive into a recap of some of my favorite trips over the last few years. Click the navigation below to read more.