Here’s how really bad things eventually go good.

If you had lived in Philadelphia in the 1800’s, this place would have scared you silly. The 30-foot-high field stone walls featured tiny little entrances with iron gates that would clang shut behind you as you entered. Once inside, you’d be led down a hallway with an arched ceiling reminiscent of a church. On either side you would have seen dark rooms barely large enough to hold a human being. When you arrived at your cell, you would duck your head to fit through the doorway. Once inside, you’d notice a skylight above you, exposing you to the judgement of God. And the Almighty would be your only companion for the duration of your sentence.

Welcome to Eastern State Penitentiary, the world’s first modern prison. Built in 1829, “the castle” was one of the largest and most expensive public buildings in the country. It was designed around the revolutionary theory that prisoners were more likely to atone if they were kept in solitary confinement. The prison was laid out like spokes in a wheel, with a central guard-tower looking out over 7 radiating cell blocks. Each prisoner was assigned to a tiny cell, with a small high-walled “back yard” that they could access only infrequently. On the rare occasion a prisoner left his cell – to see the warden, or visit the doctor – he would be hooded the entire time to prevent him from seeing any other humans.

Eastern State was the model for over 300 prisons worldwide. But it never fulfilled its promise of prisoner rehabilitation. Solitary confinement was intended to cause reflection, but in practice it often drove prisoners mad. Hundreds of prisoners perished here, unrepentant. Over the years, things kept getting worse. It became horribly overcrowded. A second story was added to many of the blocks, depriving many prisoners of skylights and yards. Then the prisoners started getting violent. The guards responded by torturing them, strapping them to chairs for days, or throwing them into an unlit cellar known simply as “the Hole.” 

By 1913, much of the prison was repurposed for group housing, and the prisoners started conspiring. There was a mass breakout in 1945; a sweep of the prison found 30 unfinished tunnels. Security was tightened even further, and the inmates became more violent. By 1971, Eastern State – run-down, filthy and dangerous – was finally closed.

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For the next twenty years it stood idle, crumbling to ruin. Its roof caved in, and a forest slowly grew within its walls. The only inhabitants were hundreds of stray cats. It was on the verge of collapse when a group of folks started renovating it, and giving tours of the sections that had been stabilized…

In 1995, a larger part of the building was re-opened as a Halloween attraction, “Terror Behind the Walls.” The event was scary successful; thousands of visitors came out to face the horrors of the haunted castle. So it was repeated the following year…

Since then, the building has become synonymous with Halloween in Philadelphia. It has been featured on “Ghost Hunters,” “Ghost Adventures” and “America’s Scariest Places.” And though it has been cited as one of the most haunted places in America, these days it is better known as Party Central…

For October 2026, in addition to standard historic tours, the place is home to no less than five haunted house experiences, some theme bars, and plenty of live entertainment. And this weekend, kids and caregivers who come dressed in costume get a free run of the place, with plenty of tricking or treating, an explore-and-learn scavenger hunt, story time, art and music, hands-on activities and an activity fair.

All of which means that a former torture chamber is now the number one fun destination in the City of Brotherly Love. Spooky.