Night Tours include everything we offer by day, plus more!

Night Tours: Summer Twilight offers the unique opportunity to visit Eastern State in the evening. Enjoy the golden hour glow outside on the historic baseball field with incredible views of the city skyline. Explore the penitentiary's picturesque cellblocks as the sun sets. Look up at the dark sky as the searchlight shines out from the central guard tower.

All programs available during the day are also offered at night, including "The Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour, award-winning exhibits, and site-specific artist installations.

Additionally, other activities are available exclusively during Night Tours. Explore Eastern State's historic cellblocks as the sun goes down. Grab a Triple Bottom Brewing Company beer or a soft drink and relax outdoors in The Fair Chance Beer Garden. Take part in a rotating selection of interactive programming like guide-led tours, pop-up talks, and maker space activities.

The Fair Chance Beer Garden is located outside on what was once Eastern State Penitentiary’s baseball field. At the beer garden, you can enjoy Triple Bottom Brewing Company beer and soft drinks as you relax and connect with friends. You can also take part in a rotating selection of interactive programming like guide-led tours, pop-up talks, and maker space activities.

Established in 2021 by Eastern State Penitentiary and Triple Bottom Brewing Company, both The Fair Chance Beer Garden and its name were born out of a shared commitment to fair chance hiring practices. As fair chance employers, Eastern State and Triple Bottom actively seek to hire people who may otherwise be excluded from the mainstream economy — including people who have experienced homelessness or incarceration — and strive to assess all qualified job candidates fairly, regardless of their background.

Some activities are available all summer long like the opportunity to write a Purpose Postcard to someone currently incarcerated in Pennsylvania and the chance to browse our Liberation Library. In the Fair Chance Beer Garden, you’ll also hear the sounds of Inside Wire: Colorado Prison Radio, a radio station created by incarcerated media producers to amplify the diverse voices, stories, and creations of those living and working inside the walls.

In addition, we pair up with community partners to bring you a rotating selection of interactive programming like guide-led tours, pop-up talks, and maker space activities every month around a new theme. Learn more about our current programming by visiting the activities page.

For the latest updates, be sure to sign up for our Night Tours eNewsletter below and follow Eastern State on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

No. Night Tours are unique and engaging, but educational. They are not startling, and they do not include any haunted houses or theatrical effects.

Night Tours offer the chance to tour the prison during the evening and learn about its history and relevance today. It's a self-guided experience featuring an audio tour, exhibits, and other exclusive offerings throughout the penitentiary complex.

If you’re interested in a more immersive, theatrical experience, you'll enjoy our fall fundraiser Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary, which features five haunted houses plus historic tours, themed lounges, live performances, and more.

The 2023 season of Night Tours: Summer Twilight ended on September 4. Want to be the first to learn about our plans for 2024? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and sign up to receive Night Tours updates by email using the form below.

Night Tours: Summer Twilight takes place Thursday through Sunday evenings from May 25 through September 3, 2023 plus Memorial Day (Monday, May 29, 2023) and Labor Day (Monday, September 4, 2023).

Timed entry windows begin at 6:00 pm every evening and end at 9:00 pm. Please plan to arrive during the 30-minute window listed on your ticket. Once you enter, you are welcome to explore as long as you'd like. The bar in The Fair Chance Beer Garden typically closes at 9:30 pm. The penitentiary closes at 10:00 pm.

Ticket prices vary by evening, but it is always cheaper to purchase your tickets online in advance. 

Discounted rates are available for groups of 15+.

Tickets are available online and at the door. Ticket prices vary by evening, but it's always cheaper to purchase your tickets online in advance:

• Thursdays, Sundays & Mondays - $21 online, $23 at the door
• Fridays - $23 online, $25 at the door
• Saturdays - $28 online, $30 at the door
   

Discounted rates are available for groups of 15+.

Tickets are available online and at the door. Ticket prices vary by evening, but it's always cheaper to purchase your tickets online in advance:

• Thursdays, Sundays & Mondays - $21 online, $23 at the door
• Fridays - $23 online, $25 at the door
• Saturdays - $28 online, $30 at the door
   

Discounted rates are available for groups of 15+.

Night Tours is a special event, available only for a limited time and limited capacity. As such, we cannot offer ticket refunds or exchanges.

This is a special event, available only for a limited time and limited capacity. Discounts, coupons, and complimentary or BOGO passes for daytime prison tours are not valid for Night Tours. 

We do, however, offer discounted rates for groups of 15 or more.

In addition, discounted admission is available by request for Museums for All, ACCESS Card, and SEPTA Key REDUCED FARE card holders. These card holders will be granted $2 admission for up to four guests. Visiting guests must present their valid ID upon arrival. Visitors with a disability may also request $2 admission. Paid Personal Care Assistants are always provided complimentary admission when accompanying a visitor with a disability.

Discounted rates are available for groups of 15 or more.

Eastern State Penitentiary is a wonderful place to bring kids ages seven and up. Our Eastern State Challenge booklet, free with admission for kids, provides an engaging scavenger hunt throughout the prison complex. In addition, while valid photo ID is required to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages (ages 21+), everyone is welcome to enter and enjoy the exclusive programming we offer in The Fair Chance Beer Garden.

Eastern State is not recommended for children under the age of seven. The building is in a state of semi-ruin and can pose safety hazards to unattended children. There are also some audio tour stops that contain adult content. (These stops are appropriately marked.) That said, although we do not offer programming for children under the age of seven, they are still welcome at Eastern State during both daytime hours and Night Tours.

Eastern State Penitentiary offers a wide range of services for our patrons. For information on ADA accessibility, service animals, captioning, ASL interpretation, and other accommodations, please visit our Accessibility page.

Our staff is available to assist all guests to the best of their ability.

If you have additional concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact our administrative offices at [email protected] or (215) 236-3300.

While we do not have our own parking lot, there is a parking lot neighboring us at 22nd St & Fairmount Ave. Parking costs vary. For exact pricing, please call Parkway Corporation at (267) 765-3665.

Additionally, you can find parallel parking bordering the penitentiary. Eastern State is so large that it occupies one full city block. Bordering Eastern State on the west (to the left if you are facing the entrance) is 22nd Street. On the Eastern State side of 22nd Street, parallel parking is free and unlimited. The same is true of Brown Street, which borders our back wall. Again, parking is free and unlimited only on the Eastern State side of the street. If you choose to park anywhere else in the neighborhood, just exercise caution and read all signs.

Eastern State Penitentiary is also accessible by public transit.

For more information, visit our Directions & Parking page.

During Night Tours, all tours are self-guided. You'll pick up an audio guide and headphones on your way into the penitentiary.

First, you’ll learn about the penitentiary’s history with “The Voices of Eastern State" Audio Tour, narrated by actor Steve Buscemi. Our main audio tour ends at The Big Graph and its climate-controlled companion exhibit Prisons Today where you’ll learn more about the impact of modern-day mass incarceration. From there, you can end your tour or continue to explore additional audio stops, artist installations, exhibits, and Night Tours exclusive offerings.

When you arrive, you’ll follow a one-way route through the site, which begins with our main audio tour. The main audio tour, which provides a general overview of the penitentiary’s history, includes ten audio stops and lasts about 40 minutes total.

From there, you can end your tour or continue to explore additional audio stops, artist installations, exhibits, and special Night Tours offerings. Depending on your interest in doing this and the time you have, this could take several hours. Most visitors spend about 1.5 to 2 hours. The bar in The Fair Chance Beer Garden typically closes at 9:30 pm. The penitentiary closes at 10:00 pm every evening.

Yes! 

Select locations inside the 10-acre penitentiary complex are available for private rentals during Night Tours: Summer Twilight. Enjoy a happy hour, complete with drinks and snacks, before your Night Tour for up to 200 people. Rentals include a set portion of self-serve beverages and “Philadelphia Favorites” treats. 

Learn more and request an event rental here.

No. The Fair Chance Beer Garden is part of the overall Night Tours experience, so tickets are required.

Outside food or drinks of any kind, including alcoholic beverages, are not permitted. Soft drinks, water, and Triple Bottom beer are sold at The Fair Chance Beer Garden. In addition, soft drinks, water, and bagged snacks can be purchased in admissions and at our museum store.

For a more substantial meal, we encourage you to check out one of the many wonderful restaurants in the surrounding neighborhood. We've compiled a list of spots within walking distance of the penitentiary to help you explore what's available. No matter what type of experience or cuisine you like, there's something for everyone in Fairmount! We strongly recommend calling ahead to make reservations for large groups.

Night Tours: Summer Twilight is a family-friendly event with a relaxed, but educational atmosphere. We reserve the right to refuse entry or service to anyone who is visibly intoxicated.

Soft drinks, water, and Triple Bottom beer are sold at The Fair Chance Beer Garden. In addition, soft drinks, water, and bagged snacks can be purchased in admissions and at our museum store.

For a more substantial meal, we encourage you to check out one of the many wonderful restaurants in the surrounding neighborhood. We've compiled a list of spots within walking distance of the penitentiary to help you explore what's available. No matter what type of experience or cuisine you like, there's something for everyone in Fairmount! We strongly recommend calling ahead to make reservations for large groups.

Night Tours run rain or shine. Please dress for the weather, and be sure to wear appropriate footwear. Sandals, flip-flops, open-toed shoes, and high heels are not recommended. Some portions of the tour route are inside; however, other sections of the tour are outdoors, and most of the penitentiary is not climate-controlled.

This is a special event, available only for a limited time and limited capacity. As such, we cannot offer ticket refunds or exchanges for any reason including weather.

Yes! Eastern State Penitentiary may be the most picturesque place you’ve seen in years. We encourage you to take photos when visiting Night Tours, but we ask that you honor our Non-Commercial / Personal Photography policies when photographing during your visit.

In addition to the general admission fee, non-members must purchase a daily "photography equipment pass” if they wish to use a tripod, monopod, or easel while on site. Equipment passes are $10 per person and are valid only on the day they are purchased. While we recommend you purchase your tickets online in advance, photography equipment passes can only be purchased at the admissions window on site. Want free daytime admission and free photography equipment passes all year long? Become a Member today!

Any photographer (professional, amateur, or student), ad agency, or other commercial entity wishing to photograph models (professional or amateur); wear costumes or use props; photograph the building without visitors; photograph in non-public spaces; or conduct shoots that require equipment (other than a tripod, monopod, or easel) must make reservations in advance. Visit our Photography and Filmmaking page for more information about setting up a private photo shoot.

Paranormal investigations (including the use of EVP recorders or other pieces of paranormal investigation equipment) are not permitted at Eastern State Penitentiary.

Eastern State does not allow third parties to conduct unauthorized events or sell tickets to the general public. Any persons conducting unauthorized events will be asked to leave the site without a refund. 

Thank you for your understanding!

For questions related to tickets, please email [email protected]. For all other questions, email [email protected] or call 215-236-3300.