After driving through Philly on my way home from the airport, I decided that my next day off would be a wonderful day to actually explore the city on foot. This was my first time actually being able to walk around the city and take in the sights, and it was such a good decision to do so. My travel partner and I decided to start the day off with a tour of Eastern State Penitentiary. Eastern State Penitentiary was a prison that housed some notorious criminals, including Al Capone. While in it’s prime the prison housed and employed many, when it was shut down the structure was left as is and quickly began to decay. Eventually the prison became a U.S. National Historic Landmark, and is currently used as a museum and in the fall, a haunted house attraction. Eastern State Penitentiary is also reportedly haunted, and has been featured on every ghost hunting tv show. Whether the building is really haunted or not is up for debate, although after spending time there during the day, there’s no doubt that it would take a lot of persuasion to get me to stay there overnight.
Upon nearing the prison, the first thing that you notice is how large the structure is. The outside walls alone are at least 30 feet tall, with stones that are smooth that it would be virtually impossible to climb. Each corner of the wall is marked with guard towers.
We opted for a tour led by a tour guide because it wasn’t an extra price and seemed like a better option than the audio tour. The first stop was a cell block that was reserved for guided tour groups only. There were a few cells that had been cleared out of most debris and were deemed safe enough to enter, however the majority of the cells and the prison in general were closed off because of the sheer amount of debris everywhere. The prison is currently in a state of stabilized ruin, which actually gives a weird sort of beauty. The ceiling of one of the cells that we walked by had caved in, and nature had entirely taken over.
The below pictures are from cell block 15, where death row was located. Death row does not refer to the place where prisoners were executed, as any prisoners who were sentenced to death were taken to a different location. Instead, death row was the cell block in which prisoners who had life sentences or who had been sentenced to death spent the remainder of their time. The prisoners who were housed in death row were considered to be so dangerous that a wall had to be built to separate them from the guards. If you look at the ceiling of the first photo, you can see where the wall once stood. The guards would stand on the other side of the wall and use an electrical panel to open the doors to cells so that the prisoners could shower.
Cell block 14 was interesting because it was one of the only three story cell blocks. The original cell blocks were one story, and each cell had a small exercise yard for the prisoners. As time went on, the prison began to house more and more prisoners and the prison needed to expand. In an attempt to cram as many prisoners into Eastern State Penitentiary as possible, the cell blocks began to be built as multi story buildings. Cell block 14 was actually designed by a prisoner, and it also had some of the most violent occurrences out of all of the cell blocks. This was partly due to the fact that it was three floors, which opened up the possibility for prisoners to fall (or be thrown) from the upper levels. Because the cell block was designed by a prisoner, there were plenty of little hiding spots for weapons and contraband, which also contributed to the violence.
One of the most interesting and eerie parts of the entire prison was the hospital area. Unfortunately, we were only able to tour the operating room. The entrance to the hospital wing was hard to miss.
The first thing you notice in the operating room is the giant light suspended from the ceiling. This picture honestly does not do it justice – the light is absolutely huge. The light is attached to a tract so that it can be moved around the room, and it swivels all around to provide light anywhere it’s needed. Before this more modern operating light was installed, there was a stationary one that was used. To make up for the lack of illumination, the roof above the operating room was all windows so that it let in as much sunlight as possible. When the modern light was installed, air conditioning units were installed over the windows, and debris eventually filled in the remaining open space, leaving the operating room as dark as the rest of the prison.
Another point of interest in the prison was Al Capone’s cell, where he was reportedly haunted by victims of the Valentine’s Day Massacre. As evidenced by the prison as a whole, solitary confinement really messes people up. I’m not sure if his cell has been left like this since the prison was abandoned or if it had been restored because it is such a popular stop. It seems unlikely that with years of decay and vandalism Al Capone’s cell was simply left as is.
As you can see, it’s rather apparent which cells were left the way they were found.
My favorite part of the prison was easily the greenhouse. I’m not sure why, but it was nice to see such a non-threatening, everyday building among so many run down, out of the ordinary things.
The prison closes to the public at 5, and after exploring we found ourselves starving. To keep up with the theme of the day, we booked a ghost tour of Philly for 7:30, which gave us plenty of time to walk around the city and find something to eat.
It never ceases to amaze me how big everything is in cities.
No trip to Philadelphia is complete without getting a cheesesteak. Many are divided on the Pat’s vs Geno’s debate, but I personally am a Pat’s fan.
The ghost tour of Philly was less of an opportunity to explore different old buildings and more of an opportunity to walk around Old City and hear ghost stories about the various historical buildings, but it was interesting nonetheless. Old City is a really cute part of Philadelphia where the streets and sidewalks are cobblestone and the buildings are from when the city was first built. It’s also where Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and other historical buildings and monuments are located.
My trip to Philly left me utterly exhausted and completely satisfied with how I chose to spend a day off. I absolutely love being able to explore new areas and see new things, and getting to do that close to home is just as good as doing it in a different state/country. While in Jamaica I decided to get a keychain from every country and major city that I visit, and during my trip to Philadelphia I was able to grab a new one for my collection as well.
ineffable wanderlust 