Field file 47 · Museum · Pennsylvania
Eastern State Penitentiary
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Philadelphia · Radial prison
Record
Why it matters
A radial prison ruin whose cell blocks now support interpretation of incarceration, architecture, and criminal justice.
Field note
The stabilized decay is powerful, but the modern incarceration exhibits keep the place from becoming empty gothic theater.
Evidence line
This file is marked Documented because the place and its history are supported by the linked authoritative source. Practical details were last checked in July 2026. Conditions change. Check the primary source before leaving home.
Access
How to approach it lawfully
Ruined surfaces, stairs, and seasonal crowds. Follow the marked route.
- Access status
- Ticketed. Public access with paid admission or a required ticket. Recorded as: Historic site admission.
- Reservation
- No reservation requirement recorded. Confirm with the official source.
- Seasonality
- No seasonal limit recorded. Hours still change; check before traveling.
Practical details last checked July 2026. Conditions change. Check the primary source before leaving home.
Plan the stop
What to plan for
- Time
- 2 to 4 hours
- Cost
- Ticketed (Ticketed)
- Terrain
- Not recorded in this file. Check the official source.
- Mobility
- Ruined surfaces and stairs.
- Parking
- Not recorded in this file. Check the official source.
- Weather
- Not recorded in this file. Check the official source.
Directions to the public entrance Opens Google Maps with these coordinates. The provider sees them under its own privacy policy. Confirm the entrance against the official source first.
Record
Sources
Sources are summarized in the Atlas's own words and checked on the dates shown. See the methodology, or send a correction.
Road file
Carry it forward
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On the curated route Pine Barrens Line.
Book the tour, not the trouble.
No partner link on this file. Use the official source for tickets and tours. How partner links work.