If you love scary stuff, you’ll love visiting Halloween and spooky places in Philadelphia. Eastern State Penitentiary.
Halloween Nights runs from September 20th to November 9th this year and is designed to scare you while raising money for charity.
Here’s what it was like when I visited a few years ago (I’m the kind of girl who wants to jump out of her seat and sit on the floor of the cinema just to watch the first Jurassic Park movie…)
But since this is the largest annual fundraiser hosted by the former prison and I’m always on the lookout for a good story, I had to go.
Our taxi dropped us off in front of the 30-foot-high walls of this former prison, built in 1829 and which held prisoners until 1971. It’s so spooky you don’t have to be Halloween to feel spooky, but tonight’s floodlights and the terrifying sounds emanating from behind the walls had me laughing nervously.
It was built as a “prison” and prisoners were to be kept in solitary confinement for the duration of their detention. Interestingly, the prison had indoor toilets before the White House.
The prisoners were taken outside for training, their heads covered and they were not allowed to see other people. It is not known whether they ever repented, but the prison remained fully operational until it was abandoned and fell into disrepair in the 1970s.
It was All Saints’ Eve, the sun was setting, and we were walking to the ticket booth, in front of an ominous stone wall with a demon glaring out from a two-story-high gate.
We were a little early, so we followed the advice of the overweight security guard who was fending off wannabe ghosts while the ghosts inside were dressing up, and went across the road to have a beer (to calm our nerves) and a bite to eat at Jack’s in the old fire station (I highly recommend dinner at the bar!).
Now it’s time.
The first thing we did was have our bags inspected and sign a waiver stating that we would not sue the organizers if we were literally frightened to death.
I heard that five people left in ambulances within a month of this event being held. I forced another laugh, grabbed another copy of the liability waiver, and told everyone what I had just signed.
Then we had the choice of whether to take a glow stick neckband, and my husband encouraged me to take it, because if we lit it up and put it around our necks, we could be groped, pulled away from each other, pushed out of random doors, or dragged to an operating table with sound effects of chainsaws and dental drills and other props hidden in dark corners, all throughout a maze of horrors set in this dark prison labyrinth.
I thought it would be okay to take it off if I thought I might die.
There is also a tap-out phrase: “Monsters are good kids” You can use it any time. The two girls in front of us were holding hands without the glowing neckbands and kept yelling at the monster to be good.
Without a word, the zombie cops ushered us into the first room, which had five separate zones, each with its own story that we would unravel as we walked.
It was dark, strobe lights flashed, pistons hissed, a metal door clanged in the distance, and as my eyes adjusted, dry ice drifted past me. Over 120 actors, all of whom had auditioned for roles and probably knew CPR, popped out from around corners and darted past me with wild eyes.
As we stumbled past, they reached down and touched our heads or grabbed our ankles. Some made noises, others just stared. With those glowing neckbands, you could be kidnapped at any moment.
I shrugged, grabbed his arm with one hand, tight enough to feel his pulse, grabbed the back of his jacket with the other, and ducked down to walk through the darkness of the hallway.
There was screaming in the distance and the paying customers walking up behind us screamed in fear.
I could handle silent demons. I was impressed with their makeup, but the moment I turned my head, BOOM! A blood-curdling scream leapt from the shadows, a sound I’d never heard before ripped from my throat.
We finished the first of five buildings, stepped outside, took a deep breath, and shared a wry smile with the rest of our group.
For some reason, my husband and I were at the front and got startled by the monster. I realize now that it was because we were running too slowly and couldn’t keep up with the group.
For the nervous type, it’s best to be in second or third place so the people ahead of you are already making the scary move, but to do that you have to keep up, and we kept falling behind so we were at the front of the next wave.
We caught up with the group. The girl in front of me was pulled from her partner’s grasp and shoved into the trap door. She screamed and I cowered even further. We didn’t see her for a while.
Another man was dragged into a dentist’s chair and tools were removed as he struggled to free himself.
In the darkness, air rushed into my head. A hand reached for my ankle. A scream echoed down the hallway.
We slipped between two long inflatable tubes in near darkness, not knowing what lay ahead. My hands were soaked with sweat and I could barely keep them on his down jacket.
Finally it was over and we stumbled out into the night, where staff were waiting to sell photos and the ghosts were happy to pose for them.
After compiling ourselves, we walked down the cell corridor to see what the prison museum usually displays and bought cocktails at the bar set up in front of Al Capone’s cell.
The notorious gangster was incarcerated here in 1929 and was allowed to decorate his cell with carpets, a writing desk, lamps and pictures on the walls – today it is reconstructed exactly as it was when he was imprisoned.
As my heart rate returned to normal, I chatted with the bartender and learned that this night of terror has been going on for nearly 30 years and has raised a lot of money so the prison can survive for another year.
Halloween Night Eastern State Penitentiary
Since 2021, Eastern State Penn has been offering an all-new immersive experience that transforms its 10-acre web of winding corridors and courtyards into a sprawling festival with five horror-themed sections that range from downright terrifying and spooky to playful and educational.
But the good news is that you can come in groups and those who are easily scared can avoid the scary attractions marked with a red X and enjoy the bar instead.
This remains one of the major fundraisers of the year, with all proceeds benefiting the preservation and operation of the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site.
Afterwards, chat to interesting characters over a cocktail. Immerse yourself in the spooky atmosphere. Let yourself be carried away by the spirit and choose your own adventure. Read more Halloween Night.
This year it will be held from September 20th to November 9th, 2024.
Because one post just isn’t enough
Another weird and unusual thing to do in Philadelphia Visit the Mutter Museum. Read our post about our visit to the museum. Mutter Museum It’s full of information about medicine and the dead!
If you A day in PhiladelphiaI think this is how you should spend your time. Tip: It includes a deep dive into history with a European twist, great food, and something for culture lovers.
In this post, I have chosen 6 things to do in Philadelphiaincluding where to get it Best Philadelphia Cheesesteak And it’s really cool Mural Art Tour.
If you’re in LA Watch a Movie at Hollywood Forever CemeteryWe went to see “Grease” (with a picnic amongst the gravestones) but they also show horror movies!
If you want to be really scared, Visit the Los Angeles Museum of DeathThe moment I walked in I knew I shouldn’t have gone.
But I love wandering through cemeteries. Read my post Wandering the above-ground cemeteries of New Orleans…
If your next destination is New YorkIt’s packed with great content, including the best rooftop restaurants, amazing flea markets, great ways to spend Christmas, where to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks, where to shop in New York, and much more. Check out all my New York posts here!
