Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
Philadelphia, PA · 1 hour 18 minutes from Reading · $20 to $50 a person
Plan the day
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is America's first penitentiary, now a museum on Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, PA. One admission covers the tours, exhibits and art installations.
One ticket covers the self-guided audio tour (about 40 minutes for the main stops) or a 45-minute guide-led tour and discussion, plus Al Capone's cell, the synagogue and 14 art installations. Most visitors spend about two hours. In fall the same walls host Halloween Nights, a separately ticketed event the site bills as five haunted houses and hundreds of performers, on select evenings October 2 to November 7.
Before you go
Buy online to save $2 a ticket. Parallel parking is free on the Eastern State side of 22nd Street and on Brown Street; a paid lot sits at 22nd and Fairmount. Wear closed, flat shoes and dress for the weather. There is no food inside. Halloween Nights is ticketed separately by night.
Coming up
Halloween Nights, which the site bills as five haunted houses and hundreds of performers, runs select evenings from October 2 to November 7, 2026; tickets are $39 to $59 depending on the night.
Checked October 8, 2026 on the official site. Hours, prices and seasons change, so confirm there before a long drive.
