Eastern State Penitentiary Reopening Aug 14

PHILADELPHIA — As more cultural institutions in Philadelphia make plans to open, one of the most popular museums announced its plans to welcome visitors again.

Eastern State Penitentiary said it will reopen to the public on Aug. 14. However, members will be invited to a special preview event on Friday, Aug. 7.

The site, famous for housing Al Capone briefly, will open through phases.

In the first phase, hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Visitors must get their tickets in advance online, as tickets will not be available at the door.

Thirty-minute entry time windows are being instituted to keep the museum at 25 percent capacity. Timed reservations are not required for members, visitors with free ticket vouchers, or visitors who have purchased tickets through a third party such as CityPASS.

Visitors will follow a linear, one-way path through the site. Areas of the penitentiary accessible along this path include our main audio tour route, Cellblocks 1 and 4, central surveillance hub; the baseball field, including The Big Graph; Prisons Today; Cellblock 15 (Death Row); Cellblocks 2, 10, and 9; and Al Capone’s Cell.

All audio guides will be sanitized between uses. Disposable earbuds will be given to visitors. Visitors can also bring their own headphones or earbuds to use with the audio guides.

Group tours, guide-led tours, or Hands-On History tours will not be available at this time. All events, such as The Searchlight Series, will be held virtually unless otherwise stated.

Printed maps will not be available, but visitors can take photos of the map displayed in front of the penitentiary or view a digital map, which will be available on the museum's website.

All visitors must wear masks over their nose and mouth at all times. Children under 2 years old do not need to wear masks. Eastern State Penitentiary is making masks available for purchase when buying tickets online.

Those coming to the museum will be asked to sanitize their hands before going inside. Hand sanitizer will also be available to visitors.

Staff will increase cleaning efforts, particularly of high-touch areas, in the museum. Additionally, restrooms on site are limited to a three-stall restroom trailer with flush toilets and running water. One stall is ADA accessible. Restrooms will be cleaned frequently throughout the day, and physical distancing will be required when queuing here or anywhere on site.

Physical distancing will be required in any lines and throughout the site. Markers will be in place to help ensure that groups stay 6 feet apart at all times.

Plexiglass shields will be installed in admissions and at any other points of contact.

When possible, doors will be propped open to increase ventilation of enclosed areas.

The museum store and bag check will be closed. However, drinks and other convenience items will be available for purchase in admissions using credit/debit cards only. Limited merchandise will be available at a small pop-up store outside on the baseball field.