Halloween Nights Now Open At Eastern State Penitentiary In Philly

PHILADELPHIA — It's that time of year when the first penitentiary in the nation taps into its eerie history to offer thrills.

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia is now offering tickets to its Halloween Nights event.

Now through Nov. 11, the historic penitentiary is serving up scares, music, dancing, food, drink and more.

This year, Halloween Nights has three reimagined experiences along with many returning visitor favorites.

The outdoor courtyard formerly known as Gargoyle Gardens has been imagines as Pumpkin Plaza, which will feature new props and photo opportunities inspired by traditional Halloween imagery like pumpkins, hay bales, and skeletons.

Pumpkin Plaza will also feature food from French Toast Bites and Halloween Nights’ own Tricks & Treats.

In Pumpkin Plaza, visitors also encounter The Boogie Monsters, Halloween Nights’ hip-hop dance team (formerly The Skeleton Crew), featuring new characters inspired by classic horror tropes like mummies, jack-o-lanterns, and Frankenstein.

The Boogie Monsters’ custom, UV-activated costumes and makeup were conceptualized and created by Halloween Nights’ in-house team and offer a modern take on the monsters we all know and love to fear.

For 2023, S’mores and Lore, reimagined live storytellers will share a new slate of traditional ghost stories as visitors roast s’mores around the fire.

And of course, the haunted attractions are back.

Brave guests can also opt in to have an event scarier experience by choosing to wear a glow stick, indicating to performers that they're willing to be stolen away from groups for an extra spook.

"We’re thrilled to bring visitors another year of festive fun," Erin Davis, Director of Halloween Nights, said. "It takes months of thoughtful planning to ensure that every season of Halloween Nights is bigger and better than the last. In addition to revamping attractions, we are always making small improvements that have a big impact on the visitor experience. This year, we’re adding more scare zones and photo opportunities, enhancing our characters and sets, and increasing the number of performers throughout the festival. From the moment visitors step through Eastern State’s imposing front gate, they will feel truly immersed in the completely unique world of Halloween Nights."

Ticket prices start at $39 and vary by night.

Get tickets online here.

Below are details on all of this year's attractions:

Check out a map of all the attractions online here.

Delirium (3D fun house, disorienting, not scary)
Take a mind-altering trip into another dimension. A parallel, neon universe where nothing is quite as it seems. Fascinating creatures emerge from seemingly nowhere as the world you thought you knew shrinks away.

Machine Shop (haunted house, scary)
Hidden away from the world is a long-forgotten machine shop. Evil pervades this space – an evil with one mind but with many bodies. Will you survive or will you become just another cog in the machine?

The Speakeasy at Al Capone's Cell (Prohibition-themed cocktail lounge, entertaining, not scary)
$13 online, $15 at the door. Included with VIP Admission. Unbundle your nerves at this cozy hideaway. Grab a drink and get serenaded by undead lounge singers. One complimentary drink included.

The Bloodline Lounge (Vampire-themed cocktail lounge, scary)
$15 at the door. Included with VIP Admission. Unlike the vampiric friends you'll meet inside, you don't need an invitation to enter. Come on in... we won't bite... One complimentary drink or treat included.

Tricks and Treats (Halloween candy-themed cocktail lounge, entertaining, not scary)
Enter a fantastical world of sugar-coated trickery. Sip on a candy-themed cocktail and mingle with the jesters and clowns of this twisted carnival for the senses.

The Crypt (Haunted house, scary)
The creatures of The Crypt request your presence. Wade through the mist and into the lair of an ancient clan of vampires. They've set the table, but watch your step. If you're not careful, you might end up on their next menu.

Pumpkin Plaza, featuring The Boogie Monsters (Live dance performance, entertaining, not scary)
Say hello to our gargoyle friends Frank and Carson and enjoy a performance by The Boogie Monsters. They light up the night with dancing sure to move you from your feet up to your skull.

Hospital Flashlight Tour (Guide-led walking tour, educational, not scary)
$10. At the door only. A 20-minute, guide-led, flashlight tour of Cellblock 3, the Hospital Block. Learn more about Eastern State's medical history. Visit the Operating Room & other fascinating spaces.

The Fair Chance Beer Garden, featuring Triple Bottom Brewing Co. (Beer garden, interactive, not scary)
Soak in the crisp night air on Eastern State's historic baseball field. Enjoy a Triple Bottom Brewing Co. beer and some food or seasonal treats while you participate in hands-on activities.

The Big Graph & Prisons Today (Museum exhibits, educational, not scary)
Learn about criminal justice today with award-winning exhibits on mass incarceration, The Big Graph and Prisons Today.

"The Voices of Eastern State" Highlights Audio Tour (Self-guided audio tour, educational, not scary)
A 20-minute version of our audio tour recorded especially for Halloween Nights with new narration from actor Steve Buscemi, featuring the voices of people who were incarcerated or worked at Eastern State.

Kaleidoscope Hall (Immersive walkthrough, psychedelic, not scary)
Journey into a realm of shifting shapes and dazzling light. Watch this rainbow world unfold before your eyes as vivid hues illuminate picturesque crumbling walls and vaulted ceilings.

S'mores and Lore (Storytelling projection show, suspenseful, not scary)
Gather around, roast some s'mores, and listen close. Flickering projections and apparitions share ghost stories that send shivers down your spine. And don’t worry, they’re only stories after all…

Bizarre Bar
Carnival-Themed Bar. Fresh off their final performance, join the carnival crew for a round of drinks and some lively merriment. Acrobats, magicians, and balloon artists… you never know what you’ll find in the shadow of the carnival tent.

Big Top Terror (haunted house, scary)
Step out of the center ring and head backstage through the carnival grounds where menacing performers will do anything it takes to carve out their moment in the spotlight. You’d better hope fortune is on your side tonight…

Nightmares (haunted house, scary)
As sleep paralysis sets in, there’s no escaping the terrors that lurk in the shadows. Mr. Sandman conjures up a menagerie of frightening personalities all dead set on trapping you in your worst nightmares… forever.