Terror Behind The Walls In Eastern State Opens Sept 21

PHILADELPHIA – The infamous horror attraction that calls a defunct prison its home is set to open its doors this week for another season of fright, as Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary opens Friday, Sept. 21.

You have from Friday through Saturday, Nov. 10 to visit the six attractions, including one new attraction, in America's first penitentiary.

Fans will see the return of the Lockdown, Breakout, Quarantine 4D, Machine Shop, and the Blood Yard attractions. The Infirmary attraction is returning, too, but it's been revamped to make you scream even more.

The new Infirmary is "highly interactive" and will feature maniacal surgeons, orderlies, dentists, and nurses who are sharpening their scalpels for some unusual, unnatural operations.

All six attractions are included with admission. Tickets are available online or at the door, subject to availability and prices start at $19 with nightly variations in cost.

Since 1995, the Eastern State Penitentiary on Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia has transformed from eerie to absolutely terrifying with the Terror Behind The Walls haunted house.

While the scares at Terror Behind the Walls are for fun, Eastern State has a history of alleged hauntings.

"As early as the 1940s, officers and inmates reported mysterious visions and eerie experiences in the ancient prison," the penitentiary's website says. "And the ghost sightings have only increased since Eastern State was abandoned in 1971." Due to its paranormal history, the prison has been featured on several paranormal-focused TV shows such as Ghost Hunters and MTV's Fear.

With a history of ghastly activity, you might not know if you're being scared by a masked person or a specter.

Terror Behind The Walls has been named one of the top haunted house and Halloween attractions by the Travel Channel, the New York Times, and Forbes, according to its website.

Visit the Terror Behind The Walls website for attraction previews (which are scary themselves), VIP package information, dates and times, frequently asked questions, and ticket purchases.

Photo by Darryl Moran, via Eastern State Penitentiary