Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Eastern State Penitentiary stands at 2027 Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, a fortress-like prison operational from 1829 to 1970. Designed by John Haviland in a radial floor plan with seven cellblock corridors extending from a central rotunda, the prison pioneered the "Pennsylvania System" of solitary confinement, in which each inmate occupied a private cell with a small exercise yard and a skylight—called the "Eye of God." Over 300 prisons worldwide were modeled on the design. Notable inmates included Al Capone, whose furnished cell has been reconstructed, and bank robber Willie Sutton. is just one of many options in Philadelphia. Major attractions worth considering include Elfreth's Alley, Independence National Historical Park, and Philadelphia City Hall.