The story
When Eastern State Penitentiary opened in 1829, it pioneered a revolutionary concept: complete solitary confinement. Prisoners lived alone, worked alone, and exercised alone in individual yards. The idea was that silence would lead to penitence - hence "penitentiary."
The reality was madness. Prisoners went insane from isolation. The prison eventually abandoned the system but continued operating until 1971, housing famous inmates including Al Capone, bank robber Willie Sutton, and Leo Callahan, the only successful escapee.
Capone's cell in Cellblock 7 was luxuriously furnished - but he still claimed to be tormented by the ghost of James Clark, a victim of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Guards reported hearing him screaming at night, begging "Jimmy" to leave him alone.
What's There Now
A museum and historic site offering daytime tours and Terror Behind the Walls, one of America's largest haunted attractions, each Halloween. Paranormal investigations available year-round.
Everything that was here
- 1829–1971
Eastern State PenitentiaryHaunted Prison
Al Capone claimed he was haunted by the ghost of a man he'd killed. Paranormal investigators say the whole place is crawling with spirits.
See the map in 1830 →
Nearby history
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