Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary

Updated: Oct 22

Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary

My colleague Zach and I took a trip through the veil, into a world of monsters and mysteries, and loved every second of it. Starting in 1991, Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary (formerly known as Terror Behind the Walls) has frightened and thrilled visitors and created adoring fans for decades. Rightfully called “A Halloween Festival of Epic Proportions,” the event is housed in Philadelphia’s own Eastern State Penitentiary, an abandoned prison rich with lore and history. Originally opened in 1829, the penitentiary holds nearly 200 years of stories and mysteries, and remains in admirable condition, thanks to its excellent care by the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc., a charitable nonprofit organization responsible for its upkeep.

It was evident throughout our night how much people adore this event and its ideal location. As we journeyed through the corridors, there was always a buzz of fear and excitement around us. We were told that longtime fans return to see their favorite attractions and characters every year.

The main attractions mostly take place within the penitentiary’s creepy cell block halls. There are five haunted houses throughout these halls including The Machine, Big Top Terror, Delirium, The Crypt, and Nightmares. The fear you experience in each is magnified by the lighting, the frightening décor, noises, music, and importantly the actors, as you walk down the stone pathways of the nearly 200-year-old prison. This setting for a haunted adventure is nothing short of fascinating for me. Of course, I would be fascinated until a monster startled me, but even then, my excitement remained.

The actors are the soul of the experience. Each one played their role perfectly and made our experience unforgettable. From the moment we stepped through the gates, we were “shiny targets” that were very enticing to the residents of the veil. Our adventure was always accompanied by monsters and caused me to have to resist looking over my shoulder every five minutes.

After going through all the five haunted attractions, we had loosened up and felt quite at home at Halloween Nights and decided to check out the other fun and creepy happenings around the grounds. There is a Bizarre Bar, a Pumpkin Plaza, Smores and Lore firepits, a beer garden, a Hospital Flashlight Tour, The Speakeasy at Al Capones Cell, live music & entertainment, dance battles, acrobats and so much more.

The unpredictable nature of the actors walking the grounds, and the mysteries we were sent to solve throughout the grounds always gave us something new to run to (or from.) Even after four hours had amazingly slipped by, we were reluctant to leave the penitentiary. The interactive experience, paired with the laid-back areas of the event, made for a well-balanced night.

Throughout the event, we loved the appreciation shown to the city of Philadelphia. Local ghost stories and food vendors were just a few of the ways that Halloween Nights showed pride for their city. And mentioning food, I feel that we should personally recommend the Big Top Treats booth at the Bizarre Bar. This stall is a fantastic spin on Philly’s iconic food. Described to us as a mix of Asian street food and Philadelphia cuisine, we knew that we had to try it. Our photographer, Zach personally enjoyed the cheesesteak bao buns.

Keep in mind, you can tailor your experience to your comfort level and opt in or out of being touched by actors. Displaying a glow necklace provides acknowledgement to the actors that you are comfortable with the extra fright, however opting to not wear one means you would prefer not to be touched. In addition, participants who are fearful of haunted houses can still experience hours of fun at Halloween Nights with the extra activities throughout the grounds. There is truly something for everyone.

Halloween Nights runs through November 9th. The address is 2027 Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, PA. For more information or to purchase discounted tickets, please visit https://www.easternstate.org/halloween/. Tickets are also available at the venue.

Jordan Wagner