Halloween in Philadelphia is best experienced at Eastern State Penitentiary, the 19th-century prison once home to Willie Sutton and Al Capone. It was the largest and most expensive structure ever built in 1829, and went on to inspire prison designs all over the world.
In modern times, Eastern State takes on a more supernatural appeal with Terror Behind the Walls, the prison’s annual haunted house attraction. It is regularly featured as the best Halloween haunt in America, though there is no need to get anxious as the six attractions are not too gory. Marking yourself lets performers know if you’re all right with being grabbed and startled, ensuring visitors don’t get too scared.
The 11-acre grounds are split into six sections:
- Lock Down – Experience a riot in Cellblock 12, the most haunted portion of the penitentiary.
- Detrius – A walk through an original cellblock from the 1800s, as well as an overgrown prison greenhouse.
- Infirmary – Not for the faint of heart, this attraction offers visitors a glimpse of prison medicine.
- Machine Shop – An interactive tour through what resembles the set of Saw.
- Quarantine – This new 4D attraction releases an infectious disease on the people inside, disorienting visitors with a blur of effects.
- Breakout – The latest addition to Eastern State places visitors in the middle of a jailbreak.
Terror Behind the Walls will take place Oct. 2 to Nov. 1, with an additional two Remix nights taking place Nov. 6 and 7. Remix nights are the same as regular nights, except visitors are only guided by a glowstick light.
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