Eastern State Penitentiary

10/07/2026

10/06/2026

What does one of Philadelphia’s biggest “firsts” have to teach us about the city today?

This week, 52 Weeks of Firsts Firstival brought visitors and neighbors together at Eastern State Penitentiary to explore the history and legacy of America’s first penitentiary, and reflect on the evolving meaning of justice and freedom.

Eastern State CEO Kerry Sautner, Ed.D., joined Senator Sharif Street for a special check presentation, recognizing the importance of continued investment in Philadelphia’s historic and cultural institutions and their role in connecting the city’s history with its future.

Throughout the day, visitors explored Eastern State through tours, exhibits, and art installations, while Firstival programming featured live music from Orchestra 2001, spoken word performances, community organizations, and opportunities to make art with Eastern State’s ReVision artist-in-residence, Cody Stuhltrager.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special day at Eastern State!

52 Weeks of Firsts is produced by the Philadelphia Historic District 250th Committee, with generous support from the Philadelphia 2026 Neighborhood Celebration Grant Fund, supported by the City of Philadelphia and PECO/Exelon Corporation

09/30/2026

The Phanatic made a stop at Eastern State! 🦅⚾

Yesterday, we welcomed the Phillie Phanatic to the penitentiary as part of the Rally for Red October Bus Tour. Safe to say, things got a little more Philly around here.

09/23/2026

Cody Stuhltrager embraced art while in prison. Now he hopes to share his experiences through a two-part exhibit this fall.

09/20/2026

For over 30 years, artists have shaped how visitors experience Eastern State — through site-specific installations, exhibitions, and residencies that turn this historic prison into space for reflection and imagination.

As we launch ReVision: Art and Justice, a new three-year residency and exhibition series, join us for a panel with three people who've helped build that legacy: co-curator Julie Courtney, ReVision artist-in-residence Cody Stuhltrager, and Kimberly McGlonn, Ph.D., of the ReVision Creative Catalyst Committee. They'll talk about where ESP's art program has been, and where it's headed next.

📍 Past, Present, Possible: Place-Based Art at Eastern State
🗓 Wednesday, September 23, 2026
🕠 5:30–7:30pm EST
Join us in person at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, or online via Zoom and YouTube.
🔗: https://easternstate.org/events/details/past-present-possible-place-based-art-at-eastern-state

1. Jared Scott Owens, “Sepulture” (2017)
2. Benjamin Wills, “Airplane” (2019)
3. Michelle Handelman, “Beware the Lily Law” (2011)
4. E.D. Taylor, “Visiting Uncle Andy at Atascadero State Hospital (a maximum-security forensic facility), 1981” (2023)
5. Andrea Walls, “Memes of Consciousness: Where Beauty Intervenes” (2021)
6. Jesse Krimes, “Apokaluptein 16389067:II” (2015)
7. Rachel Livedalin, “Doris Jean” (2018)
8. Provisional Island, “An Electric Kite” (2018)
9. Alexa Hoyer, “I always wanted to go to Paris, France” (2005)
10. Erik Ruin and Gelsey Bell, “Hakim’s Tale” (2017)

09/17/2026

From above, Eastern State Penitentiary looks like a wagon wheel. That's not an accident.

When it opened in 1829, Eastern State introduced a design the world had never seen. Seven cellblocks extend outward from a central rotunda like spokes on a wheel. Long, isolated corridors kept prisoners separated from one another, a physical structure built to support the Pennsylvania System's philosophy of solitary confinement and penitence.

Architect John Haviland designed the layout to achieve, in his words, "watching, convenience, economy and ventilation." It was a radical departure from anything built before it, and became the structural and ideological model for more than 300 prisons worldwide, making it one of the most influential buildings in the history of architecture.