Step inside, if you dare, and walk through the doors of Philadelphia’s notorious and historic Eastern State Penitentiary with the Wilkes University Student Government.
The event takes place on Nov. 1, and students who sign up will depart from campus at 4 p.m. From here, they will be taken to Philadelphia.
Student Government has promised attendees that the haunted tour will be equally scary and educational.
Halloween Nights, the penitentiary’s annual spooky haunted festival runs through Nov. 8.
During Halloween Nights, the 10-acre Penitentiary transforms into a massive Halloween-themed experience including five haunted houses, one of which is the new haunted fishing village-themed, Dark Tides and an all-new scare zone, Apocalypse Pass.
Food vendors, including Down North Pizza, Bao & Bun Studio and Triple Bottom Brewing, will also be available to guests for a variety of treats.
Two new vendors, Corneey’s Corn on the Cob and Popcorn and Hardy Funnel Cakes, have joined the 2025 lineup.
In a press release by Eastern State, Erin Davis, director of the Halloween Nights promises an unforgettable experience of thrills and chills never seen before.
“We’ve raised the stakes once again with Dark Tides and Apocalypse Pass… From the moment visitors step through
Eastern State’s front gate, they’ll be transported into a world of spectacle and surprise.”
Official Philadelphia travel and tourism website, Visit Philadelphia, placed Eastern State Penitentiary as one of the scariest haunted house attractions in the city. It praises this year’s rendition of Halloween Nights for its variety of entertainment and new exploration design. A result is shorter wait lines.
Students will participate in a tour of the penitentiary complex and a run-through of its history.
According to the penitentiary’s website, tours include insight on contemporary social issues and open discussions about the justice system and the role of prisons in society.
“In 1821, at the urging of the Society, the Pennsylvania legislature approved funding to build Eastern State Penitentiary, a first-of-its-kind prison designed to encourage regret or ‘penitence’ through a strict system of solitary confinement with labor known as the Pennsylvania System.
“British architect John Haviland’s design was selected for this revolutionary project. His radial plan— featuring seven cellblocks connected by a central hub like the spokes of a wheel—promoted, in his words, ‘watching, convenience, economy and ventilation.’
“The penitentiary’s medieval Gothic façade was meant to intimidate, while its church-like interior was intended to instill reverence.”
