Post by SID on Sept 23, 2005 9:29:36 GMT -5
22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Eastern State Penitentiary stands as a testament to the Quaker idea that solitary confinement and forced labor are a cure for criminal behavior. Abandoned in 1971, the prison fell into disrepair. But a grassroots movement helped put it back on the map in the 1990s, and today it's a must-see Philadelphia attraction. The historic prison, on the World Monument Fund's list of 100 Most Endangered Landmarks, offers tours May through October and is closed the remainder of the year. Through some very clever marketing ploys, it has played host to several special events: a birthday party for former inmate Willie Sutton, the bank robber who along with 11 others participated in an ill-fated escape; a Bastille Day celebration; an Alumni Weekend featuring former inmates and correctional officers; the annual 'Terror Behind the Walls' Halloween ghost tour and a kids' weekend that honors the black Labrador that served a life sentence. There are lots of nearby restaurants and museums to make a full weekend of the neighborhood. -- Gail Bower (Photo: Eastern State Penitentiary)
www.easternstate.org/
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Eastern State Penitentiary stands as a testament to the Quaker idea that solitary confinement and forced labor are a cure for criminal behavior. Abandoned in 1971, the prison fell into disrepair. But a grassroots movement helped put it back on the map in the 1990s, and today it's a must-see Philadelphia attraction. The historic prison, on the World Monument Fund's list of 100 Most Endangered Landmarks, offers tours May through October and is closed the remainder of the year. Through some very clever marketing ploys, it has played host to several special events: a birthday party for former inmate Willie Sutton, the bank robber who along with 11 others participated in an ill-fated escape; a Bastille Day celebration; an Alumni Weekend featuring former inmates and correctional officers; the annual 'Terror Behind the Walls' Halloween ghost tour and a kids' weekend that honors the black Labrador that served a life sentence. There are lots of nearby restaurants and museums to make a full weekend of the neighborhood. -- Gail Bower (Photo: Eastern State Penitentiary)
www.easternstate.org/