Eastern State Penitentiary
The Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A museum inside Philadelphia
You can stay in Philadelphia
Eastern State Penitentiary is inside Philadelphia, which has 74,976 hotel and restaurant jobs, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Established in 1829
Eastern State Penitentiary dates from 1829. About ↓
A day trip from New York
New York is about 81 miles northeast and Baltimore is about 89 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep and Oct
April, May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 64–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 8 miles away
Philadelphia (PHL) has airline service, about 8 miles from Eastern State Penitentiary.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Census job and town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Philadelphia. Green months are the mild ones.
Eastern State Penitentiary
The Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Fairmount section of the city, and was operational from 1829 until 1971.
The penitentiary refined the revolutionary system of separate incarceration, first pioneered at the Walnut Street Jail, which emphasized principles of reform rather than punishment.
- Type
- Museum
- Established
- 1829
- Opened
- 1840
- Listed
- National Historic Landmark (1965) · National Register of Historic Places (1966)
- Wikipedia readers
- 97K a year
Stay in Philadelphia, or close by
Towns within 30 miles, closest first. Hotel and restaurant jobs show how many places there are to stay and eat.
| Town | From Eastern State Penitentiary | Hotel & restaurant jobs | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | in town | 74,976 | 1,579,706 | $243K | D− |
| Camden | 4 mi southeast | 1,957 | 71,496 | $112K | — |
| Millbourne | 4 mi west | 0 | 1,467 | $267K | — |
| Yeadon | 5 mi southwest | 25 | 12,181 | $183K | — |
| East Lansdowne | 5 mi west | 17 | 2,712 | $200K | — |
| Woodlynne | 5 mi southeast | 9 | 2,920 | $142K | — |
| Narberth | 6 mi northwest | 132 | 4,511 | $750K | B+ |
| Darby | 6 mi southwest | 51 | 10,687 | $118K | D |
| Colwyn | 6 mi southwest | 89 | 2,325 | $128K | — |
| Lansdowne | 6 mi west | 360 | 11,122 | $211K | — |
| Gloucester City | 6 mi southeast | 322 | 11,509 | $191K | — |
| Pennsauken Township | 6 mi east | 925 | 37,275 | $233K | D |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Eastern State Penitentiary
Other well-known places within 6 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw12 mi🏺 Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
2in town🏛 MuseumPhiladelphia Museum of Art437K visitors a year
36 mi🌲 Park & preserveSchuylkill River
4in town🏛 MuseumBarnes Foundation
5in town🏛 MuseumAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
6in town🏛 MuseumMütter Museum
7in town🏛 MuseumFranklin Institute🏛82 mi🏛 MuseumIndependence Visitor CenterPhoto credits
Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Philadelphia Museum of Art: Unknown, Public domain · Schuylkill River: Emy111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Barnes Foundation: Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: See below, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mütter Museum: Smallbones, Public domain · Franklin Institute: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Visiting Eastern State Penitentiary
Is Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia?
Yes. It’s inside Philadelphia, PA.
When is the best time to visit Eastern State Penitentiary?
April, May, June, September and October, with highs of 64–83°.
How far is Eastern State Penitentiary from Newark and New York?
About 74 miles northeast of Newark and about 81 miles northeast of New York, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Eastern State Penitentiary?
Philadelphia (PHL), about 8 miles away.
Where should I stay near Eastern State Penitentiary?
Philadelphia (in town, 74,976 hotel and restaurant jobs), Camden (4 mi, 1,957 hotel and restaurant jobs) and Narberth (6 mi, 132 hotel and restaurant jobs).
Tips from people in Philadelphia
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Philadelphia’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.