Eastern State Penitentiary
The Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was established in 1829. Add USS New Jersey, 2.9 mi away, to a visit.
A museum inside Philadelphia
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 117K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 97% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
You can stay in Philadelphia
Eastern State Penitentiary is inside Philadelphia, which has 168 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from New York City
New York City is about 81 miles northeast and Baltimore is about 89 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1829
Eastern State Penitentiary dates from 1829. About ↓
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 ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
A month-by-month look
Use the months below to time a visit to Eastern State Penitentiary.
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
- 117K a year
Nights near Eastern State Penitentiary
The first towns with rooms are Philadelphia (168) and Mount Laurel Township (34).
- 1USS New Jersey
- 2Independence Hall
- 3Lincoln Financial Field
- 4Xfinity Mobile Arena
- 5Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
- 6Philadelphia Museum of Art
- 7Lynnewood Hall
- 8USS Olympia
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Eastern State Penitentiary | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | in town | — | 168 133 hotels · 2 motels · 17 inns & B&Bs · 9 lodges & cabins · 3 hostels · 4 campgrounds | 1,574,281 | $243K | D− |
| Mount Laurel Township | 15 mi east | 20 min | 34 31 hotels · 3 motels | 47,738 | $357K | C |
| Lower Merion Township | 7 mi northwest | 10 min | 12 9 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds | 64,691 | $810K | B− |
| Tinicum Township | 8 mi southwest | 10 min | 13 13 hotels | 3,985 | $207K | C− |
| Upper Merion Township | 14 mi northwest | 20 min | 26 23 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs | 36,674 | $455K | C− |
| Bellmawr | 8 mi southeast | 10 min | 11 8 hotels · 3 motels | 11,874 | $239K | B− |
| Cherry Hill Township | 10 mi southeast | 15 min | 14 11 hotels · 3 campgrounds | 79,965 | $386K | — |
| Bensalem Township | 15 mi northeast | 25 min | 21 17 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 62,783 | $364K | C |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Nearby, too
Within 8 miles you can add these well-known places.
Big draw13 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw22 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw45 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
5in town MuseumAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
6in town MuseumPhiladelphia Museum of Art437K visitors a year
Big draw78 mi MuseumLynnewood Hall
82 mi MuseumUSS OlympiaPhoto credits
USS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: See below, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Philadelphia Museum of Art: Unknown, Public domain · Lynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Olympia: 颐园居, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Questions before you go
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 Jersey City?
About 74 miles northeast of Newark and about 78 miles northeast of Jersey City, 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, 168 places to stay), Mount Laurel Township (15 mi, 34 places to stay) and Lower Merion Township (7 mi, 12 places to stay).
From people who live in Philadelphia
Share what you know in Philadelphia’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.