Eastern State Penitentiary is gearing up to celebrate America's 250th birthday with a year-long celebration called "A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future". The series of free events will take place throughout 2026 and promises to explore the evolution of ideas about liberty and justice in the US.
The penitentiary, which is the nation's first, has long been connected to debates about punishment, rehabilitation, and human dignity. Now, it will be using its history as a starting point to examine how those conversations continue today. The new programming is designed to be accessible for visitors of all ages and includes a mix of festivals, panel discussions, pop-up exhibits, and educational resources.
The first major program in the series kicks off on March 27th with "The Great Escape: Stories of Resistance and Creativity at Eastern State". This week-long event will feature themed tours, talks about infamous inmates like Al Capone, and interactive activities throughout the site. Later this year, visitors can learn more about how places like prisons, churches, and schools can be reused as spaces for public dialogue and community healing.
A new exhibit, "Freedom Through Faith: Judaism at Eastern State and Beyond", will open on July 2nd, focusing on the religious freedom practiced inside the prison by its Jewish population. Throughout the year, more programs are planned, including a conversation with historian Hasan Jeffries about Juneteenth in June, and an event tied to the city's "52 Weeks of Firsts" initiative on October 3rd.
Eastern State Penitentiary is located at 2027 Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, PA.
The penitentiary, which is the nation's first, has long been connected to debates about punishment, rehabilitation, and human dignity. Now, it will be using its history as a starting point to examine how those conversations continue today. The new programming is designed to be accessible for visitors of all ages and includes a mix of festivals, panel discussions, pop-up exhibits, and educational resources.
The first major program in the series kicks off on March 27th with "The Great Escape: Stories of Resistance and Creativity at Eastern State". This week-long event will feature themed tours, talks about infamous inmates like Al Capone, and interactive activities throughout the site. Later this year, visitors can learn more about how places like prisons, churches, and schools can be reused as spaces for public dialogue and community healing.
A new exhibit, "Freedom Through Faith: Judaism at Eastern State and Beyond", will open on July 2nd, focusing on the religious freedom practiced inside the prison by its Jewish population. Throughout the year, more programs are planned, including a conversation with historian Hasan Jeffries about Juneteenth in June, and an event tied to the city's "52 Weeks of Firsts" initiative on October 3rd.
Eastern State Penitentiary is located at 2027 Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, PA.
! I've been following their social media and it looks like they're really going all out with this year-long thing... they have a whole calendar of events planned and I'm already adding some of them to my bucket list 
. And can we talk about how cool it is that they're using the prison's history as a starting point to explore how our conversations about liberty and justice are evolving today? Like, it's so relevant to everything we're seeing in the world right now 
. And I'm also really intrigued by the exhibit on Judaism at Eastern State... my grandma was actually a huge history buff and she used to love taking me to old prisons when I was younger 
. anyway can't wait for March 27th!
I'm low-key hyped for this celebration! The Eastern State Penitentiary has such a rich history and I love how they're tying it to the country's 250th birthday 
. Did you know that Eastern State was the first prison in the US? It paved the way for modern prisons, but also sparked debates about punishment vs rehabilitation 
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. The events sound super engaging too - who wouldn't want to explore "The Great Escape" or learn about the Jewish population's religious freedom? 
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The idea of exploring how these conversations continue today is super interesting. I'm excited to check out "The Great Escape" event and learn more about Al Capone's story, but also the exhibit on Judaism at Eastern State sounds really thought-provoking too. It's great that they're using their history as a starting point to examine ongoing issues. Can't wait to see what else they have planned for 2026! 
. I'm especially stoked about the pop-up exhibits and interactive activities – sounds like a blast! 
Can't wait for "The Great Escape" event in March and the new exhibit on Jewish freedom in July, too! 
It's all about sharing our history, learning from it, and shaping our future together 
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. I'm excited to see the pop-up exhibits and interactive activities - maybe there'll be some hands-on ways to learn about creative forms of resistance & protest 
The way they're incorporatin' festivals, talks, and interactive stuff is gonna be so dope! I'm def comin' to check out "The Great Escape" event on March 27th. It's like, a time for us to reflect on how far we've come with freedom and justice, but also think about how we can work together to make it better. That new exhibit on Judaism at Eastern State sounds interestin', too. Can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store! 
i hope they do some panels on mental health in prisons too, that's something we should be talking about more often 
Can't wait to see what else they have planned for 2026 
I love how they're incorporating interactive activities, talks, and themed tours to make it more engaging for everyone.
I mean, who wouldn't want to learn about the infamous inmates who called Eastern State home? It's gonna be a wild ride, and I'm already hyped to see what other awesome programs they have in store for 2026.