Eastern State Penitentiary Hosts 'Alumni Reunion' Saturday, May 22

PHILADELPHIA, May 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Eastern State Penitentiary will host its annual "Alumni Reunion" on Saturday, May 22 at 1:30 p.m.  Each year, former inmates and officers return to the abandoned cellblocks of Eastern State to share stories and answer questions from the public.  This event is free with standard admission to the penitentiary.

People are often surprised to find that many of Eastern State's former officers and inmates are still quite young, and enjoy returning to the cellblocks to remember old times.  This year, over 30 former inmates, guards, and officers will gather with the public for an informal round table discussion, comparing their memories of the 180-year-old penitentiary.  Previous discussions have addressed work details, recreation, race relations and daily life for inmates and officers at Eastern State Penitentiary, which has been closed for more than 30 years.

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers.  Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world's first true "penitentiary," a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of convicts.   Its vaulted, sky-lit cells once held many of America's most notorious criminals, including bank robber "Slick Willie" Sutton and Al Capone.  

Tours today include the cellblocks, solitary punishment cells, Al Capone's Cell, and Death Row.  A critically-acclaimed series of artists' installations is free with admission.  Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue, just five blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $8 for students and children ages 7-12 (not recommended for children under the age of seven).  The penitentiary is open every day, year round from 10 am to 5 pm.  From April 1 to November 30, admission includes the "Voices of Eastern State" audio tour narrated by actor Steve Buscemi.  Also included in admission are special guided tours on the subjects of daily life, escapes, prison inside a prison, and architecture.  For more information and schedules, please call (215) 236-3300 or visit www.easternstate.org.

SOURCE Eastern State Penitentiary

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