As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday this year, Eastern State Penitentiary is gearing up for a year-long celebration of freedom and liberty. The "A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future" series promises to be an engaging journey through the institution's complex history, which has been at the forefront of debates about punishment, rehabilitation, and human dignity.
The series will feature a mix of interactive events, panel discussions, pop-up exhibits, and new educational resources that delve into Eastern State's role in shaping America's criminal justice system. One of the first major programs is "The Great Escape: Stories of Resistance and Creativity at Eastern State," which takes place from March 27 to April 5. The event will feature themed tours, talks about infamous inmates like Al Capone, and interactive activities that bring the site to life.
In May, "Philly Saves: Adaptive Reuse of Sites of Memory and Trauma" will explore how former prisons can be repurposed as spaces for community dialogue and healing. Eastern State's Wednesday Nights series will also begin on May 27 with an interfaith discussion on faith, reentry, and prison reform.
A new exhibit opening in July, "Freedom Through Faith: Judaism at Eastern State and Beyond," sheds light on the experiences of the Jewish population within the prison, highlighting their practice of religious freedom. Throughout the year, more events are planned, including a conversation with historian Hasan Jeffries on Juneteenth and an event tied to the city's 52 Weeks of Firsts initiative.
The "A Time for Liberty" series aims to make Eastern State accessible to visitors of all ages, providing a unique opportunity to engage with the institution's history and its significance in shaping America's ongoing conversation about freedom and justice.
The series will feature a mix of interactive events, panel discussions, pop-up exhibits, and new educational resources that delve into Eastern State's role in shaping America's criminal justice system. One of the first major programs is "The Great Escape: Stories of Resistance and Creativity at Eastern State," which takes place from March 27 to April 5. The event will feature themed tours, talks about infamous inmates like Al Capone, and interactive activities that bring the site to life.
In May, "Philly Saves: Adaptive Reuse of Sites of Memory and Trauma" will explore how former prisons can be repurposed as spaces for community dialogue and healing. Eastern State's Wednesday Nights series will also begin on May 27 with an interfaith discussion on faith, reentry, and prison reform.
A new exhibit opening in July, "Freedom Through Faith: Judaism at Eastern State and Beyond," sheds light on the experiences of the Jewish population within the prison, highlighting their practice of religious freedom. Throughout the year, more events are planned, including a conversation with historian Hasan Jeffries on Juneteenth and an event tied to the city's 52 Weeks of Firsts initiative.
The "A Time for Liberty" series aims to make Eastern State accessible to visitors of all ages, providing a unique opportunity to engage with the institution's history and its significance in shaping America's ongoing conversation about freedom and justice.
! It's so cool that they're making their complex history accessible to visitors of all ages – I mean, who wouldn't want to learn about Al Capone being locked up there? 
But seriously, it's a great way to explore the country's dark past and its impact on our justice system. The fact that they're highlighting different perspectives, like the experiences of Jewish inmates, is also super important. It's a chance for us to reflect on what freedom really means and how we can work towards making our prisons more humane 
. I'm excited to see how this series unfolds!
Eastern State's 250th birthday party is gonna be lit 
! Gonna love seein' Al Capone's cell & learnin' 'bout the site's role in America's prison reform 
and whats with the interfaith discussion on may 27? how about a discussion on how to actually improve prison conditions instead of just talking about faith reentry and reform? also can we get some actual data on how many ppl have been released from eastern state and made it back to society without committing another crime or something? idk man, this whole thing feels like a total PR stunt 
. The fact that they're hosting interactive events, panel discussions, and pop-up exhibits is genius - it'll be a whole new level of immersive experience for visitors! What I'm most excited about, though, is how this series is aiming to shed light on Eastern State's role in shaping America's criminal justice system 
. It's so important that we learn from our past mistakes and work towards creating a more just system for everyone 
. And who knows, maybe this year-long celebration will inspire some real change? Fingers crossed! 
. i mean, it's cool that they're doing a whole year-long thing to celebrate, but can't we just get this whole prison reform thing figured out already? 
eastern state is like the ultimate symbol of America's weird relationship with punishment and freedom. i'm kinda here for it, but also totally over it 
. wanna learn more about history, not a crash course on how to keep us from hurting each other 
.
it sounds like they're gonna bring some major historical vibes and interactive events to the table, which is def a win in my book! 
as someone who's super into layout and structure (i mean, have you seen the new layout of tiktok? 
. And what's with all these new exhibits and events? Are they just trying to distract us from the fact that prisons are still major issues in this country? 