The
Eastern State Penitentiary is a former American prison in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. It 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.
Notorious criminals such as bank robber
Willie Sutton and
Al Capone were held inside its innovative wagon wheel design. At its completion, the building was the largest and most expensive public structure ever erected, and quickly became a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide.
The prison is currently a U.S.
National Historic Landmark, which is open to the public as a museum for tours seven days a week, twelve months a year 10 am to 5 pm.
