Surrounded by turquoise waters atop a small, rocky island in San Francisco Bay sits one of the nation’s most notorious prisons. Almost picturesque from afar, looks can be deceiving as visitors to the penitentiary- turned-national park get a glimpse into the darker shades of the American criminal justice system. On the opposite side of the country, in the heart of Philadelphia, another infamous penitentiary offers groups an experience that is both haunting (literally) and enlightening. Although separated by thousands of miles, both sites tell a story of justice, injustice, and life behind bars.
For as long as the United States has been a country, prisons have been interwoven into the very fabric that forms society. Prisons themselves are believed to have been in existence as far back as the ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian empires. For better or worse, these intuitions are an unfortunate inevitability of humanity.
But they serve an important purpose beyond the retention and punishment of the incarcerated. From criminal justice reform and racial discrimination to offender rehabilitation and the humane treatment of inmates, these historic prisons and reformatories offer groups a glimpse into the trials and tribulations of an imperfect system.
Landmark Lockups
With a history that spans 142 years, perhaps no prison is more influential to today’s criminal justice system than Eastern State Penitentiary, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Officially opened in 1829, Eastern State was the world’s first penitentiary. It employed a first-of-its-kind radial plan, pioneered the large-scale use of solitary confinement, and housed about 85,000 people over the course of its operation.
“The penitentiary understandably appeals to history lovers, architecture buffs, and criminal justice scholars,” says Francine Schiffman, senior manager for group sales and events at the penitentiary. “But Eastern State truly offers something for everyone. As soon as groups arrive at Eastern State, the tone is set for a unique experience. Its imposing, castle-like walls are 30 feet high and encircle an entire city block. Once groups step inside, they are met with church-like vaulted ceilings as massive skylights illuminate the eerily beautiful cellblocks.”
Eastern State offers both in-person and virtual group tours year-round. The penitentiary can accommodate groups of up to 150 people per time slot as they wander the building’s rusted cellblocks and hallways adorned in paint peeling with age. Many groups, Schiffman explains, opt to partake in the self-guided “The Voices of Eastern State Audio Tour,” narrated by actor Steve Buscemi and featuring firsthand accounts from people who worked or were incarcerated at Eastern State when it was active.
Guided tours are led by engaging educators who tailor their tours to each group’s needs and interests, including the penitentiary’s history, architecture, and topics pertaining to criminal justice reform today. And for those looking to explore Eastern State’s spookier side, the allegedly haunted locale offers paranormal walkthroughs in the fall.
The penitentiary provides discounts for groups of 15 or more, with daytime tour groups receiving one complimentary admission per 15 paying visitors. Accommodations including mobility aids and American Sign Language interpretation can be made upon request. Can’t make it to Philadelphia? Groups can also participate in Eastern State’s tour program virtually through a live, interactive, discussion-based experience with an Eastern State staff educator.
Credit: Eastern State Penitentiary
“Fans of art will appreciate Eastern State’s collection of 16 thought-provoking, site-specific artist installations,” Schiffman says. “People interested in learning about religion in prisons should be sure to stop by the historic synagogue. Visitors of all ages will enjoy hearing more about Eastern State’s most well-known prisoners like ‘Scarface’ Al Capone, ‘Slick Willie’ Sutton (and his ultimately failed 1945 tunnel escape), as well as what life was like for the average person incarcerated at Eastern State.”
In Boise, the Old Idaho Penitentiary stands as one of only four prestatehood prisons open to the public today as museums. Established as the territory’s first prison in 1872, the fortress-like penitentiary now offers self-guided and guided tours facilitated by staff well-versed in the site’s history. Guided tours are limited to 25 attendees and are often centered on themes such as discrimination, hard crimes, and capital punishment. A discount of $1 off regular admission per attendee for groups of 10 or more is available.
“The Old Idaho Penitentiary, or Idaho State Penitentiary, is one of Idaho’s most visited and top-rated tourist destinations and historic sites,” says Jacey Brain, visitor services coordinator for the penitentiary. “Visitors are able to see changes in prison conditions over time [1872-1973], in addition to discovering the stories of those who were incarcerated there—men and women, ranging in age from a 10-year-old boy to at least two men in their 80s.”
Brain says visitors to the prison walk away with a broader understanding of often-difficult topics that are now “becoming more prominent in our daily lives.”
Setting the Scene
Whether due to its isolated location or harrowing conditions, Alcatraz Island, once home to a federal penitentiary in San Francisco Bay, California, has continuously captured the imagination and curiosity of people around the world. It’s a place most Americans have heard of, although fewer know the history of the iconic location—now a national park—that has been featured in film and television countless times.
Originally functioning as a military reservation, Alcatraz became a penitentiary in 1934. More than 1,500 “difficult to incarcerate” people were held there over the course of the prison’s 29 years in operation. While incarcerated at Alcatraz, prisoners were subjected to harsh conditions, maintaining only four inherent rights during their time there: medical attention, food, shelter, and clothing. Access to recreational activities or family visits had to be earned. This experiment in inmate isolation came to an end in 1963 due to a lack of funding.
Today, Alcatraz City Cruises is the official concessioner to the park, offering day, night, and behind-the-scenes tours amongst the penitentiary’s eerily silent hallways. The maximum group size allowed is 30. Groups can choose to partake in a guided tour or the self-guided “Alcatraz Cellhouse Audio Tour.”
Guided or not, tourgoers should be sure to keep an eye out for cell 14D, allegedly home to one of Alcatraz’s most infamous ghosts, a man believed to have been especially violent during his time in the prison. Other notable spirits said to haunt the island include the Lady in Green, the wife of a former prison warden, and Robert Stroud—the “Birdman of Alcatraz”—who spent 17 years in solitary confinement.
Credit: Adobe/Aceshot
Looking to the Midwest, not everyone has heard of The Ohio State Reformatory, but odds are, you’ve seen it. This former reformatory in Mansfield famously served as the set for “The Shawshank Redemption,” frequently listed as IMDB’s No. 1 movie of all time. The location has additionally been featured in several other movies, music videos, and TV shows over the years.
Ohio State initially opened its doors as a reformatory in 1896. “It was intended to bring in young, male, first-time (typically nonviolent) offenders who the state believed could be fully rehabilitated and sent back into the public as upstanding citizens,” explains Ashleigh Ramey, program director for the reformatory. Inmates were offered education, job skills, religion, and socialization. “The reform program worked really well, with an unheard-of 15% recidivism rate.”
By the 1960s, the once-successful reformatory experienced overcrowding and a lack of funding. It was forced to convert to a maximum-security prison, which closed its doors in 1990. Today, the Gothic- and Romanesque-style reformatory offers self-guided group rate tours, private guided tours that can be tailored to a group’s interests, and private Shawshank Bus Tours.
Self-guided tours have no group size limit, but private guided tours max out at 40 and the bus tour can accommodate 24. Self-guided groups of more than 20 receive a $5 per person discount.
“We offer a little something for everyone, and the building will appeal to anyone interested in architecture, the reform system in the United States, history in general, historic restoration, ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ and abandoned buildings,” Ramey says. “We are having a massive celebration Aug. 9-11, 2024, for ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ 30th anniversary. We are going to have celebrities joining us,”—Ramey was not at liberty to say who—“Q&A sessions, viewings of the movie at the Renaissance Theatre where it first premiered, and other fun activities.”
By Madeline Fuerstenberg
Main Image: Alcatraz, San Francisco, California; Credit: Adobe/F11Photo
