Halloween Experts

We love a haunted house at Halloween. We get that rush of adrenaline when the costumed monsters leap out at us unexpectedly, and thrill to the carefully crafted scenes of horror. We admire the skill of the make up artists and appreciate the time and effort that goes in to making an enjoyable haunted attraction. Yes, we’re scared and startled, and mightily entertained. But what if you just couldn’t be quite sure that you were seeing actors and props? What if it was possible that, some of it was real?

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA, was opened in 1829 under the “Pennsylvania System”. It was the most expensive building to have ever been built in the United States at the time it opened, and it became the prototype for over 300 other prisons across the country. Designed by the Quakers to force inmates to look inside themselves and then to seek God, the Pennsylvania System placed prisoners in complete solitude for the duration of their incarceration, and drove many a sane man quite mad. Cells contained a bunk, toilet, table and a bible. The only light was from a slit in the roof, where sunlight, called the “Eye of God”, would filter in. If a prisoner had to leave his cell for any reason, he was hooded, so that he could not see the other inmates. Communication of any kind between prisoners was forbidden. Sometimes, in desperate need of interaction, prisoners would tap on pipes, or whisper through vents to each other. If caught, they were brutally punished.

It is said that the Quakers had nothing to do with the punishments that were meted out at the prison. It was the hired staff that designed and enforced the torture that the inmates endured. Punishments like:
The Water Bath. Especially popular during the winter months, the offender was dunked in a bath of ice cold water, and then hung on a wall for the night. Often a thin coat of ice would cover the prisoner’s body by morning.

Then there was the Mad Chair. Inmates were strapped into the chair with leather bindings, so tightly that no possible movement could be achieved. They might be left in this chair for days, with no food, until their circulation almost stopped from lack of motion and the tight straps. It was not uncommon for a man to go insane before this punishment was over.

Most gruesome of all was the Iron Gag. This was considered by the prison staff to be apt punishment for an inmate who broke the “no communication” rule. An iron collar was clamped around the prisoner’s tongue, with chains that attached to the wrists, which were then tied behind the back. This ensured that any movement would tear the tongue and cause severe bleeding. It was not uncommon for a prisoner to die from blood loss before this punishment ended.

In the 1840’s, author Charles Dickens (A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities) visited the prison, and was horrified at the conditions, causing him to write of the psychological torment of the prisoners. He wrote that incarceration at Eastern State Penitentiary was tantamount to being buried alive. The prison was intended to house 250 prisoners, but before it’s reform in 1913, over 1700 inmates were housed there. The state finally took over the prison in 1913 and the Pennsylvania system was abolished. The property continued to be operated as a state prison until it was finally closed in 1971. The history of the prison doesn’t end there, though.

During it’s restoration, a locksmith working in the cellblock was attempting to remove a 140 year old lock. As he removed the key, a powerful force struck him and held him paralyzed, while he witnessed tormented faces appear on the walls of the cell, and hundreds of figures swirled out of the cell and around the cellblock, as if he had released them from whatever had held them trapped for so long. The locksmith’s experience was so vivid that he trembled in fear whenever he told the story, even many years later. Since that time, employees and visitors alike have had countless paranormal experiences, including hearing giggling, whispers and weeping coming from within the walls. According to the Assistant Director, there are about two dozen paranormal investigations done per year at Eastern State. They almost always find evidence of activity. Eastern State Penitentiary has been named on many lists as one of the most haunted places in America. MTV’s “FEAR”, FOX’s “Scariest Places on Earth” and Sci Fi’s Ghost Hunters, all filmed here.

What better place to host a Halloween Haunted House? And they do! “Terror Behind the Walls” is a haunted attraction within the walls of the prison. There are actually five separate haunted places to be visited. Their FAQ’s explain that they will do their best to terrify you. For us, we think that the possibility of mingling with actual tormented spirits is terrifying enough! All proceeds from ticket sales to Terror Behind the Walls goes to the preservation of this 175 year old historic prison.