Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, PA
I know that Jail doesn’t sound like a prime vacation spot, but the locals in Philadelphia will tell you to stop in at the Eastern State Penitentiary for a look back at prison history. Don’t worry, the inmates are long gone! It was open between 1829 and 1971 and housed people like Al Capone.
It may look like a castle, but the massive building was designed to be the type of prison where inmates were always isolated, even while eating. The fortress on the outskirts of the city is a unique experience! Self-guided audio tours are available and narrated by Steve Buscemi and include audio from former inmates and guards talking about their experiences in prison. Most of the cells are “as is” with the rubble and decay of many decades, while others are used as art installations.
6 thoughts on “11 US Places Only Locals Know About”
Once on the Victoria Beach, do you walk north or south along the beach to the tower?
OMG my school, the Fashion Institute of Technology took us here as field trip, I guess. I graduated in 1979. It was an art history course.
Interesting tidbits of information about each of these “finds” for those who travel around our country !
Huell Howser of Calgold once did a whole segment on this. Fascinating!
Discovered this place with a friend and Tourguide colleague, while touring downtown LA. I bought several books then.
During covid, they found a way to remain in business, by going online, which made me feel better, because I love the building and the store. Right across is an old building dating from the beginning of the Cinema, where stars like Charles Chaplin used to stay and they now have a French Restaurant, which I hope remained in business during covid. Too many Los Angelinos, don’t even know that part of Los Angeles where the Movie Industry really took off after escaping the Monopoly of Thomas Edison, with the silent version of the Count of Monte Christo.
An Iconic monument to visit.
I lived in Wilmette in 1966.
Chet Zaneski