Photos courtesy of Felicia Perretti Photography

Terror Behind the Walls has grown from a single-night event in 1991 to a 29-night event with shows selling out far in advance!

Eastern State Penitentiary announces a major expansion to Terror Behind the Walls for 2012, the all-new Detritus. This new attraction, expanding the event into areas of the penitentiary never entered by the public, takes visitors through an original 1800s cellblock, past the historic prison greenhouse, and into an outdoor labyrinth of overgrown plants and twisting vines.

Located inside the massive castle-like walls of Eastern State Penitentiary, a real abandoned prison at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, Terror Behind the Walls is consistently ranked among the top 10 haunted attractions in the country. In 2012, Terror Behind the Walls runs on select evenings from September 21st through November 10th.

Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prisons in the world, but stands today in ruin, a lost world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers. This gothic structure, with soaring 30-foot high fortress walls, is intimidating enough during the day. At night, the cellblocks fall into darkness, and the building becomes truly terrifying.

Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a lost world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers.

Terror Behind the Walls has grown from a single-night event in 1991 to a 29-night event with shows selling out far in advance. Nearly half of the visitors who attended the event in 2011 traveled to Philadelphia for the event, coming from as far as Hawaii, Greece, Korea, and even Australia, making Terror Behind the Walls a national and international destination for thrill-seekers and Halloween lovers.

An extraordinary theatrical production, Terror Behind the Walls features Hollywood-quality sets, custom-designed props, animatronics, and digital sound effects, all taking place within the walls of the prison. It takes an elite team of 14 makeup artists almost three hours to prepare the cast of more than 200 performers each evening. The event consists of six haunted attractions that create a seamless experience for visitors.

Many people believe that Eastern State Penitentiary is haunted. As early as the 1940s, officers and inmates reported mysterious visions and eerie experiences in the ancient prison.

Terror Behind the Walls does not affect operation of the historic site, which remains open for daytime tours seven days a week, year round. For information on daytime historic tours, please visit easternstate.org.

Be Social with Eastern State Penitentiary

Join Eastern State Penitentiary on Facebook

Follow Eastern State Penitentiary on Twitter @easternstate

Tickets and General Information

Terror Behind the Walls is located inside Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, PA. Advanced ticket sales for Terror Behind the Walls begin on September 10. Tickets at the box office are $40 per person. Visitors can save up to 50% by purchasing tickets online at easternstate.org/buynow. The cheapest and most convenient way to purchase tickets is always through the Terror Behind the Walls website. For more information about Terror Behind the Walls, the public can visit the penitentiary’s website at easternstate.org/halloween.