The Halloween season is upon us, and what better way to experience the horror then by going to one of Pennsylvania’s best haunted attractions: Eastern State Penitentiary.
The once famous prison that held criminals, such as Al Capone, has been turned into the “Terror Behind the Walls” house of horrors every year since 1995. Whether you are faint of heart or not, this famous, haunted attraction offers some appeal to just about every Halloween lover around. Each visiter is given the option to opt-in for the true experience with a glow band and cross of blood, which would allow the actors to touch, grab, and separate you from your group. On the other hand, scaredy cats can go in as they are. Depending on the night you go, the price varies from $19 to $50 per person. For the price of $19, this is definitely worth it. Visiting on a weekend or near to Halloween will result in expensive ticket prices and long lines, so unless you’re a fan of both of these things, then I would not recommend going at these times.
The “Terror Behind the Walls” experience consists of six attractions: Lock Down, Machine Shop, Infirmary, Blood Yard, Quarantine 4D, and Break Out. Each of these 6 are very different. From clowns to inmates to cannibals, whatever your deepest fear is you will come face to face with it here. The attractions are very detailed, the makeup is amazing, and the prison is exactly how it was years and years ago. The actors get truly into the role that they are playing, and the decorations themselves are enough to invoke fear in the fearless. They will grab you and separate you from your group and that makes the experience even more horrifying.
Here are some pictures from inside Eastern State Penitentiary, it shows how much detail goes into the actor’s costumes and makeup. I wouldn’t want them touching me!
However, not everything goes flawlessly within the walls. While the attraction mostly lives up to the hype, fear does not come from not knowing what is around the corner. Groups are filed in quickly one after another, causing there to be a long line of people constantly wandering through. When I went to experience the “terror” myself, I always knew where the actors were due to hearing the people, just ten or so feet in front of me, scream from getting scared by the actors. So, when it came to being my turn to pass the actor, I already knew that they were there. Additionally, the packed hallways of people resulted in less of a chance for each individual to be pulled aside into the “interactive” aspect of the attraction.
All in all, for the price of $19, which I paid, the experience is definitely worth the money. I would recommend this attraction as still one of the best I have been to. It just may be more worth the buck to go at an off time, avoid a long line of people in front of you revealing the scares. Each year they change what happens in each of the 6 attractions, so you’re always left with the new but scared feeling. If any of this appeals to you, grab your tickets before the season ends.
Want to know what you’re in for? Check out the official preview here:
