What’s scarier than a haunted prison? Nothing, that’s what. Think about it: a prison is a place made to keep people in, separated, and locked away with no chance of escape. Sounds bad enough, right? Now add some kind of paranormal force, or undead contingent that takes the dread associated with a prison and amplifies it to a horrifying degree. That’s a haunted prison.
The Philadelphia Eastern State Penitentiary is one such prison. A historical landmark, this prison is also rumored to be plagued by a haunting presence. Check out the photos below to get a taste of this creepy prison.
You can hear creaks and groans echoing through the prison walls. You can hear the voices of the ghostly prisoners crying out, “Ooooooo! The food here is terrible! Oooooo!!”
Definitely don’t wanna walk down this hallway. Maybe try going upstairs?
Nope. Absolutely not. Time to go back downstairs.
I mean, it’s not that bad, right? Right?
Yeah, it’s that bad. It’s definitely that bad. This place is terrifying.
Do not, I repeat, do NOT sit on this toilet. It’s a DEMON toilet!
There’s tons of storage space in this prison. Storage space for…dead bodies! And of course for necessities like dry and canned goods that keep any institution running.
“Going down…mwah-ha-ha-ha!”
This cell doesn’t seem that bad. It’s actually so nice that you’d almost forget for a second THAT YOU’RE IN A HAUNTED PRISON AND DEATH IS IMMINENT!
Look! A way out! Sunlight! Fresh-Air! And…an impenetrable wall of stone that removes any hope of escape.
(via: mentalfloss.com)
The Eastern State Penetentiary (ESP) was designed by John Haviland. It opened on October 25, 1829. Eastern State is considered to be the world’s first true penitentiary.
Its revolutionary system of incarceration encouraged separate confinement as a form of rehabilitation. Prisoners were not meant to socialize and enjoy their time there. Notorious criminals such as Al Capone stayed at ESP. At its completion, the building was the largest and most expensive public structure ever erected. Hundreds of prisons were modeled after it.
Now, it is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. You can take a tour (normal or haunted) if you dare. See the video below.
Terror Behind the Walls 2013 from Terror Behind the Walls on Vimeo.
I really want to go see it in person, even though this place looks horrifying. I just hope I can make it out with my soul intact.
