The Eastern State Penitentiary was designed to combat these “trends”, made by the Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons. There was little order in them, with corrupt officers, prostitutes, lots of alcohol, and a high rate of prisoner death before sentencing.

It was built in the year 1829 and closed in 1971, and as of its last days, it was one of America’s leading facilities of its kind.īefore the creation of the Eastern State Penitentiary, most prisons had actually been akin to commercial spots. The Eastern State Penitentiary is an eerie structure that resembles a castle but held a very different purpose.Īn amalgamation of the old and the new, it is a prison and boasts stone construction, fortress-like archways and corridors, industrial-style simplistic watchtowers, and formerly “hi-tech” fixings. To help you decide, here is our travel guide for 50 fun things to do and places to visit in Pennsylvania! Things To Do In Pennsylvania 1. There’s even a healthy mix of cheap and free things to do.

Naturally, all this history means that Pennsylvania is packed with exciting attractions.įrom sprawling gardens to ornate feats of architecture and from historical buildings and museums to art galleries and institutes, there’s no shortage of places that you can visit. It is here that the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Liberty Bell first tolled, and it is also home to sites that were central in the American Revolutionary War and American Civil War. It achieved statehood in 1787 and is a notable area to visit for history buffs thanks to its many significant roles in time. It was named by King James II by combining the Latin word for “woodland”, “Sylvania”, and the surname of Admiral Sir William Penn. Pennsylvania, the Keystone State, was one of the 13 original colonies of America.

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