Halloween Nights Marks 35 Years as Eastern State Turns Its Past Into Philadelphia’s Biggest Halloween Party
Eastern State Penitentiary has spent 35 years turning its dark history into Philadelphia’s most famous Halloween tradition. Halloween Nights returns to the abandoned prison in Fairmount on select nights from Oct. 2 through Nov. 7, transforming the 11-acre cellblock complex into a nighttime festival of haunted houses, themed bars, live performances, and museum exhibits.
The event matters because it is one of the few haunted attractions in America set inside an actual former prison. Eastern State housed Al Capone and bank robber Willie Sutton during its years as a working penitentiary, and that real history is woven into the scares. More than 200 performers take part each night, according to Eastern State.
This year’s festival features five haunted houses. The Crypt has doubled in size for the 2026 season, giving its vampire inhabitants twice the room to lurk, and it now includes a new Scare Cam that puts visitors into the action. The other four houses are Nightmares, Machine Shop, Dark Tides, and Big Top Terror.
A new event flow guides visitors through portions of the festival in a set order. You can still explore the bars, performances, food stands, and museum exhibits at your own pace, according to PhillyVoice, but the five haunted houses must be experienced together rather than cherry-picked.
New for 2026 is the After Dark VIP Tour. It begins with a 40-minute, guide-led VIP Flashlight Tour focused on the prison’s history, then continues with front-of-the-line festival access, Quick Pass entry to every haunted attraction, and admission to The Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell, a Prohibition-themed lounge with live entertainment and a complimentary drink.
Organizers also introduced Quick Pass Admission, available online only, which adds express festival entry and priority queue access at the haunted attractions to everything general admission offers.
Those who want a more intense night can pick up a glow necklace at the entrance. Opting in means performers may grab you, steer you through hidden passageways, or temporarily separate you from your group. Children younger than 7 are not permitted, and the event is recommended for ages 12 and older.
Ticket prices depend on the date. General admission runs $49 to $79, Quick Pass costs $64 to $109, and After Dark VIP Admission runs $109 to $159, according to PhillyVoice. USA Today recently named Halloween Nights the seventh-best Halloween attraction in the country, so popular nights are expected to sell out.