The World's 'Most Popular Abandoned Building' Is A Historic Pennsylvania Prison With Unique Events

America's prominent history of architecture and innovative development has left the country with amazing, beautiful buildings across all 50 states. Many of America's most prominent buildings are top tourist destinations as well. But for a certain type of traveler, "darker" destinations are preferable to bright and sunny locales. For dark tourism aficionados whose preferences lie on the more macabre side of things, America's collection of creepy, abandoned buildings provides a much more memorable excursion. And one of America's best-known and (arguably) most popular abandoned buildings sits right in the heart of Philadelphia: Eastern State Penitentiary.

Occupying several blocks of Philadelphia's otherwise sunny Fairmont neighborhood, the foreboding Eastern State Penitentiary played a major role in the history of crime and the American justice system. Today, the building's terrifying exterior makes it such an iconic destination for dark tourists. Eastern State Penitentiary's historic status, creepy aura, and unique experiences helped to make it, according to Travel + Leisure, the "most popular abandoned building in the world."

The abandoned penitentiary fits right in with the other eerie but alluring abandoned sites in America that make excellent dark tourism destinations. But while some abandoned places have become popular urban exploration sites, like creepy abandoned amusement parks, Eastern State Penitentiary has been given a second life as a museum and event space. It might not be abandoned in a literal sense, but it no longer functions as a prison, making it a perfect destination for history buffs and lovers of the macabre alike.

From a purely historical perspective, Eastern State Penitentiary is a major landmark and educational site. First opened back in 1829, Eastern State was designed according to what were then radical new ideas about the nature of incarceration and criminal justice. Drawing from Pennsylvania's Quaker ideals, the prison's founders sought to create a larger, centralized penitentiary focused on inspiring penitence and reform among the incarcerated rather than mere punishment. However, while these ideals were admirable, the prison's actual methods ended up being quite controversial — both then and now. Believing that isolation was essential for true penitence, prison officials kept inmates largely in solitary confinement, cutting off contact with anyone other than the warden and prison guards. These principles also led to the prison's distinct castle-like appearance, with long narrow cellblocks around a central prison yard. While many other prisons adopted a similar model, writer Charles Dickens, who visited in 1842, criticized the effect that isolation had on prisoners' mental health, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

Over time, the harmful effects of long-term solitary confinement were more widely recognized, and the prison moved toward other methods of incarceration. However, harsh and often questionable punishments persisted, and the prison soon became a central focal point in the broader debate over criminal justice reform. Still, Eastern State continued to house inmates until it finally closed for good in 1971. For the next two decades, the prison sat abandoned. Then, in 1994, administrators began allowing public tours of the then-abandoned building. The first visitors had to wear hard hats and sign waivers, since the facility was in disrepair. Two years later, the prison opened its first museum exhibits, beginning the process of becoming the popular tourist destination it is today.

Visitors to the prison site can learn about its place in the history of American justice and even tour cells occupied by some of its most famous inmates (including criminal figures as notable as mobster Al Capone and bank robber "Slick Willie" Sutton). Eastern State is also a popular destination for fans of the paranormal. With such a history of violence and suffering, Eastern State unsurprisingly has more than a few accounts of paranormal activity. If you're a believer in the supernatural, Eastern State Penitentiary will probably rank among the most haunted destinations in the world.

But even if you're a paranormal skeptic, a visit to Eastern State Penitentiary is still one of the best things to do on a vacation to Philadelphia. Eastern State's daytime prison tours let you explore the site's historic cellblocks while learning about its history and its role in the evolution of American criminal justice. During the summer, you can also book immersive night tours of the prison to experience the fullest extent of its creepiness. Come Halloween time, Eastern State even leans into its status as a supposedly haunted site by hosting terrifying (in a fun way) Halloween events, including pop-up bars and one of the scariest haunted house experiences you'll likely ever have.

One benefit of Eastern State's location in the middle of Philadelphia is that it is quite accessible by car, public transportation, or even on foot. The prison site is only 13 miles from Philadelphia International Airport and sits right by the SEPTA 7, 32, 33, 43, 48, and 49 bus routes. But as convenient as all these transportation options are, once you set foot inside Eastern State's creepy, antique stone walls, you may feel as far away from the comforts of civilization as you can possibly be.