Halloween Nights Returns to Eastern State Penitentiary with New Immersive Experience For 2024

The highly anticipated Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary is set to return on Friday, September 20, kicking off its 2024 season.

The sprawling Halloween festival, which runs select nights through November 9, promises an unforgettable mix of scares, entertainment, and history.

Set in Philadelphia, against the eerie backdrop of Eastern State Penitentiary — once the world’s most famous prison — Halloween Nights transports visitors into a world of crumbling cellblocks and towering 30-foot-high fortress walls.

The gothic prison, now in ruin, creates a haunting atmosphere that only deepens after dark. Nearly every inch of the ten-acre complex is transformed, with abandoned cellblocks, exercise yards, workshops, and outdoor courtyards activated for the festival.

This year, Halloween Nights features five haunted houses, historic tours, themed bars, live entertainment, and much more.

Several new attractions and upgrades will debut in 2024, including Beyond the Veil, an immersive theater-style adventure.

The 2024 season introduces Beyond the Veil, a brand-new immersive experience that ties together the festival’s attractions with an overarching storyline. Guests will dive into the lore of Halloween Nights through new signature characters, participating in a non-linear quest across the entire penitentiary. Key characters guide visitors through hidden storylines and puzzles that enhance the experience and challenge them to engage more deeply.

“Each year we aim to make Halloween Nights bigger and more immersive than ever,” said Erin Davis, Director of Halloween Nights. “This season, we’ve elevated the experience with enhanced sets, upgraded visitor flow, and Beyond the Veil, which invites guests to explore a fully interactive world from the moment they step through the gates.”

Click here to download a PDF of the Halloween Nights 2023 festival map.

For thrill-seekers looking for more, Halloween Nights offers an opt-in option for an even more intense experience. Guests who wear a glow necklace signal their willingness to be grabbed, pulled into hidden passageways, or separated from their group.

While Halloween Nights is known for its haunted attractions, there’s much more to explore. The festival includes themed bars, lounges, live performances, and guided historic tours, including a flashlight tour of the penitentiary’s hospital block. Visitors can also engage with Eastern State’s award-winning criminal justice exhibits in the Fair Chance Beer Garden, where they can pause from the scares to learn about contemporary prison reform.

Halloween Nights runs select evenings from September 20 through November 9, 2024. Tickets start at $39, and online purchasing is recommended to guarantee entry, as many nights do sell out. VIP Admission starts at $59 available exclusively online.

*Opening and closing times vary. Tickets are sold in half-hour entry times.

Click Here for complete menus of food and drink offerings available during Halloween Nights.

Eastern State Penitentiary is located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Proceeds from Halloween Nights benefit the preservation of this National Historic Landmark, which operates as a daytime museum.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the official Eastern State website by Clicking Here.