Eastern State Penitentiary

This penitentiary was a 19th-century social experiment along with Quaker principles. Complete solitary confinement was the rule, on the theory inmates would use the time for prayer, reflection and penitence. In fact, the loneliness destroyed many and eventually overcrowding led to squalid conditions with no pretence of reform. It finally closed in the 1970s. The degree of infamy Eastern State Penitentiary experienced when in use made Alcatraz pale in comparison. Inmates formerly incarcerated here include arch-criminal Al Capone and bank robber Willie Horton. Although it stands today in crumbling condition, visitors get an eerie feeling when viewing the vaulted cell blocks and central rotunda.