Refining the revolutionary system of separate incarceration first pioneered at the Walnut Street Jail, Eastern State Penitentiary emphasized principles of reform rather than punishment and was operational from 1829 to 1971. Eastern State finally closed its doors in 1971, after 142 years in use, and has since been named a National Historic Landmark.
The former penitentiary is now open to the public as a museum for tours 7 days a week, 12 months a year, and seeks to educate the public about the history of incarceration in America. Although it was significantly damaged during the two decades it lay abandoned, it now is being stabilized.
