September 10, 2026
Provided Courtesy/Eastern State Penitentiary
Halloween Nights transforms Eastern State Penitentiary with five haunted houses, live performances, themed bars and historic exhibits.
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary opens Friday, Oct. 2, with five haunted houses, a version of The Crypt that’s twice the size and new ticket options for skipping lines or adding historical tours.
The 35th season runs select nights through Saturday, Nov. 7. General admission costs $49-$79, Quick Pass tickets cost $64-$109 and After Dark VIP Admission costs $109-$159, depending on the date you attend.
A new event flow will guide you through portions of the festival in a set order. You’ll still be able to explore designated bars, performances, food stands and museum exhibits at your own pace. The five haunted houses can be experienced together or bypassed entirely, but individual houses can’t be skipped.
The expanded Crypt will give its vampire inhabitants twice as much room inside the former prison. A new Scare Cam also will be part of the attraction.
The Crypt, one of Halloween Nights’ five haunted houses, will be twice its previous size for the 2026 season.
Quick Pass and After Dark VIP Admission are new options for 2026. Quick Pass gets you into the festival through an express entrance and gives you priority access to the haunted-house lines.
The VIP experience begins with a 40-minute, guided flashlight tour about Eastern State’s history. You’ll then receive front-of-the-line festival entry, Quick Pass benefits and access to the Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell. Admission to the Prohibition-themed lounge includes live entertainment and one complimentary drink.
If you’re thinking about going, choosing a ticket is only the beginning. Here’s what you’ll encounter inside and what you should know before leaving home.
Each haunted house has its own setting and story. The Crypt sends you into the lair of an ancient vampire clan, while Nightmares draws on sleep paralysis and disturbing dreams. Machine Shop places you inside a workplace controlled by menacing employees.
Dark Tides takes you beneath the docks of an abandoned fishing village. Big Top Terror moves through the backstage areas of a twisted carnival, with portions of the attraction located indoors and outdoors.
All five use jump scares, intense imagery, darkness, fog, strobe lights and loud sounds. If you don’t want to enter the haunted houses, you can skip them and continue to the other areas of the festival.
You can opt into a more interactive experience by picking up a glow necklace when you enter.
Wearing one gives performers permission to grab you, direct you into hidden passageways or temporarily separate you from your group. Without a glow necklace, actors won’t intentionally touch you. You can also remove the necklace if you change your mind during the night.
Actors may intentionally touch attendees wearing glow necklaces, including grabbing them or directing them into hidden passageways.
General admission includes all five haunted houses, live performances, museum exhibits and access to the festival’s food and drink areas. Prices range from $49-$79.
Quick Pass costs $64-$109. It includes everything offered with general admission, along with express entry into the festival and priority access at the haunted attractions.
After Dark VIP Admission ranges from $109-$159. In addition to the guided flashlight tour, you’ll receive front-of-the-line festival entry, Quick Pass access, a souvenir flashlight and lanyard, and admission to the Speakeasy with one complimentary drink.
There’s also a small discount hidden in Eastern State’s FAQ. You can enter promo code 26FAQ26 to take $3 off General Admission, Quick Pass or After Dark VIP tickets purchased online. The code doesn’t work on Saturdays in October and can’t be combined with another offer.
General Admission and Quick Pass don’t include the Speakeasy or Hospital Flashlight Tour, but you can add either experience separately.
Speakeasy admission costs $20 and includes live entertainment and one complimentary drink. You can purchase access online or at the event, if space is still available.
The Hospital Flashlight Tour is a 20-minute guided walk through Cellblock 3 that explores Eastern State’s medical history, including its former operating room. The $13 ticket includes a souvenir flashlight and is available only at the event.
The Speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell features a Prohibition-inspired setting, live entertainment and one complimentary drink.
Provided Courtesy/Eastern State Penitentiary
Between haunted houses, you can stop for bao, Asian street food, gourmet s’mores, corn on the cob, popcorn, funnel cakes and fried Oreos. The drink selections include seasonal cocktails, pumpkin punch, nonalcoholic options and beer from Triple Bottom Brewing.
The Fair Chance Beer Garden also contains Eastern State’s primary history and museum exhibits, so you can step away from the scares without leaving the festival.
Most people spend about 90 minutes at Halloween Nights. You may need more time if you stop for food or add one of the premium experiences.
General Admission and Quick Pass tickets are sold in half-hour arrival windows. The time on your ticket determines when you can enter, but it doesn’t limit how long you can stay. After Dark VIP tours begin at the listed time, so you should arrive early for those.
Halloween Nights is recommended for ages 12 and older, and children younger than 7 aren’t permitted. The event operates rain or shine, with some portions held outdoors.
You can wear a costume, but full-face theatrical masks and props resembling weapons are prohibited. Eastern State also lists sandals, flip-flops, open-toed shoes and high heels as prohibited.
Regular bags can’t exceed 5.5 x 8.5 inches. Clear bags may measure up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, and there’s no place to store bags at the event.
Most of the festival is accessible by ramp, although the historic property isn’t fully ADA compliant. Machine Shop contains a three-step section and The Crypt includes a 15-step section, but you can bypass both. ASL interpretation should be requested at least two weeks before your visit.
There’s no event parking at Eastern State Penitentiary. If you drive, you can park at the Philadelphia Zoo garage at 3500 W. Girard Ave. and take a shuttle to Halloween Nights.
Parking and shuttle service cost $22 when purchased online or $30 on-site. Eastern State recommends arriving at the garage 30-40 minutes before your entry time.
If you’re using a rideshare service, the designated drop-off and pickup area is on the north side of Fairmount Avenue at 21st Street beginning at 6 p.m. SEPTA bus routes 7, 32, 33, 43, 48 and 49 also stop in the surrounding area.
Halloween Nights REMIXED: Holiday Havoc closes the season Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7.
Instead of presenting the standard festival for two more nights, REMIXED mixes Halloween with horror-themed versions of Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day and other holidays.
Tickets, available dates and entry times can be found through Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary.
Oct. 2-Nov. 7 | Select nights; entry times vary
Eastern State Penitentiary
2027 Fairmount Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19130
General admission: $49-$79
Quick Pass: $64-$109
After Dark VIP Admission: $109-$159
Recommended for ages 12 and older; children younger than 7 aren’t permitted
Parking and shuttle: $22 online or $30 on-site
Have an event coming up? Let the PhillyVoice Events team know about it by emailing events@phillyvoice.com.
