For its 35th season, Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary continues its transformation from a traditional haunted house into a dynamic, choose-your-own-adventure Halloween festival. Once known as Terror Behind the Walls, the event now blends immersive horror, nightlife, and historical exploration inside the 10-acre abandoned prison in Philadelphia.
“Halloween Nights has five haunted houses. We have a portion of our museum open. You can take a behind-the-scenes tour with a flashlight in our hospital,” explained Erin Davis, Director of Halloween Nights. “We have two different themed bars and lounges, a speakeasy, a vampire lounge. We have a big dance area with a dance troupe that dances every 30 minutes. We have a light show in one of our biggest cellblocks that you can watch. That’s pretty stunning. And we have our museum store. There’s a lot of stuff going on.”
This reimagined format emerged after the pandemic shutdown gave the team time to reevaluate the guest experience. “We were behind the walls for 29 years, which was a linear walk-through haunted house. It was all scary — a wonderful show, amazing — but we wanted to pivot,” said Davis. “We came up with Halloween Nights, and it was this festival-style event… you can spend one to four hours really enjoying your time here.”
A Broader Audience, a Deeper Experience
The decision to broaden the event’s offerings was also strategic. “There are so many people that would come up to me and say, ‘We can’t come because it’s too scary.’ And now I get to say, ‘Well actually, there’s something for everyone,’” said Davis. “You don’t have to do the scary stuff. You can just be entertained and have drinks and food and enjoy your night in that way. But we also have the scary stuff — don’t get us wrong.”
The result is a more flexible, guest-directed experience. “It’s just so much more robust. It’s so much deeper. You can have whatever kind of experience you want here,” Davis explained. “You can just come here and do the historical stuff and have a great time and have a beer in the beer garden and pizza. We have all these vendors.”
Halloween Nights now features dancers, singers, magicians, food and drink vendors, and fire pits for making s’mores — all created in-house. “I’m so proud of our in-house team. People always come here and they’re like, ‘This looks like a movie set.’ And I’m like, ‘We make it.’ Our team is incredibly talented.”
For those seeking more intense thrills, guests can opt into an interactive track by wearing a glow necklace at the entrance. “That signifies to our staff that they can touch you,” said Davis. “You’ll get passageways that can make you fall, overall make your experience more intense — if you so choose to.”
New for 2025: Dark Tides
The headline attraction for 2025 is Dark Tides, an aquatic-themed haunted house that plunges guests into an eerie, submerged world.
“As you’ve probably seen, we have a new haunted house this year that dives into the aquatic theme,” said Davis. “You can go into the abyss underwater, and you’ll encounter all sorts of sirens and deep-sea creatures. You’ll enter into a submarine at one point and an old chanty fishing town.”
This is the first time the Eastern State team has explored an underwater concept in the event’s 35-year history. “There was endless creativity with that theme — colors and lighting. And the creatures… underwater creatures are absolutely horrifying. And they don’t have to be regular fish. They can be crazy,” she said, laughing. “We’re super stoked about it. We really think the guests are going to love it.”
Beyond the Veil Expands
Another returning feature for 2025 is Beyond the Veil, a self-guided interactive experience that unlocks hidden characters and secrets throughout the event.
“Last year, thousands of people engaged in it. We were shocked by how many people took the time to go through the whole experience,” said Davis. “This year it’s returning — bigger and better. New characters, new storyline.”
Guests choosing to participate in Beyond the Veil receive a starting point and clues to follow across the site. As they explore, they meet original characters and learn the backstory of Halloween Nights and its haunted inhabitants. It’s designed to reward repeat visits and foster deeper emotional connections to the setting.
Event Details
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary runs select nights from September 19 through November 8, 2025. General Admission tickets start at $49, and VIP Admission includes express entry and access to the speakeasy at Al Capone’s Cell with one complimentary beverage. A separate flashlight tour through the historic hospital is available for an additional fee.
Guests are encouraged to arrive early and purchase tickets in advance due to limited nightly capacity. Parking is available at the Philadelphia Zoo’s garage, with continuous shuttle service to and from the penitentiary.
Each night features over 200 performers, five haunted houses, themed entertainment areas, and access to select museum exhibits — all staged inside the original penitentiary complex, built in 1829.
Looking Ahead
After more than three decades, Halloween Nights remains a benchmark in the haunted attraction industry — not just for its scale, but for its continued reinvention.
“We are so excited to share our 35th year with you and our new haunted house,” Davis said. “There’s something for everyone now — you can just have fun, or you can go as deep as you want.”
The 2025 season reinforces Eastern State’s commitment to creating both scares and stories — all while honoring the power of its historic setting.
Event: Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary
Location: 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130
Dates: September 19 – November 8, 2025
Admission: General and VIP tickets available online; group discounts offered
Website: HalloweenNights.org
