Eastern State Penitentiary
Eastern State Penitentiary has become a favorite among paranormal researchers. There are many stories of ghostly encounters and strange noises up and down the cell block. It was built in 1829, and the imposing structure was originally designed to only hold about 250 inmates in solitary confinement. At the peak of its use, however, there were reports of as many as 1,700 prisoners crammed into the cells. Like many other such places of high emotional stress, misery and death, the prison has become haunted by the tortured souls that died there.
Al Capone, the infamous mobster, was incarcerated in Eastern State Penitentiary on illegal weapons possession in 1929. During his stay, it is said that Capone was tormented by the ghost of James Clark, one of the men Capone had murdered in the infamous St. Valentine’s Day massacre.
Other reported haunting activity includes:
- A shadow-like figure that scoots quickly away when approached.
- A figure that stands in the guard tower.
- An evil cackling reportedly comes from cellblock 12.
- In cellblock 6, another shadowy figure has been seen sliding down the wall.
- Mysterious, ghostly faces are said to appear in cellblock 4.
The one drawback is that not all the cells are open to the public at this time.
November 10th, 2008 at 9:43 am
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