Philadelphia - Old State Penitentiary

http://www.easternstate.org/

Two of the CityPass tickets had choices to make, with one being between the Eastern State Penitentiary or the Please Touch Museum. The museum had excellent reviews, but I have always found children's museums really boring, and I love old prisons.

I was partially attracted by the architecture. Built in the Gothic Revival style, there were gargoyles and turrets, though there was an interesting squareness to everything that somehow made it seem more practical and less ornate than Gothic generally is.

I think there is a basic in humans attraction to ruins, and to their glimpses of the past. Still, I was looking at things differently.

The day before we had been at Independence Hall, thinking about the country's founding, and our primary guide was a Black man. Thinking about him, and Black Lives Matter, and being in that setting, I could not help being aware of the shortcomings of a past that we tend to reverence. That feeling carried over into viewing the old prison.

It can't be a very nice life, even if you are allowed to pursue hobbies and have pets.

Some of my feelings were especially informed by our tour of Port Arthur, where the silent isolation that was intended to inspire thoughtful reflection and repentance actually produced more despair and sadness. Even though the Pennsylvania system sounds more humane than its contemporary, the Auburn system, it is still easy to doubt how much good could possibly have been done, despite what I believe were good intentions on the part of the founders.

Thoughts on prison reform aside, I feel like the attraction does an excellent job. There were informative signs and models, there was a self-guided audio tour by Steve Buscemi, and one of the most ingenious things of all (at least on this hot and humid day) was a cool room where you could rest and charge your phone. It was truly appreciated.

I am glad we visited, but it also wasn't all fun and games. There was a serious side to the trip, and there was nothing wrong with that.

It's always worthwhile to let some light in.