History & local legend
Eastern State Penitentiary is the former prison on Philadelphia’s Fairmount Avenue, recognizable by its high stone walls and radiating cellblocks. Reports of hauntings concentrate on particular parts of the prison: laughter and voices in Cellblock 12, moving shadows in Cellblock 6, and faces appearing in Cellblock 4.
One named witness was Gary Johnson, a locksmith who worked at the site. In an account reported by NPR in 2013, Johnson recalled opening an old lock in Cellblock 4 during the early 1990s. He said he suddenly felt held in place by an unseen force and saw faces and a beckoning form in the cell.
