Interactive Exhibit Puts High-Definition Cameras In Guard Towers of Eastern State Penitentiary

PHILADELPHIA, March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site in Philadelphia, PA, will kick off the new 2010 season with Tunnels and Towers Weekend, providing a glimpse into seldom-seen elements of the historic prison.  Visitors have long wished to see two perspectives of Eastern State Penitentiary: the view from the guard towers and of the underground punishment cells, otherwise known as "the hole."  Neither has ever been open to the public.  

On April 10 and 11, 2010, at Tunnels and Towers Weekend, the historic site will launch an ambitious new exhibit, TowerCam!, which places high-definition, remote-controlled cameras in the penitentiary guard towers.  Visitors will use the cameras to gain the officers' perspective five flights above.  

"Prison Inside a Prison," a new guided tour, will also premiere that weekend.  It guides small groups of visitors in the cramped, dark, windowless, punishment cells below Cellblock 14.  In most prisons, these cells are called "The Hole."  At Eastern State they had the additional nickname of "Klondike."  The tours will run every half hour during opening weekend and are free with regular admission to the penitentiary. (Reservations are required for opening weekend.)

Beginning April 10, visitors to Eastern State Penitentiary will be able to visit the TowerCam! exhibit as part of their regular admission to the historic site.  Special guided tours of "Prison Inside a Prison," incorporating the Klondike solitary cells, will be offered Monday through Friday at 3:15 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 12:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m.

TowerCam! Exhibit

The new TowerCam! exhibit has been built into former machine shops flanking the baseball diamond inside the prison walls.  The space remains in semi-ruin, with just a center section of the room cleared of rusted machinery and debris.  Within the cleaned area, two reconstructed sections of the center guard tower catwalks include expanded metal walkways, railings, and spotlights, all built to the exact scale of the real tower 40 feet above.

Visitors standing at the rails of the reconstructed guard tower will control two high-definition cameras, mounted in the penitentiary's actual central guard tower five floors up.  The cameras are placed at the exact spot where visitors are standing on the recreation.  The images are played on 52 inch flat screen monitors, giving a rich, vivid perspective of the view from this unique urban setting.  Visitors can spin the cameras a full 360 degrees and zoom in and out for views of the 11-acre penitentiary complex.

The exhibit will challenge visitors to locate specific buildings and landmarks throughout the penitentiary, using the TowerCam! cameras.  Challenges include finding Death Row, the Warden's quarters, the Hospital, the Greenhouse, and the roof of the TowerCam! exhibit itself.

Eastern State Penitentiary

Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cellblocks and empty guard towers.  Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world's first true "penitentiary," a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of convicts.

Tours today include the cellblocks, solitary punishment cells, Al Capone's Cell, and Death Row.  A critically-acclaimed series of artists' installations is free with admission.  Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site is located at 22nd Street and Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, PA.  Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $8 for students and children ages 7-12 (not recommended for children under the age of 7).  The penitentiary is open every day, year round.  From March 15 to November 30, admission includes the "Voices of Eastern State" audio tour narrated by actor Steve Buscemi.  Also included in admission are special guided tours on the subjects of daily life, escapes, prison inside a prison, and architecture.  For more information and schedules, please call (215) 236-3300 or visit www.easternstate.org .

Press Note:  The press is invited to view both the new TowerCam! exhibit and the "Prison Inside a Prison" tour on Wednesday, April 7 at 11:00 a.m.

SOURCE Eastern State Penitentiary