Every year, Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary sets out to become a completely immersive haunted experience, but they’ve also added some new and improved visitor features in 2025 to make it their “most ambitious season yet.”
Running select nights through Nov. 8, the main pull of the annual attraction are the five haunted houses, each dressed with a theme. Those brave enough to participate can make their way through Nightmares, Big Top Terror, the Machine Shop, The Crypt, and a new iteration dubbed Dark Tides.
With Big Top, Philadelphians will find themselves behind the scenes at a sinister carnival, and for Nightmares, the scares come in the form of sleep paralysis demons and The Sandman. The Crypt brings visitors into the lair of an ancient vampire clan, the Machine Shop opts to bring visitors on a one-way path to encounter menacing shop workers eager for you to join their crew, and lastly, Dark Tides brings visitors through a seemingly abandoned fishing village with some interesting inhabitants.
Those who are a bit more daring can “opt in” for a more intense experience as well. With the opt-in portion, Philadelphians will don a glow necklace, and anyone wearing one may be grabbed, sent into hidden passageways, and even temporarily separated from their group.
Apocalypse Pass: Outdoor frights await
This year also brings a brand-new outdoor scare zone dubbed Apocalypse Pass, enhanced set designs in each portion of the venue, and a redesigned event flow. As a release notes, this year’s festival features a new hybrid design that blends guided storytelling with free exploration. Guests will experience four acts—two open-flow and two in sequence. Instead of waiting in multiple lines, visitors enter once and move seamlessly through the haunted houses, with fewer interruptions and more time to enjoy the penitentiary’s historic grounds.
Halloween Nights has also brought back Shadow of the Veil, an evolution of the experience that engages audiences across multiple attractions.
Described as an immersive-theater-style experience that combines narrative and puzzle, Beyond the Veil engages guests in a non-linear quest that spans all ten acres of the penitentiary complex, a release notes. Key characters will engage with guests, putting them on paths to make decisions and unravel additional storylines and challenges as they go. Additional signage throughout the festival will also give visitors a more intimate look at the creatures who wander the grounds of Halloween Nights.
And with all of that excitement, some people might be ready for a drink.
Drinks, bites, and vampire vibes
At The Bloodline Lounge, guests can indulge in vampire-themed food and drinks in this darkly styled watering hole. There’s also the Fair Chance Beer Garden, and it features Detroit-styled pizza from Down North, bites from Corneey’s Corn on the Cob and Gourmet Popcorn, beer from Triple Bottom Brewery and soft drinks. The Beer Garden is also there to do some good as they invite those who oblige to participate in hands-on activities that invite conversation and reflection on Eastern State’s history and legacy of criminal justice reform.
VIP ticket holders can also head to the Speakeasy at Al Capone’s cell. The experience takes place in the thick of where the famous mobster resided at ESP, and it offers Philadelphians the chance to mingle with interesting characters while enjoying some libations (the first of which is complimentary.)
Other attractions include a spot to roast s’mores, and the Pumpkin Plaza featuring the Boogie Monsters. The space is chock full of live dance performances and Halloween props to take selfies. It’s in the latter that you’ll also find more options for drinks and the Bao & Bun Studio.
Spooky fun for everyone
There’s additionally the popular and immersive walk-through, Kaleidiscope Hall, which is back for another year for visitors to explore, and the guide-led flashlight Hospital Tour ($12, tickets at the door.)
On the educational side of the offerings, visitors can also check out the “The Voices of Eastern State Highlights Audio Tour”, which features a 20-minute, abbreviated version of their audio tour with actor Steve Buschemi narrating, plus the voices of people who were incarcerated or worked at Eastern State. Or, opt to peruse through some of the award-winning museum exhibits located on the grounds.
“Each season of Halloween Nights is the result of months of creativity, planning, and innovation, and every year we push ourselves to go further,” says Erin Davis, Director of Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary. “For 2025, we’ve raised the stakes once again with Dark Tides and Apocalypse Pass, two all-new experiences that redefine the scale and intensity of the festival.
“This year’s event will deliver our most immersive, cinematic, and unforgettable Halloween Nights yet. From the moment visitors step through Eastern State’s front gate, they’ll be transported into a world of spectacle and surprise.”
Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary acts as a fundraiser for the historical grounds. Ticket prices start at $49 and vary by night. Timed tickets are on sale now at HalloweenNights.org
