Eastern State Penitentiary

Opened in 1829 and designed by John Haviland, Eastern State Penitentiary introduced a radial cellblock layout and the 'separate system' intended to reform prisoners through solitary confinement. It operated continuously as a prison until 1971 and was highly influential on 19th-century prison design internationally. The site is preserved as a historic landmark with intact cellblocks, a central rotunda, and public tours and exhibits about its penal history.