Eastern State Penitentiary (radial cellblock design)

Opened in 1829 and designed by architect John Haviland, Eastern State Penitentiary pioneered a radial floor plan with individual cellblocks radiating from a central hub, influencing prison design worldwide. Cells were designed for solitary confinement and included small exercise yards; the penitentiary's vaulted cellblocks and ruinous Gothic architecture are distinctive. The prison housed notorious inmates, including Al Capone, and operated continuously until its closure in 1971. Today the site is preserved as a museum that interprets the penitentiary's architectural and penal history.