Tourists visit first prison in U.S.

Feeling locked up this summer? Eastern State Penitentiary, the oldest prison in the United States, may be the perfect escape. And according to Eastern State tour guide Randall Wise, over 300 tourists pass through the iron-cast doors of the world-famous jail each weekend to see the former home of such infamous convicts as Al Capone, Willie Sutton and "Pep the Dog" -- the canine sentenced to life behind bars in 1924 by former Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot for murdering his wife's cat. While many former inmates and prison guards re-visit Eastern State, tourists from all over the country make up the bulk of Wise's tours, he said. "People are really fascinated by things they can't see normally," Wise said. "Most people are awed by this place." For a seven-dollar ticket, visitors receive an hour-long tour of the esteemed jail -- which is littered with heaps of chipped paint, cracked glass and broken pipes. Those touring Eastern State must wear hard hats and sign an insurance waiver form saying they will not sue the city if they are hit by falling debris. And because of the amount of lead paint in the prison, children under seven -- who are the most at risk for lead poisoning -- are not allowed on the tours. Wise said, though, that many repairs are in store for Eastern State, which has been targeted as the major tourist attraction of the future by the city -- right up there in the ranks of the Philadelphia Art Museum and the Liberty Bell. But Jasmine Melzo, who traveled from Brooklyn with her husband and daughter just to go on the tour, said seeing Eastern State in the rough was what made her visit unique. "I like it because it hasn't been upgraded yet, and that's the most appealing thing to me," she said. "Most [historical] places are so incredibly restored -- this is more interesting." Although the hard hats the tourists must wear are not for sale, there is a small gift shop in the historical penitentiary which sells Eastern State T-shirts, postcards, calenders, iron-on patches and reprints of the original Eastern State "Handbook for Prisoners," which was published in the '50s. Richard Harrison, who bought a 1994 calender from the gift shop, said his interest in Eastern State was sparked years ago -- when he used to deliver meat to the penitentiary. "All my life I've never been inside," he said. "I always used to wonder." Ken Clouse, who was also on the tour, said that although he lives across the street from Eastern State, Sunday was the first time he actually saw the stony prison on the inside since it opened as a tourist site in 1992. "I'm glad I'm one of the first people to to check this out," Clouse said. "It's?original -- every town's got a city hall, but not every town has a penitentiary." Many tourists who visited the prison said they were fascinated to learn about the unusual penal system used by Eastern State when it first opened in 1829. According to Wise, Eastern State prison cells were originally all completely solitary, with convicts occupying only one room to sleep in and another confined, outdoor "exercise area." Prisoners were not allowed to talk to each other or write letters home, Wise said. "It's hard to believe there was total isolation," said Julie Kerdziel, who hails from Northeast Philadelphia. "I feel confined just being here." Kay Harris, a member of Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell's Criminal Justice Commission, said Eastern State is "the epitome of the penitentiary" and very important as an historical site. Because Eastern State -- which was designed in 1821 by John Haviland -- was the first prison in the country, Philadelphia is "the cradle of the penal system," she said. Eastern State is located at 21st and Fairmount Avenue. Tours are given by the hour Thursday through Sunday. For more information, call 236-7236.