Terror Behind the Walls was the annual Halloween haunted house staged inside Eastern State Penitentiary, the crumbling 19th-century prison in Philadelphia that once held Al Capone. What began in 1991 as a single-night fundraiser to help preserve the decaying site grew into a sprawling, multi-attraction scare event that ran select nights every September and October for nearly three decades.
The event was rebranded “Terror Behind the Walls” in 1997, shifting toward a high-startle, low-gore walkthrough format staged among real cellblocks, guard towers, and the prison’s infamous solitary confinement wing. At its peak it was named among the top haunted attractions in the nation. Its 2019 run turned out to be its last: Eastern State canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then chose not to revive the traditional haunt, permanently replacing it in 2021 with a new, lighter fall event called Halloween Nights.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA
- Type: Seasonal haunted house / historic site fundraiser
- First fundraiser: 1991
- Rebranded “Terror Behind the Walls”: 1997
- Final season: 2019
- 2020 status: Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Season length: Grew to about six weeks (Sept.-Nov.)
- Successor event: Halloween Nights, launched 2021
A Haunted House Inside a Real Prison
Unlike most seasonal haunts built in warehouses or cornfields, Terror Behind the Walls used the actual crumbling architecture of Eastern State Penitentiary, a former prison that operated from 1829 until 1970 and once housed figures like Al Capone. By 2003 the event featured multiple semi-permanent attractions built into the prison’s cellblocks and exercise yards, and by its final seasons it had expanded to six simultaneous themed experiences staffed by hundreds of performers a night.
From National Haunt to Halloween Nights
Terror Behind the Walls became Eastern State’s biggest annual fundraiser, with proceeds supporting preservation of the nearly 200-year-old building and its museum programming. Its 2019 run was its last before the COVID-19 pandemic forced Eastern State to cancel the 2020 season outright. Rather than reviving the traditional scare-focused haunt, the historic site used the pause to develop Halloween Nights, which debuted in 2021 and mixes lighter scares, historic tours, and live entertainment for a wider range of visitors.
Explore more: Explore more seasonal thrills and haunted attractions.
Terror Behind the Walls FAQs
Is Terror Behind the Walls still open?
No. Terror Behind the Walls ran its final season in 2019. Eastern State Penitentiary canceled the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then retired the brand for good, replacing it with a new event called Halloween Nights starting in 2021.
When did Terror Behind the Walls start?
It traces back to a single-night 1991 Halloween fundraiser at Eastern State Penitentiary, and was formally rebranded “Terror Behind the Walls” in 1997.
Where was Terror Behind the Walls held?
Inside Eastern State Penitentiary, a former prison at 2027 Fairmount Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that operated from 1829 to 1970.
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Photo: Myles Zhang / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.