The Eastern State Penitentiary is a former American prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was operational from 1829 to 1971.
When the building was erected, it was the largest and most expensive public structure ever constructed in the US. Its design later became a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide.
Today, the prison is a National Historic Landmark, and is open to the public as a museum for tours seven days a week.
During its glory days, notorious criminals such as bank robber Willie Sutton and Al Capone were held inside its unique wagon wheel design. What a luxury life they had!?!
Besides tours, the prison is also used as a location for filming, due to its ominous appearance and gloomy atmosphere. Among the most famous include Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, where the prison yard serves as an abandoned refuge in the movie.
But the highlight of our visit was really the treasure hunt for the Ghost Cats, an art exhibition by Linda Brenner that showcases 39 cat sculptures that once lived in the prison. Scattered around the prison’s compound, the sculptures were purposefully made of a material that slowly dissolves over time.
And I think we did quite well with our find of 10 out of the 17 remaining sculptures.
Reflecting on this visit, I guess the saddest thing was, while USA proudly showcases their dark histories, Malaysia decides to remove them!!
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