Sorry this took so long but I’ve had a hell of a cold and have also been busy working on my and Hubby’s Halloween costumes.
Anyway…
Like I said in an older post I won free tickets from the Pottstown Mercury but they were for Thursdays and Sundays only. Since I can barely get out of bed on a Monday we decided to go on Thursday 10/21/10. We also decided to park in the zoo lot like they suggest and take the free shuttle to the prison. I highly recommend this. It wasn’t that expensive, it was simple to get to and leave from and kinda added to the experience. We got to the parking lot around 7:30 PM and jumped on the Ghost Bus which is what they call the shuttle. It was full but not crowded by the time we shoved off and the people onboard were mostly couples and small groups in their late 20’s to mid 40’s. We made our way thru Fairmont Park and were told a ghost story and some of ESP’s history on the way which was pretty cool. We got off the bus around 7:50PM and noticed a lot of guests and staff milling about making for a very festive atmosphere. There were a lot of costumed actors on the street both helping and scaring people. There was also music and eerie sounds. Overall the block ESP is on feels very spooky and exciting. We made our way to towards the ticket booth stopping on our way to fill out the required release forms. FYI, be sure to do this before trying to buy tickets. While signing our lives away we noticed the bushes moving. Suddenly they jumped up and scared some teens. Sooo cool. Anyway, once we made it to the ticket booth (a trailer down the street from the main entrance) we were a bit dismayed to find that the 1st time slot available was 10:00PM. Bummed out we were about to commit to that time but then we noticed that our comp tickets said we could upgrade for $5.00 per person and by-pass the line. Yeah VIP! I believe that paying customers have to pay double their ticket price for this option so needless to say we were very, very happy. Tickets, VIP passes and waivers in hand we made our way back thru the escaped, crazy prisoners and screaming tweens to the main entrance. It’s a bit plain Jane but I think that’s on purpose so that people don’t line up there. There are corrals for each time slot where they want you to line up.
Once inside the main entrance you go thru security then into the prison yard for pictures. Yes we got a pic… no we didn’t buy it. After pics there is a section of stanchion and then you are in receiving. There are TV’s throughout the lines but we didn’t have time to watch them because there was zero wait for VIP. After the line ends you make your way thru more of the yard, thru delousing and into the building for receiving. There aren’t many actors in this area which gave me a sinking feeling that maybe the rest of the haunt would be that way. Not so though which makes me wonder if maybe a few more people out here would be better. Maybe not. I’m honestly not sure if an underwhelming start was a good thing for this attraction or not. Hmmmm? After a brief reading of the rules (DON’T TOUCH THE BUILDING) you are then inside the cellblock area.
The first part of the inside portion of TBTW is called Lock Down. Really it is exactly what you expect and want from this haunt. Cells, prisoners, spooky quiet, etc. Perfect. The floor is a bit uneven and you CAN’T TOUCH THE WALLS so wear good shoes but otherwise I have no complaints about this part. Make sure you take your time and look around, up, etc. There are some cool, subtle spooky things that you’ll miss if you don’t. Keep an eye out for the Tesla coils. Hubby LOVED them. Overall I think this was my favorite part of the night. On the way out of this attraction you make your way thru the central part of the prison. The day tours clearly go thru here… you can tell by the placards and numbers on the walls. There is a beautiful view if you look up and some creepy ass, decrepit halls and cells here. Unfortunately you have to stay with the group they assign you to so we didn’t get to look at everything for as long as we would have liked. Guess this is what the day tour is for but really we would have liked more time in this area in the dark with the screams and noises and stuff. Maybe some stanchion here would have let you mosey thru the area and check everything out in a more organized fashion and at a slower pace. Or maybe not.
The next part of the haunt is The Infirmary. You queue for this part outside and the actor playing the Dr. who lets you in stunk. Sorry dude but your character was seriously lacking. Not so much that it ruined the experience but bad nonetheless. The attraction, in comparison, was quite good. Not as good as the prior part but the props and stuff felt authentic. Overall it was very well done. Really this is what Pennhurst should try to do… highlight some of the architecture and the medical equipment and sprinkle in a few boos. Didn’t top Lock Down but The Infirmary was definitely my #2… no pun intended.
You are given 3D glasses as you enter The Experiment next. It is your typical 3D/ black light haunted attraction but the actors and artwork are phenomenal. Be on the lookout for people blending into and coming out of the walls and stuff. They are sneaky and got some good scares this way. There is a spinney tunnel thing in this part which doesn’t really make any sense but I guess people like it so I can understand why it’s there. I don’t usually like to spoil the specifics of a haunt but I had to call out the tunnel because quite frankly it F’d a lot of people. We were told on the bus home that puking happens often but there are actors around to help. Our group got stuck in the damn thing for like 2 minutes cause someone ahead of us was freaking out. Good thing Hubby kept his eyes closed or I would have seen the puking firsthand.
Once thru the 3D part you turn in your glasses for a mini LED flashlight and you enter Night Watch. This part is completely dark and it’s up to you and your flashlight how much light you want or don’t want. I liked this concept and enjoyed this part. Again don’t forget to look all around and up. Lots of cool stuff can be found this way. There were fewer actors in this part but you don’t mind since you are blundering through the darkness.
When you exit Night Watch you have to give back your flashlight then you are led into a courtyard area full of vendors. The picture people are here as are some souvenir and food vendors. Also in this area is a place where you can catch a glimpse of Al Capone’s old cell. It was pretty neat. Only complaint is that there was nowhere to sit and eat or just hang. Next is a museum which you can bypass if you want. It was a bit cramped but cool. Finally there is one last gift shop and then you are back on the street… exiting from the same place that you originally entered. After a short walk we paid for our parking and caught the bus back to the lot. The stoner bus employee asked the crowd some fun questions and gave some more history which was entertaining and appropriate. We were back in the car right around 10:00PM which should have been the time we were starting the haunt. Again, yay VIP.
Overall we really enjoyed Terror Behind The Walls @ Eastern State Penitentiary. So much so that we would have gone back again this year if we’d had more time. We like the damn thing so much I think we might even do the day tour. Yay ESP! Keep up the good work and we’ll see you next year. Oh… and thanks again Pottstown Mercury. Hubby and I plus the couple we gave our other pair of tickets to really enjoyed ourselves.
Next up maybe one more haunt and then my TR for the Roxxy’s 7 Deadly Sins Party. Later.
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