"Now I know why tigers eat their young."

It all started in 1829 when, at that time, the most expensive building was built. This building was designed to hold 250 prisoners, but in 1913 it was estimated that it held 1,700. There are five wings that extend outward from the center, just like a wagon wheel. The place is Eastern State Penitentiary, which is known for housing Al Capone in 1929. Mr. Capone stated that he was being haunted by the ghost of James Clark, a rival's brother in law. Eastern State Penitentiary closed in 1970.

 ~*Easter State Penitentiary & Al Capone's Cell.

When ESP *How Ironic* closed down, it was closed for 21 years. At that time it was selected to be a part of the historic preservation. In 1991 reconstruction began.  Reports of unusual activity started happening since 1940. Sightings were rampant.

The prison started housing violent prisoners in 1951, such as murderers and rapists. The prison has a very violent history to what it did to prisoner, such as physical torture as a form of punishment. Many people feel that this type of punishment is what contributes to the hauntings. When prisoners were able to leave their cells, a black hood was put over their face so to not see all the other prisoners or to be able to interact with them.

One form of punishment for the inmates was to be dunked into ice cold water, and then they would be hung on the wall all night. Remember these prisons didn't have any kind of heat system, so if it was winter and this happened, ice would form on the inmates skin before morning. 

 ~*The Water Bath*~

Another form was a chair that an inmate was strapped to. This chair was the "Madness Chair" because the inmates were strapped down so tightly that they were not able to move at all. They were provided no food, and when the circulation in their bodies would almost stop, they would be let out.

Then there is the Iron Gag, this was the most deadliest punishment brought to the prisoners. It was an iron collar that was clamped down on to the inmates tongue. It was then attached, by chains, to the inmates wrists which were bound behind his back. If the inmate moved, it would cause the metal to cut into the tongue of the inmate which caused severe bleeding. Many inmates that were provided this punishment, died of sever blood loss before the torture ended.

~*The Gag*~

Then of course there is "the hole." The Hole was dug under cell block 14. Inmates that were thrown down into this darkness, were provided bread and water, well that is if they got to it before the rats and roaches. The hole had no light and very little air. It was the staff that made the inmates endure this torture, not the Quakers who it was used by.

~*The Hole*~ 

There is a catwalk in this place, if you watched the Ghost Hunter's episode of this place you would know about the big shadow figure that walked up to the camera and then quickly went away. Cell block 12 has reports of laughter, cackling and voices being heard. Shadow figures are also seen, besides the catwalk, in cell block 6 leaning up against the walls. In cell block 4 you have reports that faces of ghosts appear. Also, footsteps are heard throughout the entire prison. Shadow figures have been seen in the watch tower, could they be prison guards that feel they still need to watch over the prison?

~*The Catwalk*~