Located in Philadelphia just across the Schuylkill River, Eastern States is a fascinating place filled with history, both of the prison and prisoners.
If you visit during the week, especially before summer, you be treated to very low crowds and unobstructed views for your exploring or photography.
Should you bring a tripod (recommended), you’ll just need to pay the $10 equipment pass fee when you get your ticket at the entrance.
I recommend you do the audio tour which takes about 40 minutes and then you a free to explore the rest of the site at your leisure. Narrated by Steve Buscemi, the tour is well presented and organized. It starts with a history of the prison, and each stop along the tour is numbered and controlled by you on the player as you proceed at your own pace.
Some of my photographs from the visit are in my galleries section here