March in Philadelphia always feels like a hinge month—winter loosens its grip, the city starts moving again, and our cultural calendar gets sharper, louder, and more purposeful. This year, the Eastern State March 2026 programs lean into that energy with a lineup that blends public history with real-world relevance: a full month centered on women and the justice system, a civic education spotlight that meets students where they are, and a Spring Break experience built around resistance, creativity, and the unforgettable lore of escape.
As Dr. Kerry Sautner, President & CEO, puts it, “Our March programs aim to deepen public understanding of how civic systems shape people’s lives and communities, particularly women during International Women’s Month,” adding, “By centering lived experiences and encouraging open dialogue, we hope to foster informed civic engagement and thoughtful reflection on the evolving realities of justice in America.”
Eastern State March 2026 Programs Spotlight Women’s Stories
Running Sunday, March 1 through Tuesday, March 31, the Eastern State March 2026 Programs begin with “Women and the Justice System Month”, a sitewide focus that asks visitors to think beyond the walls and into the systems that shaped—and still shape—women’s lives. Framed within International Women’s Month, the programming explores the ongoing struggle to hold the United States accountable to the Declaration of Independence’s promise that all people are created equal.
The approach is built on storytelling, historical interpretation, and creative engagement, with visitors encouraged to connect past and present struggles for justice and to consider what the pursuit of freedom and equality looks like now.
Included with admission, the Eastern State March 2026 Programs offer multiple ways to engage with this history. The “Women’s History Self-Guided Tour” invites you to move at your own pace while tracing the complex and diverse stories of women who were incarcerated here, the staff who worked within these walls, and the advocates who pushed for change. If you prefer a shared experience, the “Women’s History Public Tour” brings those narratives to life through guided interpretation, connecting historic incarceration to the pressing issues women face in prison today. Either way, the month’s programming is designed to make the stories feel immediate—rooted in real people, real consequences, and real resilience.
Eastern State March 2026 Programs Bring Civics to the Forefront
If you’ve been craving events that don’t just inform but also equip, Eastern State delivers that through “Civic Learning Week”, running Sunday, March 8, through Friday, March 13. Created by iCivics, this nationwide initiative highlights the role civic education plays in sustaining constitutional democracy. Eastern State’s contribution is smart and practical: students in grades 6–12 visiting the site can use a “Making Civic Connections” handout designed to spark conversation about civic responsibility, public policy, and the criminal justice system—directly aligned with Eastern State’s mission to deepen public understanding and inspire a more just future.
Wednesday, March 11, becomes a major anchor point within the Eastern State March 2026 programs, with multiple offerings that examine what “justice” looks like after incarceration. “Reentry and Restorative Justice Day” runs from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is open exclusively to School District of Philadelphia groups. This free, hands-on program assigns students a fictitious persona and guides them through real-life scenarios like finding a job, reporting to parole, and paying bills, followed by a discussion on reentry and the criminal justice system. It’s presented in partnership with “Why Not Prosper”, and the structure is exactly what civic learning should be: experiential, empathetic, and grounded in real barriers.
Later that same day, “Justice 101: The Business of Second Chances: Economic Empowerment for Justice-Involved Women” runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is available both in person at Eastern State and online via Zoom and YouTube. Moderated by Assata Thomas, Executive Director of the Office of Reentry Partnerships for the City of Philadelphia, the conversation features panelists Tess Hart (Cofounder of Triple Bottom Brewing), Celeste Trusty (State Legislative Affairs Director of Families Against Mandatory Minimums), and Tonie Willis (Founder of Ardella’s House).
Together, they explore the specific challenges women face reentering society, with an emphasis on hiring barriers, skill-building, and employer bias—plus how the reentry system can be strengthened and reimagined to better support women returning to their communities.
Also on Wednesday, March 11, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Eastern State hosts “Women Changing the City with the Center City Business Association”, an in-person moderated conversation designed for CCBA members and friends. Expect a dynamic panel discussing business, leadership, and the personal motivations that drive positive change—another reminder that civic life isn’t only policy; it’s also who gets to lead, build, and shape a city.
Eastern State March 2026 Programs Turn Spring Break Into The Great Escape
If you want your Spring Break to feel like more than a day off, Eastern State closes out the month with “Spring Break: The Great Escape: Stories of Resistance and Creativity at Eastern State“, running Friday, March 27, through Sunday, April 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This ten-day immersive experience digs into how incarcerated people have used ingenuity, art, faith, humor, and creativity within a system built to contain, control, and isolate. It’s part pop-up history lab, part interactive storytelling, and fully designed to make the site feel alive.
A highlight is “Mini Tour: The Speakeasy: Prohibition, Temperance & Sound”, available on all days with varying times. This immersive mini tour drops visitors into the 1920s, exploring how Prohibition—intended as moral reform—also fueled underground economies, reshaped cities, and expanded surveillance and control. Musical elements are central here, using atmosphere to underscore how sound, storytelling, and shared experience became tools of connection and endurance.
For a sharper edge, “Pop-Up Talk: Al Capone & Policing in Prohibition-Era America” connects Capone’s arrest and imprisonment to the broader rise of Prohibition-era policing, including early forms of stop-and-frisk and the long shadow those practices cast on law enforcement and community relations.
Then there’s the legend-making material: “Mini Tour: The Tunnel Story: Ingenuity, Surveillance, and Control”, also offered daily at varying times. Eastern State March 2026 programs dig into the reality that the site saw hundreds of escape attempts and that roughly 100 people successfully made it outside the walls. Visitors learn the three routes—over the wall, under the wall, or through the gatehouse—while hearing the stories of Latitia Kennard (1840), William Cripy (1852), Leo Callahan (1923), and the famous 1945 tunnel escape involving Clarence Klinedinst and “Slick Willie” Sutton. These aren’t just sensational tales—they’re framed as deeply human stories of resistance.
To tie it all together, “Interactive Activity: Secret Letter Delivery” turns the entire site into a clue-driven experience inspired by historical prison communication networks. Visitors follow prompts to deliver “letters” between secret locations, learning about coded language and symbolism in music and letters, and completing the route reveals the password to the speakeasy mini tour.
Finally, on March 28 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Eastern State March 2026 programs include a “Drop-In Art Activity” with Philadelphia-based artist Mark Loughney, hosted inside his exhibit “Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration”. The family-friendly workshop explores transformation through insect imagery, inviting participants to reflect on what transformation can mean—growth, resilience, new beginnings—while creating an insect-inspired artwork using provided materials. No reservation is required, but space is limited, and visitors can drop in and stay as long as space allows.
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