Love Behind The Walls Opens At Eastern State Penitentiary In Fairmount
By Hadas Kuznits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Eastern State Penitentiary hosts special Valentine's Day guided tours examining the love stories of this famous prison.
The folks at Eastern State Penitentiary are celebrating Valentine's Day with their Love Behind the Walls Tours, which run through Valentine's Day.
"We're going to be focusing on some of the relationship stories that developed over the years," said Frank Dolan (photo), Associate Director of Tour Programs and Site Operations at Eastern State Penitentiary.
"A lot of men and women lived here. The place was open for 142 years, so one of my favorite aspects was a series of love letters from the late 1800's between a male and a female inmate. These people were in solitary confinement. They weren't supposed to see each other but somehow they managed to find one another. They're actually really sweet, touching letters."
Dolan says believe it or not, this can be a very romantic place.
"Some of the language is real flowery and Victorian. They talk about breaking down the stones so they can see one another."
And even in modern times.
"We do a lot of wedding photography here; we've had a couple of staff weddings take place here," adds Dolan.
