Grab a pitchfork and storm the walls! Whether you're a revolutionary or a royalist, there's something for you in this celebration of all things French at Bastille Day at the Eastern State Penitentiary.
The 15th annual celebration has become one of Philadelphia’s most popular summertime events, attracting thousands of visitors each year into the massive shadow of the penitentiary's main wall to commemorate the storming of the Bastille by French revolutionaries.
This year’s event takes place on Saturday, July 12th when dozens of French revolutionaries, armed with muskets and cannon, and singing "La Marseilles," storm the grim walls of "the Bastille" (Eastern State Penitentiary) and drag Marie Antoinette to a real, functioning guillotine, built for the occasion.
The block party in front of the prison commences at 2 and goes to 5:30.
After the storming, the party spills into the charming neighborhood of Fairmount, as restaurants and bars host wonderful French dinner specials and alfresco celebrations throughout the evening.