From To
Find an Event
  • Today
  • Tomorrow
  • This Weekend
  • COVID-19 Response
  • Bastille Day at Eastern State Penitentiary: The Farewell Tour

    • Phillyfunguide
Funsavers
      Courtesy of Eastern State Penitentiary
    • Phillyfunguide
Funsavers
      Courtesy of Eastern State Penitentiary
    Next Previous

    Say au revoir to a longstanding Philly tradition as the Eastern State Penitentiary bids farewell to its Bastille Day Festival. Looking to head in an new direction in the coming seasons, the Penitentiary made the tough decision make this the 24th and final festival. For one last time, guests can relive the infamous storming of Versailles on Saturday, July 14.

     

    Celebrate the dawn of the French revolution with local favorites The Bearded Ladies, who will be providing a dramatic recreation of the storming of Bastille, complete with throwing Tastykakes at the audience while Marie Antoinette is captured. Sounds legit to us.

     

    Bastille Day at Eastern State gets rolling (like a few heads) at 10:00 a.m. with tours of the penitentiary (standard admission fees apply).

    At 5:30 p.m., the Bearded Ladies take the stage for an hour-long reenactment of the French Revolution featuring song, dance, beheading and raining Tastykakes! This year’s performance will also address Philly public school education, criminal justice, racial injustice, the border wall and firewalls. With appearances by Mark Zuckerberg, Joan of Arc, Benjamin Franklin, a six-foot tall French baguette, confetti cannons, stilt walkers and more, you don’t want to miss this retelling of the storming of Bastille!

     

    After the festivities, surrounding restaurants will come alive with the spirit of the Revolution, offering French-themed entertainment and food and drink specials.

     

    For more information regarding museum hours, festival details and more, check Eastern State's website.

     

    We're certainly going to miss this beloved Fairmount staple--keep the party going on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @Phillyfunguide!

    More Historical Events:

    QUICK VIEW
    SPECIAL EVENTS
    Spring Break at Eastern State: Sports & Recreation
    Eastern State Penitentiary Historic...
    March 23rd, 2024 - March 31st, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    SPECIAL EVENTS
    Story Telling with Saundra Gilliard
    InLiquid Art + Design
    March 30th, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    MUSEUMS
    Come Behind the Wall at Founder's Hall Museum
    Girard College
    Permanent Attraction
    QUICK VIEW
    FREE
    Peter Wentz Farmstead's Sheep Shearing Day
    Peter Wentz Farmstead
    April 20th, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    SPECIAL EVENTS
    The Blind Tiger Speakeasy Party
    Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society
    March 9th, 2024 - October 11th, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    TOURS
    Unsinkable to Unthinkable: Titanic Passengers of Laurel Hill
    Friends of Laurel Hill and West...
    April 14th, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    TOURS
    Liberty or Death: Revolutionary War Soldiers of Laurel Hill East
    Friends of Laurel Hill and West...
    April 20th, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    TOURS
    Beautiful Blooms: Spring Arbor Tour of Laurel Hill East
    Friends of Laurel Hill and West...
    April 21st, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    KIDS
    History Explorer Day Camp: Plants, Fabrics, and Dyes, Oh My!
    Museum of The American Revolution
    April 23rd, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    SPECIAL EVENTS
    Special Limited Fashion Exhibit - Hidden Gems: Fashioning A Legacy
    Pearl S. Buck International®
    March 15th, 2024 - May 12th, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    MUSEUMS
    There Is a Woman in Every Color: Black Women in Art
    Delaware Art Museum
    March 16th, 2024 - May 26th, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    FREE
    West Park Arts Fest
    West Park Cultural Center
    June 8th, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    TOURS
    The Great Philadelphia Comedy Magic Walking Tour
    Philly Magic Tours
    May 18th, 2024 - June 23rd, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    FREE
    Prelude to a Carol
    Pennypacker Mills
    November 30th, 2024
    QUICK VIEW
    FILM
    "New Divisons" Screening + Talkback
    PhillyCAM
    April 6th, 2024

    Want to know when your favorite events are 1/2-price? Then sign up for our weekly Funsavers email!

    General

    Title

    More Info