Seasonal Tour Guide

Seasonal Tour Guides

 

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site (ESPHS) seeks outgoing, engaging and passionate people for the position of Seasonal Tour Guide. This position serves as the face of ESPHS. A detailed description for the position appears below; please follow specific instructions to apply.

Seasonal Tour Guides are responsible for sharing the history and relevance of the penitentiary for a broad, general-interest audience. ESPHS’s guide-led programming includes brief hands-on and behind the scenes experiences such as unlocking a cell door or exploring the prison’s hospital, leading one-hour public and school tours of the site, and staffing locations around the penitentiary to ensure a safe and educational environment for visitors.

Other responsibilities include site maintenance, which entails cleaning exhibits and taking out the trash. Please note that Eastern State Penitentiary is a ruin and working conditions are not always ideal. Seasonal Tour Guides spend their workday in outdoor conditions.

About Seasonal Employment at ESPHS:

This position is seasonal, beginning immediately and ending on November 30th. Applicants must be available for weekday and weekend shifts (approx. 9 am to 5:30 pm); occasional early mornings and evenings required. 

Hourly rate begins at $12.20/hr. After the completion of a performance review pay raises to $13.00/hr. There is also a bonus for Seasonal Tour Guides who complete the entire season in good standing. 

 

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement:

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, arrest record or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment.

ESPHS strongly believes in second chances and, as such, is committed to providing appropriate employment opportunities to those who have been incarcerated.  As a condition of employment, all individuals who accept an employment offer must complete a criminal background check.  Eastern State will review any criminal record and make appropriate employment decisions in accordance with applicable law and its policies.

 

About ESPHS:

When Eastern State opened more than 180 years ago, it changed the world. The first prison of its kind – a penitentiary – it was designed to inspire true regret in the hearts of prisoners. The building itself was an architectural wonder; it had running water and central heat before the White House, and attracted visitors from around the globe. Although the prison now stands in ruin, its story remains relevant today. When Eastern State Penitentiary opened as a historic site in 1994, it attracted just over 10,000 daytime visitors – in 2018 it was visited by more than 275,000. The site’s programming continues to grow by inviting the public into new spaces, mounting original exhibits and artist installations, and engaging visitors in dialogue about history that deepen the national discussion about criminal justice today.

ESPHS is open every day, year-round from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm For more information please visit easternstate.org. 

 

The work of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is made possible through the generous support of committed individuals and institutions.