Abominable snowmen are known for cold-hearted crime sprees, which invariably lead to their imprisonment by law-abiding snowmen in cages hewn from massive icicles. See a human prison with today’s Groupon for a Winter Adventure Tour of Eastern State Penitentiary, located downtown on Fairmount Avenue.

Eastern State Penitentiary began housing prisoners in 1829 under the controversial banner of solitary confinement, and over the years has housed a colorful cast of high-security inmates. Explore this historic structure with a Winter Adventure Tour, which pairs groups of no more than 25 visitors with expert penitentiary guides. Curious voyeurs can peer into the cell of Eastern State’s most famous resident, Al Capone, whose tax-evasion incarceration was punctuated by the loss of his lucky penny two days into his sentence. Additional stops along the hour-long tour include the center surveillance hub and the newly restored Alfred W. Fleisher Memorial Synagogue.

The desolate beauty of this wintertime walk through crumbling watchtowers and decaying cellblocks will entrance history buffs, ghost seekers, and casual phantom tourists alike. Chilly temperatures induce the need for adequate outerwear during the stroll, setting a proper stage to gander at photographs of inmates' past Christmas celebrations.

Reviews

Zagat rates Eastern State Penitentiary's appeal as excellent and Frommer's highly recommends the attraction. More than 120 Yelpers give the Eastern State Penitentiary an average rating of 4.5 stars. More than 80 TripAdvisors give it an average of four owl eyes:

• There are voyeuristically riveting tales of famous residents -- robber Willie Sutton and superstar gangster Al Capone stayed here -- thwarted escapes, romance behind bars, and incarcerated canines. – Frommer's
• It would be easy to sell out entirely to hype up the whole ghost experience at Eastern State, but…the majority of the regular tour focuses on the role of the penitentiary in the development of incarceration and what types of inmates were kept there. – Tara C., Yelp