The Eastern State Penitentiary Museum Store is the first and last place you see when you come to visit, so it’s our job to keep things looking new and interesting. Developing merchandise can be a long and arduous task, but it’s important to get exactly what you want in the process.
The Museum Store was lacking a keychain in our repertoire, and it was high time we got one. The original front gate key has always been an excellent conversation piece, but making an exact replica might be a bit too cumbersome for a keychain - it’s 7” long! We sized it down to a 4” piece and molded it to look just like the original.
The process itself took nearly a year, but by the time the final product arrived we could barely keep them on the shelves! The ESP keychain is one of our fastest selling products to date and is definitely a crowd favorite. Be sure to check out the original key on display in the museum area on your next visit to Eastern State!
Julia Jordan
Merchandise Manager
