The Ohio State Reformatory Concerts 2025

I am a huge fan of Shawshank Redemtion and obviosuly knew it was filmed in the old Ohio State Reformatory building. Nothing is in the area and even being a fan, I wouldn't suggest making a special trip to Mansfield, OH. It's a small town off the beaten path, which I guess is why they put a prison there (there is a newer, active prison within eye-shot of this one). Coincidentally, I had a business trip come up which brought me to Columbus. I flew-in the day before the work meeting and had some time to kill. I figured how often will I find myself in Columbus, so I decided to take the exactly 1 hour drive from Columbus to Mansfield to see the place. It was a weekday and was very quiet there - very few people at all. I didn't need the guided tour, so opted for the self tour. I enjoyed it very much and being such a fan of the movie, it was really cool to see. You can clearly see where they refurbished areas specifically for the movie. The rest of the building, including the cell blocks, are in serious disrepair and remain in abandoned condition. While the tour route is open to the public, it is damp and dingy and does not consist of smooth, nicely painted, well-lit walkways. This fact didn't affect me, but you should know what to expect going in. There's a small gift shop with the usual touristy chotskie, t-shirts, keychains, etc. I personally enjoyed it, but it's really only worth it if you're a fan of the movie or a prison buff. Unless you find yourself in the area or close enough to drive, it's not worth a special trip. I was done in an hour or so, took a few pics and scratched it off my list.

Just visited today! Had an amazing time! First of all, the staff is amazing 😁 Kind, helpful & informative. We did the self guided tour and although a few parts of the prison that are normally part of the tour were unavailable due to the season and being decorated and used for their haunted tours... What we did get to see was def worth the ticket price. Normally $25 but ours were $19 due to the less accessibility. We walked around a couple hours. Tons to see and take pics of. Lots of history of the prison itself and also tons of facts about the Shawshank Redemption movie that was filmed there. Lots of memorabilia and actual movie props. We saw the halls, chapel, upper cell blocks, offices and some classrooms. We will definitely be back after Thanksgiving to tour again and see the rest of the building (bullpen, library, showers, solitary were unavailable). 🖤

Cool place nice staff very friendly Enjoyed my tour. Plenty of things to see the wardens area has been restored. They are in the process of restoring other places within the prison I did the self guided tour, most places inside are open. They built a new penitentiary right behind it and some of the windows they won’t let you take pictures out of it’s one of those places that you need to see.

We opted for the self guided tour. Great you can set your own pace but still met several employees who answered our questions. Building is beautiful with lots of history. Really enjoyed the tour highly recommend it.

We have done day tours in the past, I would recommend any of those for sure. They are family friendly. Recently, we were there for the ghost hunt, which I’ve done a handful of times now. It is my absolute favorite. I love the freedom to explore the building. Most people leave their flashlight beams off and just let their eyes adjust to the darkness. I would definitely take a small flashlight to help navigate some of the areas safely. There are plenty of volunteers who are happy to answer questions and share stories. They do have clean restrooms. Parking is free and plentiful. It isn’t necessary, but if you have the opportunity to take a day tour before a ghost hunt it would be beneficial just to get some basic background and understanding of the layout. The only nonnegotiable is that you must be familiar with The Shawshank Redemption.