Ohio's Once-Bustling Prison Is Now An Abandoned Hollywood-Famous Destination For Unique Tours

If you're mapping out America's most nostalgic destinations, one that might come as surprisingly worthy of consideration is a former prison in a small Ohio city, especially for film lovers. Built in the late 1800s, the Ohio State Reformatory is a grandiose, castle-like structure that once held thousands of inmates, but its architectural magnificence and prison history aren't even the most famed of the building's legacies. Instead, you might recognize the building as a setting from movies, most famously the 1994 film "The Shawshank Redemption," the top-rated movie of all time on IMDb. The prison stood in as the fictional Shawshank State Prison, the film's primary setting. Today, the historic site gives special tours that trace its role in "The Shawshank Redemption" as well as other films, and there's even a Shawshank Museum within the building.

Before it served as a prison film set, the Ohio State Reformatory did operate as a real prison from 1896 to 1990, as the building's website notes. It held over 150,000 men during its operative years, according to OhioTraveler.com. Its beautiful, imposing architecture, incorporating Romanesque and Gothic styles, was actually tied to its purpose, which was to inspire spiritual growth among its inmates. Unlike other prisons of the time (and the one featured in "The Shawshank Redemption"), the Ohio State Reformatory sought out to focus on rehabilitation over punishment. However, that ideal didn't really pan out in practice. The prison started cramming multiple inmates into cells designed for one, the deteriorating walls became a health hazard infested with roaches, and prisoners were mistreated and sometimes even tortured. The horror stories and unexplained deaths tied to the prison's history have made it a notorious ghost-hunting destination as well.

The Ohio State Reformatory sits in the underrated city of Mansfield, midway between Cleveland and Columbus. It's about a one-hour drive away if you fly into the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. You can do a (ticketed) self-guided tour, but the guided tours are a treat for digging into the rich, sometimes brutal, history of the site and getting to see otherwise off-limits sections of the building, including attic, sub-basement, and guard tower areas.

The different tours offered have themes focusing on the prison's film history, life in the prison, the site's electric chair, or hauntings. "I chose Beyond the Bars, it was an excellent tour," a Tripadvisor reviewer praised. "The history and architecture of the facility is unbelievable. I can't recommend this tour enough." Though other tours emphasize different elements, you'll get insight into the building's reformatory history on every tour. Note that the tours involve climbing a lot of steps, and some reviewers have warned that you will navigate through some confined, stuffy spaces.

The reformatory has a variety of ways to experience it beyond tours, too. It has two escape rooms, one of which is Shawshank-themed and involves escaping from one of the real prison cells. Those interested in the paranormal side of the building can get the full haunted experience by booking a spot on one of the special ghost hunts, offered on select Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year. The building sometimes hosts spooky movie nights, too, where you can watch a screening inside of the reformatory, then do a guided flashlight walk through the halls. If you want to add another stop to an itinerary of Ohio thrills, the hidden "Blood Bowl" tunnel with daredevil legends is about an hour's drive away in Westerville.