Ohio State Reformatory Shawshank Redemption prison tour in Mansfield Ohio

The Ohio State Reformatory: A Tour of the Shawshank Redemption Prison

Long considered one of the greatest films of all time, the Shawshank Redemption is a must watch film when you come across it on TV. So imagine our surprise when we were driving to the the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and we came across the famous prison advertising tours.

The Ohio State Reformatory Shawshank is located at 100 Reformatory Road in Mansfield, Ohio, which is just a couple of minutes north of US-30. For us, this is a great destination because the attraction brings together a couple of our interests — old prisons and movie history.

The Shawshank Redemption lays claim to the greatest movie of all time because of its rating on IMDb. The Stephen King novella turned film has a 9.3 out of 10 rating on the site, making it the top rated movie for the past 15+ years. The story of Red and Andy is about a prison on the surface, but really it is about preserving a soul in a system designed to crush it. Being a fan of the movie will certainly enhance your experience at the prison, but we think you can still enjoy your time walking the grounds even if you’ve never seen the film.

Arriving at the Ohio State Reformatory Shawshank

Fans of the movie will feel transported onto the movie set on your arrival. The castle casts an imposing image on the landscape as you walk up to the prison offices where the tours begin.

The imposing Romanesque Revival stone entrance of the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, featuring castle-like turrets and arched windows.
The words of the movie echo in your mind as you pull in and park your car with the castle like structure before you. You can hear the voice of Andy Dufresne saying “Get busy living, or get busy dying” as you arrive at the ultimate cinematic landmark.

This building is big and bold, the Gothic architecture casting an intimidating shadow on anyone that enters its walls. Thousands of prisoners called this castle home from 1895 until 1990, only a few short years before the prison was turned into a movie set. 

In fact, the Ohio State Reformatory has hosted several movies over the years beyond Shawshank. Hollywood saved this impressive structure and compound. Dozens of movies, music videos, and other productions have originated in Northern Ohio including movies Tango & Cash (1989), Air Force One (1997), and Judas and the Black Messiah (2021).

The Hollywood Meets History Tour Experience

Your visit to the Ohio State Reformatory can take several paths. From escape rooms and paranormal tours, to a variety of self guided and guided tours, there is plenty to learn beyond the Hollywood history of the facility. In our case, we were all in for an in-depth view of our favorite characters from the Shawshank movie with the Hollywood Meets History tour.

The Hollywood Meets History tour is a 90-minute immersive walk through the facility that served as the Shawshank Redemption prison location. It is the most comprehensive tour of the prison, mixing in the true stories of nearly a hundred years of actual prison life with the made-up Hollywood version seen through the eyes of a Hollywood camera lens.

Filming Highlights

One of the first stops on the tour transports you to the warden’s living quarters from The Shawshank Redemption. Your tour guide explains the reality of life at the reformatory with the behind-the-scenes details of the movie production.

The Warden's Office at the Ohio State Reformatory featuring the dark wood desk, the 'His Judgment Cometh' embroidery, and the hidden wall safe used in The Shawshank Redemption.
Shawshank’s warden Samual Norton’s office is at the center of several of the movie’s critical scenes. You’ll get a chance to see the prison’s safe up close along with Andy’s desk where he fixed the financials for the warden and later locked the door and started playing classical music over the prison PA. 

Down the hall from that office is where the film production staged Brooks’ hotel room. If you’ve seen the movie, you know it is the room where he carved “Brooks was here” on the beam. Later, Red added his mark with “So was Red” to that same beam. 

While that is the room where the scene was shot, that is not the original beam from the movie. When the movie production finished, the beam was removed and this replica has been installed. The exteriors of the hotel were shot in nearby downtown Mansfield. In fact if your fascination with the movie extends beyond the prison grounds, there are several locations in the immediate area associated with the movie. The Shawshank Redemption Trail is a collection of 15 additional locations associated with the classic movie.

Still in the prison, you can see how the film’s director shot Andy’s escape scene. Andy Dufresne’s escape tunnel replica is easily viewed, so there is no need to venture into the sewer for this one. The tour reveals the Hollywood magic involved in creating this scene. You’ll also see the small room where Andy’s parole board meeting was shot, including a strange hole in the door that they had to use to get the shot for the movie. 

The Ohio State Reformatory tour covers movie locations for Shawshank along with other movies shot at the facility. The reformatory has also been included as a shooting location for several music videos. Big names like Eric Church and Lil Wayne had videos shot here.

Plan on about 90 minutes for the guided Hollywood Meets History tour. With your tour, you also gain full access to the grounds for a self-guided tour if you desire. This place is massive, and you’ll have the opportunity to check out the entire 250,000-square foot facility at your own pace. 

The Brooks was here sign is a highlight of the tour. The hotel room for Brooks and later Red was actually shot on the prison grounds to save production expenses. You can see the room that was home to Brooks and later Red, though the beam with the famous inscription is not the original.
The Brooks was here sign is a highlight of the tour. The hotel room for Brooks and later Red was actually shot on the prison grounds to save production expenses. You can see the room that was home to Brooks and later Red, though the beam with the famous inscription is not the original.

Beyond the Movie

We found walking around the facility fascinating. The tour offers a gripping look at prison reality versus cinema. Although the film’s cellblocks were sets located downtown, the reformatory itself houses the original solitary confinement area and showers. Seeing these authentic spaces where inmates lived for nearly a century is an immersive experience in its own right.

The cell block is a great example that shows how large this facility is. The main cell block is the largest free-standing cell block in the world. 

A towering, six-story steel structure filled with rows of small prison cells. The metal bars and walkways stretch upward toward a distant ceiling, creating a repetitive, industrial pattern of shadows and light.
Not a part of the movie, but worth noting is the main cell block. This is a grim reminder of daily prison life. This cell block is the world’s largest.

The cell block shows how brutal prison life could be. Prisoners were facing a wall of windows in their cells. Those windows would act as a greenhouse in the summer, raising temperatures well beyond what is comfortable. In the winter, those same windows ushered in the brutal cold of a Northern Ohio winter. 

The Shawshank Museum & Souvenirs

Like any good museum or attraction, you can also visit their gift shop. There are a good selection of Shawshank shirts as well as for the reformatory itself. There are a few exhibits you can check out that tell the story of the prison. 

One of the exhibits to see up close is an electric chair. While that chair was never used at the Ohio State Reformatory, it was used at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus. This chair was busy, used 315 times to carry out death sentences between 1897 and 1963.

The centerpiece of the Old Sparky: Capital Punishment in Ohio tour is the infamous electric chair used by the state for over 60 years. While never used for executions at the Mansfield Reformatory, this artifact is on loan to provide a sobering look at the history of justice in Ohio. The exhibit details the lives of the 315 individuals who met their end in this chair at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus.
315 prisoners had their final sentence carried out in this electric chair on display at the Ohio State Reformatory. This chair wasn’t used at this prison, but was used in Columbus between 1897 and 1963.

Planning Your Visit

The Hollywood Meets History tour is $40 per person. This specific tour is available twice a day, at 12pm and 2pm daily. There is no minimum age for this tour, though there are some age restrictions for other tours. They offer a $5 discount for military, seniors, and students. Check out the website for details and and special scheduling.

There are some special events and seasonal offerings around Halloween which might impact the schedule. Tours are available April through October, seven days a week from 11am to 4pm. They have extended hours on weekends throughout the summer. In the winter, November through March, they are open 11am to 4pm Thursday through Monday.

You will be exposed to the elements some on the tours. Be prepared for heat or cold, depending on the time of year you are visiting. 

We were able to walk up and purchase tickets. But if you are planning a visit during peak times, you should reserve online in advance, as some of the tours will sell out. 

Final Thoughts

If you love visiting places where famous movies were shot, then you’ll want to make your way to Mansfield, Ohio. The Mansfield Reformatory is home to much more than just the Shawshank Redemption prison location. 

There are plenty of things to do in Mansfield, Ohio. Throughout town is the Shawshank Trail, with over a dozen locations to visit that play a part of the Shawshank story in town. 

If you’re a fan of prison tours like us, then you will want to check out our trip notes from Alcatraz!

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