A few weeks back, my March adventure took me only as far as Mansfield Ohio. I have visited Mansfield before and enjoyed such sites as the Kingsfield garden center and riding the carousel in town (read about that trip on this blog post). However, I have never before been to the Ohio State Reformatory Historic Site. It’s been on my list for a while as a place to see and I really recommend it if you are looking for a local adventure. Read on to learn all about my visit to the Ohio State Reformatory.
Touring the Ohio State Reformatory
When you decide to visit, you can either choose to do a self-guided tour or take a guided tour. There are several guided tours to choose from: Hollywood Meets History, Beyond the Bars, Inmate Confessions, and the Shawshank Bus Tour.
The Hollywood Meets History Tour allows visitors to explore the building and learn about history while also hearing about some of the behind the scenes stories from the filming of the 1994 film the Shawshank Redemption. I liked learning about the history from our very knowledgeable tour guide, and there was so much that I learned. When you’re done with your tour, you can also go back and explore the things in the Reformatory you wanted to see a bit more in depth.
The Behind the Bars tour allows visitors to gain access to areas that are not open to the general public- like the attic that is above the west cell Block, the armory, and the sub basement.
The inmate confessions tour gives visitors an hour with Michael Humphrey, a former inmate who spent 14 months at the Reformatory in the 60s. During your time with him, you get to ask him questions about life in the Reformatory.
Finally, a new tour added in 2022 is the Shawshank Bus Tour, which explores sites along the so-called Shawshank Trail.
Tickets and hours
The price for adults to visit the Ohio State Reformatory is $25 for students age 7-17 and $23 for seniors, college students, and military. If you want an audio guide, it is an extra $5 and the guided tours adds an extra $10 (except the inmate tour, which is $40). In the spring and summer, the Reformatory is open seven days a week from 11 to 4 . October through April, it is open 11 to 4 on Thursdays through Sundays only. They also do a special haunted tour during Halloween, which costs extra. Find out more details on their website. In addition to being a location for Hollywood films and Halloween events, they offer paranormal events, concerts, and you can rent the space for your event.
History of the Ohio State Reformatory
In the 1860s, on this site there was a civil war training camp. Then it was decided to build a reformatory for men who broke minor laws. There was a $600,000 budget to build it, but it ended up costing $1.5 million. Construction began in 1886 and it took 10 years to complete. At one point the construction stalled and the State had to institute a whisky tax to help fund it.
To finish building of the reformatory, 150 men (all first-time offenders) were brought from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus to help. The purpose of this reformatory (versus a typical prison) was to focus on reform through religion, education, job training and yard time to promote interaction. In fact, this was the first prison to help people get college diplomas.
Inside the Ohio State Reformatory
The 250,000 square-foot facility once held more than 155,000 inmates and was open for nearly 100 years. The architecture beautiful. It was designed by Levi T. Scofield, who hailed from Cleveland. The building combined Victorian, Gothic, Romanesque, and Queen Anne as architectural styles. All this was with hopes of inspiring a spiritual rebirth in the hearts of the young convicts inside.
The Ohio State Reformatory is reportedly completely symmetrical. In fact, in one hallway you can see an X on the floor from the sunlight, which reportedly marks the exact center of the building.
Living Quarters in the Ohio State Reformatory (and Arthur Lewis Glattke)
I was very surprised to learn during my tour how much of the building was used for housing guards and the warden. The front part of the Reformatory is (albeit currently rundown) quite beautiful. The Reformatory’s superintendent from 1935-1958 was Arthur Lewis Glattke. He was very respected and appreciated by prisoners and professionals alike. He apparently piped radio music into the cell blocks and had a grand time living at the Reformatory. Below you can see pictures of the some of the guest rooms, closets, and dining room.
Both Arthur Glattke and his wife, Helen, died in the Warden’s Quarter’s of the prison. Apparently, Helen died from an accidental self-inflicted gun shot wound. She toppled over a hatbox she was reaching for in the closet that had a loaded gun laying on top. Arthur died from a heart attack in his office several years later. Employees quit living on site soon thereafter. These stories, and several more, about deaths in the Reformatory, of course, help corroborate the ghost stories implicated here.
The Chapel
With the Ohio State Reformatory having a big emphasis on reform through religion (among other things), there naturally was a large chapel. The chapel is the atrium of the building, with both east and west cell blocks leading here. The chaplain was very important at the Reformatory and had major pull with the parole board. It was also the chaplain that set up the recreational events. The chapel later became the rec room in 1980. While the room currently has pews, it originally had folding chairs (but they were connected so you couldn’t pick just one up).
Visiting the cell blocks
The Ohio State Reformatory has two cell blocks – east and west. We started in the east cell block. There are 594 cells on one side, with a large guard cell on the end. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was planning my visit to the Ohio State Reformatory, but this wasn’t how I imagined it.
There are six stories of cells on two sides, both facing outwards, with pretty narrow walkways. While you’re walking down the aisle past all the individual cells and looking down, it’s pretty surreal and eerie. The cells were originally built to be single occupancy, but eventually became doubles. In the cells are bunk beds, toilets, and sinks.
The west cell block has 320 cells, some being quads, and is only 5 tiers tall. This cell block was the original, housing for the first 150 men who helped with the construction. It’s brick and mortar and known as the “Hilton” cell block. There were higher standards of living, such as a whisper policy in the evening. This was also the side used for people serving life sentences.
Note- when you visit, dress warmly – it was very cold in here!
Solitary Confinement
Solitary confinement is an area that was used to house inmates who violated the rules of the Reformatory. This area was separate from the other cells, and very little light came in. Our tour guide gave us lots of stories about how people could’ve been treated here. It included flickering lights, pumped in obnoxious noises, food being withheld, and inedible food being served. Inmates could be sent to solitary for any infraction – from failing to carry their ID badge to starting a conflict with another inmate or officer. In addition, the time spent in solitary confinement did not count towards their time served.
Shower room
The shower room was FREEZING. I couldn’t imagine using this shower room, which is one long line of shower heads. The men would be given soap and would walk down the line of water showering down on them while they lathered and rinsed. This room was also used in the movie Shawshank Redemption. In the shower scene, dry ice was put in the grates on the ground to create the steam in what was actually ice cold water. Apparently, that was the only scene in the movie that was completed in only one take.
Hollywood meets the Ohio State Reformatory
After the Reformatory closed in 1990, it was in danger of being destroyed. In fact, one of the few reasons it still exists today is also the reason why it is possibly the most well-known today: the movie Shawshank Redemption. When filming began in 1993 and Castle Rock Entertainment show up, there was a wrecking ball on the grounds. When I made my visit to the Ohio State Reformatory with my friends, we chose to take the Hollywood Meets History tour. It was fun learning about the prison and I also learned so much about the movie.
Shawshank Redemption
The office in the movie was the warden’s quarters, which took up 2 floors because it overlooks boulevard.
In the office, you might recognize the safe from the movie, which was put in specifically for the film, then removed, and later recovered. I also learned that the doorknob, which has the seal of Ohio on it, can be seen in the movie. Could it be a movie goof, or an homage to the filming location? You be the judge.
Remember Brook’s room after he left Shawshank? The Bissman building in Mansfield was used as the exterior of ‘Brook’s room, but the room itself was shot in reformatory.
The scenes in the movie of the cells were not shot here, because the cells are too small for cameras and crew. However, there are lots of other spots around the Ohio State Reformatory that were used during filming, including the parole room, which was the chaplain’s office. You can also see the guards’ room, and what was used for the escape tunnel.
Other movies at the Ohio State Reformatory
Other movies that filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory include Tango and Cash (a 1989 Sylvester Stallone movie) and Air Force One. Air Force One couldn’t use the front façade of the Reformatory because it was too recognizable after Shawshank Redemption, so a different front gate was constructed and wooden bars were put in the the windows. Also, in the guards’ room, paintings of Stalin and Lenin were added and can still be seen today.
The demise of the Ohio State Reformatory
In the 1920s, prohibition put a lot of people into the Ohio State Reformatory, but max capacity was 1,942. Then shortly after, the depression hit and people almost wanted in, because they received food at least. In fact, when hearing they were up for parole, some would commit crimes to stay in. In 1930, the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus caught fire, killing 310 men. The other prisoners needed a place to go, so the reformatory idea ended and it became a prison. The prison was so crowded for 10 years, all the worst offenders were kept in the west attic with bunk beds, no cells. By the 1960s, it was busting at the seams. Then, in the 1980s, a class action was filed because of the inhumane living conditions.
So, a new prison was built in 1986 and was finished in 1990 – Mansfield Correctional. The Ohio State Reformatory closed on December 31, 1990. It was bought by the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society in 1994. The first tour was in 1996 and, in 1999, the first haunted house tour occurred.
Mechanical Museum
Another thing you can see during your visit to the Ohio State Reformatory is the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum. This is the location of the former reformatory bakery. Here you can explore the history of Mansfield’s manufacturing and production companies.
Ohio State Correctional Museum
Also, on site is an Ohio State Correctional Museum, where you can explore artifacts, see weapons, uniforms, and even ‘Old Sparky.’ This electric chair was used more than 300 times for capital punishment at the former Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio.
If you haven’t made a visit yet to the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, I really recommend it. Beautiful architecture, interesting history, Hollywood intrigue, it has it all! And while you are in Mansfield, there are several other places that are worth visiting, so make sure to read this blog post before you go. Thanks for reading my blog today, and please leave your comments. I’m always looking for new adventure ideas, so I welcome your ideas. Catch you soon!
-Catching Katie
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