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Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society
Category: Arts & Entertainment Museums Museums [Edit]
100 Reformatory RdMansfield, OH 44905
(419) 522-2644
- Good for Kids:
- No
10 reviews for Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society
10 reviews in English
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Review from Brian J.
Richmond, IN
2/1/2012
Probably the scaredest I've ever been inside a haunted attraction. The atmosphere and sheer massiveness of the building itself will bring you to your knees in fear. Plus if you come you can see you've walked through the inside of Shawshank!
I live almost 4 hours from here, but it is definitely one of my favorite places to visit for Halloween. -
Review from Heather G.
New Baltimore, MI
11/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is so cool and creepy!
The whole reason I went to the haunted house was to scope it out to see it if was worth the over night ghost walk...which i think it is going to be.
The haunted house sucked and wasn't scary (but I am a hard person to scare) and the wait for it sucked even more. I waited 2+ hours to get inside and the haunted house only lasted about 30 minutes... disappointing:(
I can't wait to go back to stay for the over night ghost walk once it gets a little bit warmer out. -
Review from Carolyn E.
Delaware, OH
10/16/2011
May I say what an absolutely PERFECT setting for a haunted house? The building itself is absolutely amazing to look at, full of historical interest, and creepy as heck in its own right. I understand they have ghost tours here, and I would not be at all surprised that people see\hear\feel them.
As to the human "scare" element, though, it was....okay. I suppose in part this is my personal preference. My favorite type of Haunted House is the one that truly interacts with the visitors - real actors, not just people jumping out with chain saws and going "grrrr".
My favorite haunts in the past involve the "guests" being taken into a room at a time to meet various creepy beings - a "chef" yelling at his latest victim, death asking for a dance, and the Phantom of the Opera seducing his audience.
This attraction had great potential for such scenes. You could "meet" some of the more infamous inmates, interact with the "warden", or maybe even be treated as the prisoners -being led to your cells as all Hell (and the inmates) break loose. I suppose, though, that such an approach invites problems with the more jerky members of the audience which may be why I have not seen a haunted attraction like that in years.
Thus, this haunt like the last I-forget-how-many I've been to in the last few years focuses on jump-scares and disturbing imagery for its thrills. Lots of people in masks following you around breathing heavily. Rigged up "corpses" on the floor that "jump up". I confess, I don't find these things scary. However, I had a great time studying each of them as I went by, admiring the artistry on many of the amazingly intricate props. I especially loved the "ghosts" in the cell blocks that floated grotesquely in midair, or even shot down the length of the corridor over the guests' heads. I also really loved the shadow-box show in the cathedral area...though the clip was a bit short for the length of time we had to wait.
Waiting is the biggest problem with this attraction, and a bit annoying. Unlike any other haunt I've been to, this particular attraction is divided into multiple sections. Between each, you join up again in a cue and wait for the group in front of you to move through the next segment. Maybe this was just the night we went - I don't know - but having to wait at least 5 minutes in each break really brought down the horror level. You would start to really get into things, when all of a sudden, you're stopped again, often in a rather dull room. Any creepy aspects of the situation too were typically interrupted by an attendant asking inane questions about who was first\last in the group. Props to a few of them, though, including a former worker who answered our questions about the prison itself, and the one guy near the morgue who was really into his character.
I would say that having to wait like this would make the prison a perfect attraction for a kid (well, at least one like myself who started going to and loving haunted houses when I was about 6). Hard to get too scared when you are standing there watching the clowns behind you just stand and stare into space while waiting for you to move into the next room. However, kids under 13 are not allowed in, and those only permitted with proof of age. Not a bad idea I reluctantly concede - helps keep a certain atmosphere devoid of truly terrified kids out of their league - and given the length of the haunt.
This is, overall, a VERY good deal. For $17, you will spend about 45 minutes in the haunt. Sure, a good 15+ is probably waiting for the next group, but there is a LOT to see and go through. The best part, of course, are the infamous cell blocks themselves which are spooky as it is without all the dead nuns and chainsaw maniacs. Featured in movies like Shawshank Redemption, the sheer size and height of this massive structure is awe inspiring, while the deteriorated condition of the building gives it an already haunted, creepy atmosphere. That said, the tour is worth it just to see this building. Given the limited daytime visiting hours and higher price tag (and fully booked status) of the ghost watches, it might be your best chance to see it.
I also will note on the amenities. Outside the haunt is a fun carnival atmosphere, complete with a gift shop, fair food vendors (chicken sandwiches, fried oreos, etc), and a couple rows of decently clean porta-johns. Rob Zombie was the music of choice the night we went. Plenty of parking too, if only on the grassy lawn. I believe it cost a few bucks for the privilege, though. Be sure to bring some cash. I also am not sure if the haunt itself takes credit card. My companion who bought the tickets used cash, and said she saw no notice saying they took cards, nor anyone else using them. Might want to call ahead and find out to be sure. -
Review from Cami T.
10/10/2011
RE: Haunted House
I can't imagine a better haunted house! Not only is the venue spook-tacular but they actually did quite a good job scaring people. I was especially impressed by some of the animatronics - they were a sort of creepy high quality!
We got there a little before 9 and the line was maybe half an hour, if that. There are also plenty of food vendors and not-so scary music to entertain you for the wait.
Once inside, it's amazing. There is about 45 minutes of winding through hallways and old rooms, high ceilings, great woodwork and lots of peeling paint. After waiting for a few minutes in the ballroom/cafeteria, you're first sent through solitary and then the cell blocks. The East Cell Block is the largest free standing steel cell block in the world and is absolutely awe inspiring...and creepy! It was a great opportunity for the Halloween workers to come up and "boo" you because just looking at the surroundings is absolutely engrossing!
Absolutely worth the drive! -
Review from Beth F.
7/6/2011
This is hands down one of my favorite places to spend the night. Now, don't get me wrong.. I don't pull out a big fluffy pillow and a down comforter to make myself at home.. Oh no, there is no sleeping when I visit.
When I was a little girl, my dad would drive me past this place on occasion and I always said I would somehow get inside and spend the night. I've always been into the paranormal, and read a TON about the history. Little did I know there were several others who thought the same way I did. The Preservation Society came along and started to do what they do and have made this old prison into an event worth stopping in for.
If things that go bump in the night aren't your cup of tea, then no worries, you can still come during the day when the ghosties will still be sleeping. (Or just staring at you unknowingly..) They offer historical tours as well, and they are quite good from what I hear. This place is breathtaking when you drive up to it. The architecture is a Gothic style that you just don't see too much of anymore. There have been a few movies filmed here as well, which you've probably read in the other reviews, but even more interesting is the fact that Lil Wayne graced one of these cells. Not as an inmate, but simply as himself singing the catchy tune, "Go DJ."
Now, if that's not enough to get you out there, I don't know what will! Oh wait, yes I do.. there is an electric chair that was used at a former prison on death row, and it's pretty nifty to check out. You can't sit in it, but photography is welcome. So, live near the area and need to do something different? Well with the Mansfield Reformatory, you won't be disappointed!! Even if you don't live close.. I assure you it's worth the drive, and the accommodations aren't too bad either ;) -
Review from Caz M.
Columbus, OH
7/28/2011
I have yet to do one of the normal tours or overnights as I've experienced like others have said, it's very very difficult to book the overnight stays.
However, I have come to the Haunted Prison in October a few times and it was well worth the drive from Columbus! You shouldn't expect the scariest props or actors, but the setting, being the prison itself, is horrifying enough! Getting to walk through the cell block was probably the highlight of the tour. I suggest if you plan on doing this, you should read up on some of the legends, lore and absolute facts of the history of the place before you come, because just knowing what happened in some of these areas is enough to raise the hair on the back of your neck! -
Review from Stefanie C.
Euclid, OH
8/17/2010
I went to visit Mansfield Reformatory a few years ago with a group of friends. The outside of the building is very imposing and I was scared before I even went inside.
The Preservation Society offers "ghost tours" on Friday and Saturday nights from mid-March to mid-December. They do not offer them in October (weak) because they have a silly little haunted house going on then. When I went, the fee was $50 per person for the entire night -- 8:00pm to 5:00am. $50 gets you free reign of the building (for the most part), pizza and beverages, and heart palpitations (if you're a sissy like me). The purpose isn't to sleep. You stay up all night walking around in the dark and scaring the crap out of yourself. It's a really huge building that you could get lost in for hours and hours. Ghost tours sell out early for the entire year and it's gotten more and more difficult since I went to book a tour.
I'll say this, I'm a huge baby when it comes to "ghosts" or anything supernatural. I was scared shitless pretty much the entire time I was there except for when I was in the "safe area" (as I called it) where the snacks and bathrooms were. I hung out there for the rest of the night after I got very creeped out in solitary confinement. All of the spooky people I know say they don't think this place is haunted. I'm not sure, I have no idea, I don't want to know.
The tour guides do a great job of talking the place up and trying to scare you even more with silly stories. The stories were not so silly to me while I was actually in the building. There are many tales of death and abuse that may or may not have happened inside these walls. The only thing they're very strict about is taking photos while near the guard tower outside -- the newer prison is behind the building and you cannot capture it on film. We were told if they saw a flash from over yonder they would come and confiscate cameras.
There were a few films shot here including Shawshank Redemption and Air Force One. They have some props and wall murals that you can check out from some of the movies. I enjoyed the "Brooks was here" prop from Shawshank Redemption. There were also some sweet rap videos shot here and a few cells were kept that way to show off the bling.
If you enjoy architecture or history, this is a great place to visit. I will be honest and say that I would not be excited to go on a ghost tour again myself -- but that's just because I'm lame.Listed in: Creepy Cleveland (and the…
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Review from Kristina R.
San Francisco, CA
4/30/2006 1 photo
I loved Shawshank Redemption. You can still see it in Mansfield at the dollar cinema downtown. They will never let it go away. After all, it's what Mansfield's best known for, besides the GM plant.
Movie big shots love this place. Tango and Cash...what a classic.
But the history behind the Mansfield Reformatory rivals that of our weirdly coveted Alcatraz here in S.F. It looks like a castle...kinda like a really twisted Disneyland.
It's also the biggest thing in Mansfield, I think, because it's just enormous. And to think, there was a time when it was teeming with hardened criminals...creepy.
It was build in the late 1800's and has been kept up by the Reformatory Preservation Society...and they've been doing a bang up job, especially with drawing in Hollywood types to shoot their movies on the property.
Normally, I find prisons to be morbid, dark places full of hatred, bitterness, and loathing. But the Reformatory has...charm...twisted charm, I guess.
My in-laws that live in Mansfield got a chance to see this place up close and personal when Shawshank Redemption was shot here. Mom-in-Law drove the shuttle to and fro from the airport to the set...she met all the stars and gave them advice on how to enjoy their stay in Mansfield, a very happenin' place, I might add...
Dad-in-Law went and got himself a job as an extra playing a prison guard walking up a flight of stairs in the background of one scene. He's there for a milli-second...but hey, that's what the slow mo button is for on your remote, right?
They both were paid very handsomely and apparently were treated very well...it was as if a chunk of California had landed in the middle of their kooky little town, complete with sun tans, mochachinos, and sushi...
But really the only reason I give this place 5 stars is because of the image I have of Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins munching on a spicy tuna roll, sipping some sake and kickin' it with the locals while sitting on the steps of the Reformatory...it's such a weird image, and I just can't help but be tickled by it. -
Review from Jim P.
Cleveland, OH
10/5/2006
Creepy, historical and a must-see...
THE UP-SIDE: An amazing old prison (no longer in use) open to the public through several different tours. The place oozes "creepy" and is just a perfect opportunity for taking photos.
THE DOWN-SIDE: I get the impression that this place is run on a shoe string. Volunteers man the ticket booth and lead the tours, and are as helpful as can be; however, they seem spread pretty thin. In addition, you have to be careful of the peeling lead paint and other hazards. Note, there is much stair climbing on the tours.
Also, don't bother calling management with questions. I did three times over the course of two weeks and even sent an email; I didn't get one call or email back. Pretty rude.
THE SUM-IT-UP: A really eerie place to visit, with a lot of interesting stuff to see. Don't go expecting any sort of frills. Just go to have a down and dirty visit to a pretty spooky place. -
Review from Heather A.
Columbus, OH
7/21/2008
WOW!! If you haven't been to this place already ask yourself 'why'!!?
If you appreciate history- local history at that- then you will appreciate this place. I find Mansfield itself to be a really charming town. Once an industrial giant, the city has suffered but that is the charm. My interest in this town was sparked by a visit to the Reformatory in 2005. I went on a ghost hunt/ tour there as well as the Hollywood Tour. AMAZING with a capital 'A'!
The other reviewers are absolutely correct- it oozes creepiness...but it also oozes of stories and tales of human survival as well. If you appreciate adventure and pushing your limits, sign up for the ghost tour immediately. If you appreciate movie location sightseeing, you will love this tour. If you appreciate history, book now! Seriously. This place is a must see!
