Mansfield Reformatory

by Kaylah Stroup
A little while back Jeff took me to the Mansfield Reformatory. It’s been on my list of places to visit for a while now. I even swung by just to see the outside when I took a day trip to Columbus last fall but it was closed at the time.

Mansfield Reformatory is a historic prison that’s actually open for tours. The reformatory opened it’s doors originally in September of 1896. It eventually closed on December 31, 1990 as the result of prisoners’ class action suit citing overcrowding and inhumane conditions. In it’s time it housed over 155,000 men! It has the largest free standing steel cell block in the world, six tiers high.

Although the history of this place is super interesting, I’d say most people that visit are probably just there because it’s where parts of The Shawshank Redemption were filmed, I mean that’s super exciting to me!

Mansfield Reformatory is definitely worth a stop if you’re ever in the area! They have ghost walks regularly scheduled, if that’s your kind of thing. (The place is totally creepy enough on it’s own! I wouldn’t go looking for trouble there!) And around Halloween they have a “Haunted Prison Experience”. Neither of those things are my cup of tea, but certainly worth mentioning.
xoxo

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25 comments

Lauren Douglas Creative June 24, 2014 - 12:55 pm

WOO HOO MANSFIELD!!! <3

Lauren Douglas Creative June 24, 2014 - 12:56 pm

The haunted prison experience scares me to bits but everyone else I know just enjoys it for a light scare. But I am just so scared lol.

Random_Hi_D June 24, 2014 - 1:01 pm

That's pretty awesome and freaky. Way cool.

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Kitty Kaos June 24, 2014 - 2:15 pm

Wow that is beautiful!! I love pictures and places like this x

Paige P June 24, 2014 - 3:21 pm

love the easy chair photo, it's so strangely spooky.

Heather Sander June 24, 2014 - 3:26 pm

I would love to do the haunted prison thing around hallowen. That'd be a blast!

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Faye Caroline - oh-darling.net June 24, 2014 - 4:44 pm

Ah that looks incredible! You really do get to visit all the best places!

I love how spooky the armchair photo is, there's something a little unsettling about it.

Kirsten Nigro June 24, 2014 - 5:39 pm

Amazing! I love that they keep it looking old, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philly does the same, even does the Halloween thing. The photo with the fireplace is wonderful

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julia June 24, 2014 - 5:53 pm

this looks just plain awesome! your photos are really great 🙂

Kate June 24, 2014 - 8:14 pm

I've wanted to go here for awhile. When I lived in Ohio, I always passed Mansfield on the highway. The only thing I knew about this place, pretty much, was the Reformatory. Believe it or not.

Thanks for posting photos. I'll live vicariously through you for now. 🙂

~K June 24, 2014 - 8:26 pm

I would be totally down for a tour of this place! Looks awesome!

Alexandra June 24, 2014 - 9:24 pm

I love this place! The crazy layers of peeling paint are so fascinating. And I totally agree – it was insanely creepy in daylight, I can't imagine how terrifying it is on those overnight ghost stays… I had friends that did one and said they basically just hand you a flashlight and send you on your way… No. Thanks.

SnarkyBat June 24, 2014 - 10:40 pm

Ahh! Beautiful! All sorts of jealous.

Laura June 24, 2014 - 11:31 pm

ohh, the place looks incredible! xx

Rebecca June 25, 2014 - 12:08 am

These are incredible photos. I'm not sure if I've recommended it before, but Asylum (http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/asylum) is a beautiful photo book, with some great history about the institutions, too. I think you'd really like it!

Jenn June 25, 2014 - 3:47 am

This place looks incredible. I've been to Eastern State Penitentiary before and loved the experience, so I am definitely adding Mansfield to my list of places to visit.

Cecelia Hotzler June 25, 2014 - 4:56 am

Love the pictures of the chairs and that pink sink. Looks like an eerie place to visit!

Gina June 25, 2014 - 2:04 pm

Your photographs of the reformitory are just gorgeous. My favorite ones are the easy chair and the prison bunks.

Rachy June 25, 2014 - 6:06 pm

I LOVE that sink!

Lostvestige June 26, 2014 - 1:15 pm

Oh my gosh this place looks amazing! Definitely on my list for places to visit someday! I love the photo with all the colorful chairs lined up.

Claudia J June 26, 2014 - 3:10 pm

If you are ever in Idaho you will need to go to the Idaho State Penitentiary. I was built in 1872 and used up to 1973. It is very much like your pictures. http://history.idaho.gov/old-idaho-penitentiary-history

Elif Onay June 26, 2014 - 5:32 pm

The whole place just seems eerie on it's own so I don't know if I could handle a little scare but it is pretty incredible to just go inside and look around.

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Tabby June 28, 2014 - 5:14 am

Wow! That is so cool! The little pink sink is adorable. The haunted tour sounds awesome.

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Mini Penny Blog June 29, 2014 - 2:19 pm

I used to go here when I lived in Columbus! Such a cool space. Great photos ~and I love the new layout~ !

<3

Natalie Groth July 11, 2014 - 12:29 pm

This looks like something straight out of Pripyat and the Chernobyl disaster. Seriously amazing photos!

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