What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 4pm Tuesday 10am - 4pm Wednesday 10am - 4pm Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

The Ohio State Reformatory

Name: The Ohio State Reformatory
Address: 100 Reformatory Road, Mansfield, OH, 44905, US
Telephone: +14195222644
Price range: $

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The Ohio State Reformatory

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Tour the intact set of world’s favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption.

10/11/2026

This early photograph gives us a glimpse inside one of the many classrooms here at the Reformatory. Education was a vital part of the Reformatory’s mission. When the institution first opened, one of its goals was to ensure that each young man received at least an eighth-grade education. By the 1960s, educational opportunities had expanded, allowing inmates to earn a high school diploma and even college credits.

10/09/2026

Only 4 weeks left until the Beyond the Scare tour leaves this realm!

If you've always been interested in how a haunted house works, how the sets are constructed, how the scares are created, or how a former prison turned historic landmark transforms into a haunted house, this tour is for you! You will get 90 minutes with one of our expert tour guides walking you through the haunted house with the lights on and the scare actors gone.

We'll be offering this tour every day until November 1st, but weekend tickets are selling fast. Get yours before they're gone.

$40 per person - Students, Seniors, Military, and First Responders receive a $5 discount - Tickets available at ohiostatereformatory.org

10/07/2026

The Frank P. Lahm Aviation Museum is NOW OPEN at the Ohio State Reformatory! You can find the Aviation Museum on the 3rd floor of West Administration. Admission to the museum is included in any Reformatory ticket, so if you are stopping by for a self-guided tour, guided tour, or escape room, please take the time to learn about Mansfield's rich history in aviation.

We hosted a wonderful ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday and had the opportunity to welcome those who were involved in the project to take a sneak peek. We deeply appreciate everyone who took the time out of their day to come spend it with us.

Fully restoring an area in this building is no small undertaking and it would not have been possible without the support of The Gorman Family, the Mansfield Memorial Museum Board of Trustees, the 179th Airlift Wing Ohio National Guard, our Archivist, and the incredibly talented restoration crew at the Reformatory (including some staff members and volunteers who don't usually do restoration work, but hopped in to help anyway)!

If you love looking at restoration progress the way we do, we'll be featuring a restoration progress photo series of this area in the coming months, so stay tuned!

And if you want to come out to take a tour, tickets can be purchased on our website at ohiostatereformatory.org.

10/05/2026

This month, we feature our 10th Warden, Robert White.

White was a member of the Reformatory's staff for 14 years in the psychology department before becoming Warden of the institution. When promoted to his new position, the Reformatory's liberal approach that started under Bennett Cooper remained, and was likely even expanded, specifically the community involvement programs. Under White, the Reformatory implemented a program that allowed inmates to get academic and vocational training at facilities in Mansfield.

White's tenure overall was turbulent as the Reformatory was experiencing issues with overcrowding, record high escape attempts, and the state was ready to phase out the facility; they just weren't sure how to. In August of 1975, White would be taken off the job as Warden of the Reformatory, and replaced by Frank Gray, who was at that time the Superintendent at the Chillicothe Correctional Institute.

10/02/2026

On this date in history:

October 2nd, 1932, Ohio State Reformatory inmate Elza Chandler pried open his cell door in the institution’s Correctional Block. After breaking open a lock, he obtained a piece of angle iron and waited. When Officer Frank B. Hanger entered the block to make his rounds and turned on the lights, Chandler struck him twice in the head with the metal bar, fracturing his skull. Four days later, Officer Hanger succumbed to his injuries at the Reformatory hospital.

Want to learn more about this fatal October night and the daring escape attempt that followed? The Hollywood Meets History tour returns November 20th! Join us and uncover the story behind one of the Reformatory’s most chilling chapters.

10/01/2026

🚨 WE’RE OPENING EARLIER! 🚨

Starting TODAY, October 1, you can start your OSR adventure earlier than ever! 🏛️✨

The Ohio State Reformatory will now be open 10 AM–4 PM EVERY DAY for historic tours, giving you even more time to explore the halls, cells, stories, and history of this incredible place.

And there’s even more good news…

❄️ For the first time ever, OSR will remain OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK THROUGH THE WINTER! ❄️

No more waiting for the weekend to explore. Whether you're planning a fall road trip, looking for a weekday adventure, or want to experience OSR during the quieter winter months, we'll be here!

🔒 Historic Tours
📅 Every day | 10 AM–4 PM
🚨 Closed on major holidays and December 23rd-January 1

🧩 Escape Rooms
Thursday–Monday | 11 AM–4 PM
🚨 Closed on major holidays and December 23rd-January 1

So grab your friends, bring the family, and make plans to visit. More days. Earlier hours. More time to explore OSR.

We can't wait to welcome you through the gates! ❤️

09/30/2026

Today, we look back at the original kitchen and bakery, located on the first floor of the East Diagonal. Throughout the prison’s history, the space served several different purposes before eventually becoming the inmate barbershop.

Today, the former kitchen is home to the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum.

NCOIM is currently inaccessible, as it is located in an area impacted by our annual Blood Prison tour route closures, but be sure to stop by to learn all about the rich history of manufacturing in our area when it reopens in mid-November!

09/24/2026

Did you know that staff and their families once lived at the Reformatory? The warden, assistant warden, chaplain, and officers had the option of living within the administrative areas of the prison. Pictured here is one of the staff living quarters, shown during the Reformatory’s years as an active prison facility.

09/20/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday at our 2nd annual High Wall Cruise In! The day was a little wetter than we had hoped it would be, but we got to see some gorgeous vehicles and hang out with some really great people!

We have one more raffle winner to announce - the winner of our custom corn hole board raffle!

Congratulations, Bob Dolan! Our Tour Program Manager, Derek, will be reaching out to you soon to set the arrangements for you to come get your prize.

Address

100 Reformatory Road
Mansfield, OH
44905

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 4pm
Tuesday	10am - 4pm
Wednesday	10am - 4pm
Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+14195222644

Website

http://www.ohiostatereformatory.org/

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