One place I’ve really been looking forward to visiting was the Mansfield Reformatory and Phoenix Brewery! I had only visited the Reformatory once, and that was when it was done up for their haunted house tour near Halloween. And let me just say a haunted house in an old reformatory is pretty epic!

But the building itself is beautiful and full of history, so I’ve been craving a visit in its non-Halloween form. Not to mention there are several movies and music videos that have been filmed here. Where are my Shawshank Redemption fans at?!

In one of the stairwells near the offices, audio wand in hand. And yeah, I took my mask off for a hot second for the photo — there weren’t many people around.

Some History about the Reformatory

The reformatory was originally called the Intermediate Penitentiary and was meant to be just that – an in-between point between the boys’ penitentiary in Lancaster and the State Penitentiary in Columbus. The prisoners here had committed lesser crimes, such as larceny and the ever-problematic horse stealing. Inmates often served 18-36 months.

In 1891, the name was changed from the Intermediate Penitentiary to the Ohio State Reformatory. Its purpose was literally to reform the inmates, turning them from petty criminals to contributing members of society. Inmates could take classes for their high school diploma or further education, as well as learn a trade like barbering or furniture building.

Construction began in 1896 and continued to 1910 due to funding issues. Though originally built to house one inmate per cell, the reformatory quickly became overcrowded, resulting in two inmates placed in each cell. A prisoners’ class action suit against the reformatory for overcrowding and inhumane conditions caused the reformatory’s closure in 1990.

No death penalties were carried out at the reformatory. Nevertheless, over 200 people died there, including two guards who were killed during escape attempts. As with any old building where people have died, there have been a number of paranormal sightings and encounters at the reformatory. In addition to movies like Shawshank Redemption and Air Force One, and music videos like Godsmack’s “Awake” and Lil Wayne’s “Go DJ,” several TV shows on the paranormal have been filmed at the reformatory.

East Cell Block, the largest free-standing steel cell block in the world. This is one side of the block, which is six tiers high. Monica helps provide some scale.

Available Tours

There are usually five tours available – four guided tours and one self-guided tour. Due to COVID, the guided tours are not currently available, which is a bummer because they sound really good! But that’s all the more reason for me to return when all this clears up. The guided tours include: History Meets Hollywood, Beyond the Bars, Life of an Inmate, and the Shawshank Bus Tour.

Entrance for adults is $25, and $23 for students (age 7-17), seniors (60+), college students, military, and police. Children age six and under get in free.

An audio wand for the tour is $5, which I highly recommend! You can see some cool sites without the wand, and the signs indicating which location you’re at will give a tiny snippet about where you are. But the details are in the wand and will give you a much better appreciation for what you’re seeing!

How Was the Tour?

I friggin’ loved it!

They say to allow two hours for the tour, and you can certainly do it in that amount of time. My friend and I took our sweet time, so we took a bit longer than that. I also think some of the normal tour may be blocked off with COVID right now because our audio wand numbers jumped about ten spots at one point and I could see that area blocked off.

Whether you have the wand or not, there are several areas with historic items from the reformatory days when it was still in use, as well as a couple rooms dedicated to information about the filming of Shawshank Redemption, so you can get some more information through those signs.

Even if you don’t enjoy history, the architecture and ambiance of this building are incredible! The outside is amazing, the chapel is breathtaking, the peeling paint in the cell blocks adds to the eerie atmosphere. I could literally spend the whole day there just taking pictures and soaking it all in.

A typical cell in East Cell Block. They were initially built to hold one inmate, but overcrowding lead to two inmates.

How Was the Social Distancing?

It was very easy to distance at both the Reformatory and the brewery! There are some narrow passageways at the Reformatory should you decide to pass the group ahead of you. However, there are also frequently larger rooms or spaces to pass; and even with passing you’re only near them for a moment.

The tour goes in one direction with minimal backtracking, which also helps prevent being around others outside your group. Masks are also required during the tour, and some rooms have open windows to allow for fresh air flow.

The brewery was also great with this. There are spaced tables inside if that’s what you prefer, and there are outdoor patios on either side of the building. The patio is pretty awesome, so if the weather is nice, I recommend that option! There are also two doors that lead out to the patio, and one is currently marked entrance while the other is exit only, which helps reduce your chances of passing close to others.

Phoenix Brewery

I have been waiting to get to this brewery for so long! I keep seeing posts about them in my Ohio beer group, so I had been salivating over their beers for a long time.

When I visited, they had 16 beers on tap that covered a wide range of styles – lager, red, stout, bourbon barrel-aged, fruity, Oktoberfest, pumpkin, etc. And if you don’t know me, I’m all about a pumpkin ale so I was particularly excited for that one! A few of those brews are also inspired by Shawshank Redemption, to keep with the theme of the day. They also had two visiting breweries on draft, which included a cider – perfect for my friend who isn’t a huge beer fan.

I was delightfully surprised they’re still doing flights as many breweries have stopped doing this during COVID. Considering all of their beers sound good and there were several I reeeeally wanted to try, I was thankful for the flight option. Flights are served in small plastic cups and placed in a shallow cardboard box. I didn’t have a problem with the box and I could set it on an adjacent chair so it didn’t take up table space.

However, the task of taking the box to your seat without spilling the cups inside becomes more of a challenge the more you drink. It’s a delicate balance not ordering so many beers they’re warm by the time you get to them, but not having to make multiple trips and thus increasing the chance of spillage. Plan accordingly, and may the balance be with you.

The Chapel at the Reformatory, which was my favorite part! It’s so cool!…In a decrepit building kind of way.

Overall Thoughts

I would absolutely visit both of these locations again! The reformatory is incredibly photogenic and the history is fascinating! Plus, I have a few more tours to do once COVID calms down.

Whether you’re a history buff, enjoy the cinematic connections, or just enjoy old haunted buildings, this place is interesting for a wide variety of guests, kids included.

So check out the list of the reformatory’s appearances in movies and TV, watch a couple to introduce yourself to the scene and better appreciate it during your visit, then go check out the site. I feel I can confidently say you’ll be happy you visited.

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