COLUMBUS – The 131-year-old Mansfield Reformatory will be transformed this month into “Blood Prison,” complete with scary clowns and mad killers.
“Escape from Blood Prison”: Thurs.-Sun. weekly Oct. 12 – Nov. 5; Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield
The prison — which housed over 200,000 inmates over its — was named Ohio’s scariest place by the website Thrillist.com, which described the tour as “the biggest prison-based haunted attraction in America.”
Under the direction of horror industry veteran Victor Amesquita, this year’s haunted prison event takes full advantage of Hollywood special effects professionals known for work on films like Pulp Fiction, Misery, Scream, From Dusk till Dawn and Nightmare on Elm Street.
Amesquita and his team have transformed the already chilling architecture of the century-old prison into a ghoulish lair, home to unsettling clowns, ghastly murder scenes and crazed killers on the loose.
“We’ve extended the length of the route through the prison and are offering a hands-on ‘Touch Pass,’ which allows for an even more intense experience as creepy ‘inmates’ reach for guests,” said Amesquita.
Organizers warn the attraction is not for anyone under age 13 “or the faint of heart.”
Best known for its starring role in The Shawshank Redemption, the prison is also featured in Escape Plan 3, a film starring Sylvester Stallone currently shooting at the location.
Built in 1886, Ohio State Reformatory served for 94 years as a working prison, housing more than 154,000 prisoners and setting the scene for major motion pictures, including Shawshank and Air Force One.