Also known as The Ohio State Reformatory, in Mansfield, Ohio

A slide show with more images and a ghost story can be seen at:

< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n2BZcHVoq0&hd=1 >

Initially built as a reform school for 16-20 year olds, the Reformatory opened in 1896. It has a beautiful and yet somewhat menacing, castle-like architectural style, with ornate woodwork and windows inside. It was hoped that the uplifting style of architecture would be morally uplifting for the young men. They were given an education, taught a trade, and exposed to religious teaching. Gradually, the type of inmate changed, and it ended up being a maximum-security prison. The inmates won a class-action lawsuit in 1986 that declared the prison too overcrowded for continued use. It took four years to build the replacement prison next door, and The Mansfield Reformatory closed in 1990. The state sold it for $1 to a preservation group, which has the goal of complete restoration.

There are tours, either led or self-guided, and special events, including reunions, anniversary celebrations, and weddings. The prison has been the setting for 7 television presentations and 14 movies, three of which were major: Shawshank Redemption, with Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, nominated for seven Academy Awards; Air Force One, with Harrison Ford; and Tango and Cash, with Sylvester Stallone.

The prison is a popular venue for ghost hunters, and if a person is brave enough, he can wander around the whole place by himself all night.