Ohio State Reformatory
This has definitely been on of the coolest buildings I have seen! There are thousands of ghost stories surrounding the grounds, which is not surprising considering the notorious violent past.
The Ohio State Reformatory is open to the public with daily tours from 11 AM — 4 PM and closed on Sunday. It is located in Mansfield, Ohio, which is between Cleveland and Columbus!
History:
The Reformatory was built in 1886 and completed in 1910, mostly by inmates. The prison was in full operation until December 31, 1990. The East Cell Block remains the largest free standing steel cell block in the world, standing six tiers high. After closing, the building was scheduled to be torn down, however the filming of Shawshank Redemption in 1993 basically saved the buildings life and allowed the preservation society to restore and open tours in the facility. The Reformatory was a place to do just that, reform. The facility offered classes in skilled works and school for those who still hadn’t graduated. So let’s get into some of the ghost stories!
This is cellblock 13 where a prisoner by the name of James Lockhart was being held for assault with intent to kill. The story is that he had applied for parole, and got denied. So on February 6, 1960 he stole turpentine from the furniture shop, stayed in his room during chow, and set himself on fire. His ghost is known to be one of the more violent ones in the facility. He was only 22 when he passed.
This is the beginning walkway into the solitary confinement, which the prisoners referred to as “the hole.” Under the window, there used to be a platform where a guard would stand watch. One night, two prisoners got lose from confinement, grabbed the guard and beat him to death. He died right on that floor.
Another popular tale is of the “Shadow Man.” At the end of the solitary confinement hall, where it loops back around, many have seen a giant, tall, ghostly shadow staring back at them. There is no tale to who or what this entity is.
There are so many more stories that are so eerily interesting, so please look them up!
