Chatting haunted houses, horror cons and spooky theme parks.
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By chuckwagon
#76720
I'm in Mansfield, Ohio this weekend, and couldn't resist dragging my coworkers to the old Ohio State Reformatory where 'The Shawshank Redemption' was filmed. I got some really great pictures and have a great story about how one of my coworkers got locked inside a solitary confinement cell and couldn't get out. Enjoy the pics, and I'll fill in details as we go...

Lamp hanging from the old crusty ceiling in the wardens living room
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The warden and his family actually lived in the prison, and this was the old family bathroom in the administrative wing where the family living quarters were.
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A look out the window of the wardens bedroom
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Old creepy looking stairs in the family area
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The warden and families fireplace. I hate it was still daylight because these pics don't show the creep factor
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The parlor/living room with view of front yard
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More creepy stairs. I love creepy stairs!
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I just found this amusing, just bit
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This room was just dark, and this is what I got when the flash lit it up.
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This was hanging in a room in the adminstrative area... have no idea why you need a large chain and hook in the admin area...
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Sorry this one is sideways, I forgot to rotate it. Stairs leading to chapel
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Small cells on the left for "live in trustees" that worked for the warden and his family
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The chapel
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I found these old religious pics to be a bit creepy
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Looking down from the top of the West Wing.
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A VERY long, and VERY dark look down the row of level 3 of the West Wing
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This is called the "alley" which is a single long row that splits the cells in half on each level. it basically runs along the back side of the cells, and is only illuminated by little light bulbs every so often.
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LOOK AT THE ORBS in the alley on a lower level!!! LoL
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I can't imagine living like this on a life sentence...
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"Haunted" houses and stuff don't scare me, but they do intrigue me. I shut myself into one of the cells and took this pic. The flash did an awesome job of showing the wear and age of this old prison.
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This is just one half of the West Wing. That's alot of prisoners!!
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This is the shower room. Just a long pipe with shower heads attached, and a drain in the floor.
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An inmate with a sense of humor had carved a welcome mat into the concrete floor just outside of his cell. I wish you could see it in this pic, and i didnt get an up close shot either
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The Hole.... LITERALLY!!
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Solitary confinement... the more luxurious side
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So here's my co worker that we locked into a solitary cell. little did we know the locks were actually functioning, and he seriously could not get out!
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"All right guys, seriously you gotta find a way to get me out. This isn't funny anymore" were almost the exact words, minus a few fright induced expletives
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The guard room. this part has been restored to it's former glory, and you can actually book this room for wedding receptions. WHY you'd want a reception in a friggin prison is beond me, but to each their own.
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Found a cool haunted house prop for their October event in an area I wasn't supposed to be in *cough cough*, and had to snap a pic
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FINALLY...
All I can tell you is that this is called "THE CHAIR ROOM". You know I just had to sit in there!!!!
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So, sorry this post was really long, but I hope you all enjoy the pics of my haunted tour through "Shawshank Prison"!!

And if you're wondering about my dear co worker... we left him in there for nearly 20 minutes alone just to spook him and see how far he could go without getting angry...Just walked off and looked a few more areas, and checked out some movie props. We actually found a master switch labeled "key" that when you pull this huge lever, it opens all the solitary cell door on that row. We found it well before we pranked him, so we knew it was safe and we could get him out when we wanted to. He is probably asleep right now, and having some well earned nightmares, muah ha ha!!
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By Zombie Pumpkins!
#76723
Chuck, it must have taken a while to post all these photos. Thanks for sharing!

I've always loved photos like this. I want to do some urban exploring through decaying buildings and do my own photo shoots, but I haven't really come across a location to do that yet.

You can really get some great photos and capture a sense of history. You found some great little details in this prison that really tell a story. "HELP ME" :shock:

Prison life doesn't look like much fun. Imagine your bed, cellmate, and toilet all in a space about size of a closet. Forget about the concepts of "personal space" and "privacy."

In its run down state, this prison does seem like it could be haunted. I'm trying to imagine what it looked like in person, before your camera flash illuminated the rooms. Probably a chilling experience.

And that's a great prank you pulled on your friend, locking him in solitary. Well, I'm hoping he's still your friend. He should thank you for the life experience you granted him. :)
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By chuckwagon
#76731
A lot of the darker areas were very creepy, and there are a few haunted stories about this place for sure. Even had a few autographed photos from some of the TV people of a couple different ghost hunter shows. It was an awesome experience to say the least. Not to mention one my all time fav movies was filmed here on location. It was more fun when my coworker and I would sneak into the really dark cells, and just wait for the others to walk by. we'd moan and reach through the bars and grab 'em by the arm to give em a fright. This place was like a huge playground for me, LOL. I tried to do my best Morgan Freeman impression as we walked through to help narrate the tour.
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By monstermash
#76743
Nice photos Chuck. I would have loved a look around there, so creepy. You've a wicked sense of humour too, locking your mate in that cell, i'd have done the same. :twisted:
I'd love to know the stroy of the chair room. Probably just a chair put in an empty room but i'm sure some twisted tale could be spun.
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By nosferatu
#76814
That is a fabulous set of photographs. I love the peeling paint, excuse the pun but I find it very appealing. You can sense the chaos, the violence, the miasma from your pictures and The Shawshank connection just adds to it. Count yourself lucky your friends threw you in a cell an not down with The Sisters.
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By Raven
#77369
What an absolutely beautiful place!

As for getting married at a prison? Well, my brother did just that. He and his wife were married at the Bishop's house which is on the grounds and steps away from the front gate of the old Idaho State Penitentiary built in 1872. The prison closed it's cells for good in 1973 and can be toured now. The prison is largely made from sandstone that the prisoners quarried from nearby ridges and actually helped build the prison. It's an awesome place and the wedding was really quite beautiful. :wink:
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By Lala
#81696
Raven wrote:What an absolutely beautiful place!

As for getting married at a prison? Well, my brother did just that. He and his wife were married at the Bishop's house which is on the grounds and steps away from the front gate of the old Idaho State Penitentiary built in 1872. The prison closed it's cells for good in 1973 and can be toured now. The prison is largely made from sandstone that the prisoners quarried from nearby ridges and actually helped build the prison. It's an awesome place and the wedding was really quite beautiful. :wink:
I got married there too :-) the prison is in most of my wedding photos!