MANSFIELD, Ohio – Halloween thrill seekers have until Nov. 2 to enter Blood Prison after dark for a harrowing walk through the haunted former Ohio State Reformatory.
Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 2, plus Thursday Oct. 23, the seasonal spectacle is filled with maniacal inmates and deformed guards.
There is also a haunted hospital, the Blood Prison chapel and Apocalyptic Alley, each using professional-level special effects.
Paranormal activity abounds in the unsettling structure with gothic architecture. It is often sought by ghost hunters for visits.
Due to the popularity of Blood Prison, the creators have developed Christmas Incarceration, inviting guests to trade holiday stress for seasonal screams as they step into a chilling holiday experience like no other.
Christmas Incarceration transforms the festive season into a spine-tingling spectacle where the ghost of Christmas is around every corner.
Advance online tickets for both experiences are required and found at BloodPrison.com,including $35 Blood Prison General Pass Timed Ticketing or a $55 Lightning or $80 Ultra Lightning Pass, which significantly reduces wait time. A $7 Touch Pass adds even more intensity to the Blood Prison experience, allowing scare actors to touch attendees. Christmas Incarceration tickets are $25 or $15 for a limited time if purchased with Blood Prison Passes. Group rates are available by emailing scream@mrps.org.
This year, Beyond the Scare reformatory tours are offered in daylight during the run of Blood Prison and Christmas Incarceration letting visitors see behind the scenes of Blood Prison with the lights on. Those tickets are available 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. daily at MRPS.org.
CROWFEST
The return of thousands of crows and their cacophony to Mansfield Art Center every year conjures up bizarre images of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”
CrowFest, a celebration of the annual visitors via art features an incredible exhibition filled with original works by a variety of artists inspired by the avian arrival as they migrate for the winter.
This one-of-a-kind autumn event runs through October, culminating with a grand Masquerade where formal attire and over-the-top costumes – many in keeping with the CrowFest theme – create a Halloween event.
Riddled with paranormal activity, Mansfield draws curious believers from around the globe. Area sites have been studied and ranked as top ghostly experiences, from Travel Channel’s “Ghost Hunter,” Discovery Channel’s “Ghost Stalkers,” Sci-Fi channel’s “Ghost Adventures” and other shows on Netflix, History Channel, Hulu and National Geographics.
Built in 1886, the castle-like prison gained notoriety as the star of the Hollywood classic “The Shawshank Redemption.”
Complete visitor information and free visitor guides are available at DestinationMansfield.com or by calling 800 642 8282.