MANSFIELD, Ohio – The Mansfield/Richland County Convention and Visitors Bureau announced the addition of new Shawshank Trail Signs to be erected at the Hollywood filming sites from the movie “The Shawshank Redemption.”
The signs will allow visitors, locals and even those unfamiliar, to more easily recognize the sites which are located in Mansfield, Ashland and Upper Sandusky. Currently, the majority of the sites along the Trail are marked by window decals and plaques allowing for easy identification. These will be more readily seen from the road for everyone passing by a site as the signs are double-sided featuring a two-foot reflective Shawshank Trail logo.
For Trail branding purposes, the signs will resemble the “Home of Shawshank Trail” entrance signs on the large Welcome boards leading into Mansfield. It also adds permanent year-round marketing to our most famous Trail tour.
“The Shawshank Trail connects the 14 area filming sites used in the movie ‘The Shawshank Redemption.’ The self-guided driving tour creates a way for fans to explore the sites with helpful tips, trivia and souvenir locations along the Trail,” stated Jodie Snavely, Group Tour/Media Director.
The M/RCVB created the Shawshank Trail Drive-It-Yourself brochure, along with the logo and website, for fans of the film. It has drawn international attention, as well as visitors and has been incredibly successful as a tourism product. There are currently over 6,100 followers on The Shawshank Trail Facebook page, highlighting the movie’s popularity.
As the only tourism focused economic development organization in Richland County, The Mansfield/Richland County Convention & Visitors Bureau is chartered to promote the area’s facilities, attractions and events as a destination for group tours, meetings and visitors, and to developing new visitor markets.
Tourism, the 4th largest employer in Richland County, supports 4,349 jobs with a payroll of $83 million, while generating spending of $290.4 million and Local Taxes of $8.5 million.
A local employer of four full-time and one part-time staff, the M/RCVB uses the talents of volunteers and interns to accomplish its mission. Its website can be found at the following Internet address: www.mansfieldtourism.com.