When is the last time you saw the Ohio State Reformatory?
It’s been a little while for me. But fortunately I was jolted back to OSR last week when a reporter called off sick, necessitating a story during a leadership program conducted there by the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center. The speaker, Kevin Honeycutt, offered a dynamic address and his strong message was well received.
He referenced the surroundings of OSR repeatedly during that speech, and it prompted a quick, self-guided tour.
Our family is almost obligated to drive any out-of-towners to OSR soon after their arrival. Everyone who watches movies with any frequency has seen the Shawshank Redemption. Today it’s considered a theatric masterpiece, and referenced frequently on many greatest movie lists.
The majority of the Shawshank Redemption, based on a Stephen King novel, was shot in our backyard, with Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins poking around north central Ohio while on location. It has been a source of pride for more than 20 years. Lots of local folks were extras, and I’ve never missed the chance to tease News Journal reporter Lou Whitmire about her cameo just before Warden Norton turns the gun on himself.
Shawshank is a strong part of the fabric in our community, the Shawshank Tour brings in valuable tourism dollars, and knowing the movie is a borderline obligation to living here.
Still, I had almost forgotten the powerful beauty in the architecture at the Ohio State Reformatory. The movie was so spectacular, it seemed to overshadow that fact in my memory. That should never happen.
Knocking around the grounds at OSR is a chance to view the picturesque pond, the squawking geese that meander the beautiful grounds, the strong imagery and unique characteristics of the place. It’s an epic setting. I dare say now the site looks significantly better than it did when Hollywood was here for that 1994 classic.
Most already know about the uptick in business during the Halloween season.
But I’ve also attended a graduation party there, have received wedding invitations shot there (with the bride-to-be posing as a guard and the groom-to-be sitting in a cell, feel free to offer your own interpretation on that one), and the variety of tours offers a number of choices, too.
Click here for the latest schedules: http://www.mrps.org/
“We have a tour devoted to fans of the movie that includes and goes beyond OSR. It’s the Shawshank Trail,” said Lee Tasseff, president of Mansfield & Richland County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “We recently soft launched its new website. People are drawn here from all parts of Ohio and even beyond the borders of the U.S.”
This is just a reminder more than anything, and I needed one. As summer begins and tourists arrive in Richland County, visitors will find their way to OSR. The doors are open to locals, too.
For those who haven’t been on the grounds, this is a must. OSR is a Richland County treasure, well worth a visit.
