MANSFIELD — The Cleveland Browns will send 15 players into Mansfield on Monday to enjoy an evening at the Ohio State Reformatory, according to officials at the site.
OSR’s Dan Smith said he is excited for the opportunity to host the NFL guests.
“We’re really excited about it. We’ve really grown within the last couple years and we’re hoping we can repeat that with them (the Browns). Maybe in the future we can get some of the Indians or the Cavs to come down,” Smith said.
The idea started with Browns’ tight end Gary Barnidge when he proposed to some teammates to take a trip on Halloween, Smith said.
“We couldn’t do that because of all the props and the people, so we landed on a day in November,” Smith said.
The team will make the trip to Mansfield on Monday following the 1 p.m. Sunday game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in order to make it on time for their 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. ghost hunt.
“They’re going to try to get there by 6:30 (p.m.),” said Paul Taylor, Manager of Content and Production for the Cleveland Browns.
Taylor said Barnidge is a Halloween fanatic.
“He went to two or three different haunted houses through October,” he said.
The 11-year veteran likes to take trips around the state when he can to “take rookies under his wing,” said Taylor.
The Browns will also send a video crew along with the teammates to capture the overnight ghost hunt. Smith said teammates will likely live tweet their time in the prison.
The Browns will not miss any practice time because the team has a bye week starting after Sunday’s game.
Smith said OSR typically provides one police officer, but since he expects a large crowd to follow the team as they reach the prison, additional security officers will be present on their arrival.
However, Smith said the ghost hunt is private and will not be open to guests.
Three OSR workers will lead the overnight ghost hunt.
The prison is slated to open for regular holiday hours starting Friday from Friday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
