Mansfield’s Blood Prison is getting ready to welcome you — if you dare

MANSFIELD — The Ohio State Reformatory has housed thousands of prisoners. This fall, it will house a whole new crop of terrified visitors.

The immersive haunted attraction will return to the historic Mansfield prison from Sept. 25 through Nov. 1, with more than 100 characters and a new look.

Blood Prison will operate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening during the Halloween season. General admission tickets start at $35, plus fees.

Guests who attend opening weekend, Sept. 25 through 27, can purchase tickets without fees. Those who select a 10 p.m. admission time or later, on opening weekend will also receive $10 off their tickets.

Blood Prison has limited time slots and encourages guests to purchase tickets in advance.

(Promotional video for Blood Prison 2026. Credit: Jake Hageman/Raven Realm Media.)

A haunted attraction with a history

Blood Prison takes place inside the Ohio State Reformatory at 100 Reformatory Road, where the building’s history becomes part of the experience.

The Reformatory opened in 1896 and operated as a prison for nearly a century. Its steel cell blocks, stone corridors and imposing architecture provide the setting for Blood Prison’s live performers, detailed environments and special effects.

The historic site also draws visitors because of its connection to The Shawshank Redemption, its paranormal reputation and events such as the Inkcarceration tattoo + music festival.

Blood Prison Founder and Haunt Manager Vic Amesquita said the team has spent the year working on changes throughout the attraction.

The work includes new sets in the Warden’s Widow’s upstairs manor, the front of the house, the east and west cell blocks and the basement. Amesquita said crews also built new areas and expanded existing spaces rather than simply adding new props.

The 6-foot-7 Warden’s Widow also will return this season in a new costume. The attraction will feature new audio throughout the haunt and new lighting in a large portion of the scenes.

Amesquita said those changes can affect how visitors experience each scene, with different lighting layers and subtle audio elements designed to make guests uneasy.

“It’s a whole element. You gotta give them the whole experience that kind of grabs onto a fear that someone isn’t expecting,” Amesquita said. “The prison is just the greatest facade you could ever ask for to have a haunted attraction.

“That’s what’s exciting for me, honestly, is how people react to it.”

The work behind Blood Prison takes place throughout the year. Amesquita said planning for the next season begins before the current one is finished.

“It’s all year,” Amesquita said. “I’m already planning for ’27. It’s a full-time job and it takes all year to get the next year.”

More than a nighttime scare

Visitors can choose from several ticket options for Blood Prison, depending on how they want to experience the attraction.

General admission costs $35. The $55 Ultra Lightning Pass allows guests to bypass the general admission line and cuts wait time by more than half.

The $80 Instant Access Pass provides VIP front-of-the-line access without a reserved time slot. Guests who purchase the pass also can receive an optional free Touch Pass upgrade.

A $7 Touch Pass also is available as an add-on with general admission and Ultra Lightning Pass tickets. The pass allows guests to have contact with haunt characters for a more intense experience.

Visitors who want to explore the Reformatory without a nighttime scare can take the Beyond The Scare Tour.

The daytime, lights-on tour gives guests a chance to see set decorations while learning more about the sets and the history of the Reformatory. The 90-minute tour includes areas such as the sub-basement and “Jesus Room.”

The tour is open to people ages 8 and older, although its sets and props include blood, gore and disturbing scenes. The Beyond The Scare Tour runs daily from Sept. 25 through Nov. 2, with tickets costing $40, plus fees.

Blood Prison’s annual holiday haunt, Blood Prison Christmas Incarceration, also will return later this year.

(Photos from the Blood Prison experience. Credit: Jake Hageman/Raven Realm Media.)