Alcatraz, Eastern State Penitentiary, Lake County Jail…Prisons and reformatories are often hailed as the most haunted of places in America. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find a state without a haunted prison—if they even exist.

No Difference and No Exceptions

Ohio is no different. There are several within the state itself and none of their histories are kind.

Filled with strife, murder, abuse, and other various forms of violence—in fact in the Ohio Penitentiary 322 inmates were killed the night the building caught fire. Wrought with horrible events, it is not hard to imagine why they are among some of the most haunted places in America.

The Ohio Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio is one of the most haunted prisons in the United States. It is reportedly so haunted that even the road leading up to it is considered haunted.

I found multiple accounts of a woman named Phoebe Wise that is reported to walk the road. She was considered bold, outspoken, and unafraid to taken on a man in an argument. She even unintentionally killed her long-term boyfriend during an argument.

Many Other Ghosts

However, that fate would later be turned around on her when she was killed by men who assumed she was rich despite her living conditions. She walks the road to this day dressed in bright clothes and stands over 6 feet tall.

There are other various ghosts in the Reformatory—Arthur and Helen Glattke are said to still reside within the apartment they occupied when they were alive. There is also a 14-year-old boy who wanders the basement, and many other ghosts trapped in the chapel where guards repeatedly tortured inmates.

If there was ever a place religion was rarely found, it would be the Ohio Reformatory. There are so many experiences reported by people, that I simply do not have room to place them all in one article!

A Hollywood Past

Hauntings and poltergeists aside, the living love coming to visit and explore. Located in Mansfield, Ohio, The Ohio Reformatory was the set for the movie The Shawshank Redemption. There are tons of guided tours where you can explore parts where the movie was filmed, as well as tours where actors and animatronics bring the halls to life in a way only they can!

C. Brady