A Terrifying Tour Of This Haunted Prison Near Cincinnati Is Not For The Faint Of Heart
By Andrea Limke|Published January 31, 2018
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
If you get your thrills from visiting old buildings, hospitals, and jails that are the sources of countless ghost stories, then Cincinnati is actually a great place to call home base. With a rich history comes the tales of spooky happenings from the past and there are several spots around the city and within a few hours where you can experience these tales firsthand. You may already know that less than three hours from downtown is the city of Mansfield and the legendary Ohio State Reformatory. But you may not know that you can take a terrifying, overnight tour of this haunted prison — and the experience is surely not for the faint of heart.
Less than three hours from Cincinnati stands a grand building that may have a castle-like appearance but never treated those who stayed there like royalty.
The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield is one of the most famous prisons in the world and has been the backdrop of many movies, music videos, and these days, tours of the former jail that is in the process of being restored. The jail received its first inmates in 1896 and was an active prison until a federal order closed its doors in 1990.
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It may be a bit of a drive from Cincinnati to experience this spooky, historic jail, but if you enjoy an epic ghost hunt, then it is very much worth the trip.
Haunted Cincinnati Tours, a local tour business, hosts one overnight tour of this infamous jail each year. There is only one as of now due to the limited availability of the Reformatory. But if you are lucky enough to score a ticket to this scary excursion (as of right now, there are still a few spots left for their tour in April!), then you are in for an unforgettable night in this intriguing Ohio prison.
This particular tour runs from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. and includes exclusive access to much of the jail, the use of authentic paranormal detection tools, a pizza dinner, and refreshments.
You can only imagine the ghost stories that have come from this spot, where countless cruel and sad events took place. Many inmates died of disease and other not-so-natural causes, a Warden and his wife lost their lives due to an accident and a heart attack within the prison walls, and there were many incidents of violence and indiscretion. To walk the halls now, past the cells, down the dark halls, and even by the electric chair, you can envision what life for these criminals was like and why they would choose to haunt the jail to this day.
If you'd like to explore another historic jail near Cincinnati, Haunted Cincinnati Tours also offers tours of the Old Licking County Jail in Newark, pictured below.
If you enjoy a good ghost story and have to see for yourself whether or not these legendary jails are truly haunted, then these tours are right up your alley and perfect for a day trip from Cincinnati.
A tour of one of the most haunted places in the country is just a short drive from Cincinnati. Would you spend the night looking for ghosts at this former jail? Have you been there? Let us know about it in the comments!
And for more information on this tour and all of the others offered by Haunted Cincinnati Tours, visit their website here. And for more on the Ohio State Reformatory, visit their website here.
And for a few tours of Cincinnati that aren’t so scary, check out our previous article here.
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