Todd - Blood Prison returned in its full glory this year and we couldn’t have been happier. This haunt is not one to be missed – just be prepared for a long evening. Built up inside the well-known Ohio State Reformatory – aka The Shawshank Redemption Prison – Blood Prison offers an amazing experience of both a crazy-long haunt and historical eye candy that you can’t get enough of. If you believe in the supposed hauntings of this landmark, then just consider that a cool bonus too.
If you have been to Blood Prison before, then you already know – the earlier you come the better. People will arrive an hour or more ahead of doors opening to get to the front of the line, which lengthens exponentially in just a few hours. If you’re a newcomer, take that as some free advice. On the other hand, waiting in line for Blood Prison isn’t the worst wait for a haunt. While in line, you’ll pass a number food trucks and vendors to keep your hunger at bay before you go in. If you upgrade to the fast pass line you’ll still likely have a bit of a wait, but a fraction of what you would spend waiting in the general admission line. The highlight of either queue is a potential visit by the now internet-famous Wardens Widow. If you’re on TikTok, then you have likely seen her – even if you don’t know it.
The Warden’s Window has become to the focal character and icon of Blood Prison. So much so that she now has her own merch online and in the Ohio State Reformatory gift shop. She’s unmistakable – very tall, billowing period dresses, razor-sharp teeth and a truly blood-curdling scream that humans were never intended to produce at will. She’s so well-known now that fans actually bring her gifts (I like to consider them more as offerings) and take pictures with her as you would with Mickey Mouse at Disney. That’s some incredible branding for a haunt that you don’t often see.
This year’s haunt was in full swing (last year due to time restraints – results of covid - neither cell block was included in the haunt). Having all of the accessible build areas really does make a difference since the cell blocks make up at least four major scenes. I suppose one benefit to having so much space is that there’s really no limit to the size of props that can be used. This year we saw cars, the airplane fuselage, and even a tank. It doesn’t stop with military vehicles either. The enormous jack-in-the-boxes are very creepy.
The most impressive build for me is still the opening portion of the haunt – the house. The beginning and ending facades look amazing and the level of distress of the inside is top notch. It’s a perfect blend of dark, creepy, disheveled and WTF. In each room there are all sorts of furniture, pictures, random TVs, bizarre junk and my favorite – random bodies just stuck to the wall. New this year at the end of this house was a large tree with cobblestones surrounding it, just loose enough to check your footing as you proceed. If I didn’t know any better I would have thought the tree was a real. There’s no question that the crew knows how to build.
The magic that ties everything together is of course the actors and unfortunately, like many, many other haunts this year, Blood Prison faced staffing challenges. The haunt is VERY long with very elongated passageways – some of which are almost solely driven by actors, such as the basement cell halls that are nearly pitch black, pumped with fog and blaring music. It’s dark so there’s nothing to see in these halls and the apprehension is built from not knowing which cell someone may pop out from. Without the actors, these halls were rather ineffective. The areas that did have actors commonly felt unimposing still because one actor would have to cover an immense amount of ground, especially in the cell blocks.
That’s not to say there weren’t a few stand out actors, the most memorable being the chainsaw guy at the very beginning who did NOT hold back driving the chainsaw bar right into any part of our bodies and of course the infamous Wardens Widow. On the other end of the spectrum, in the very last room, normally the actor in past years was very interactive, utilizing the various tools of torture surrounding him. This year, the actor just stood as still as a statue, silently as the uninterrupted line of patrons walked by.
Throughout the majority of the haunt it was a steady stream of people in a line so the few actors in these vast areas had no chance to reset, so instead they wandered around, covering a sizeable area and just interacted with people as they walked buy. Patrons with touch passes would occasionally get pulled aside briefly but the constant flow of people didn’t allow for the actors to get too involved. The constant conga line of people certainly didn’t help with the absence of actors. Any haunt drawing the volume of visitors that Blood Prison does will always feel pressure to keep the pace of admission fairly short. Despite having a few reset points throughout the haunt, the conga line re-formed almost instantly. At each check point, the next group was given the go-ahead only seconds after the previous one preventing any one group from experiencing any kind of isolation in the haunt.
I can’t fault the haunt at all for the sparse actors. The dilemma regarding haunt workers this year was rampant, affecting almost all of the various haunts we visited. It’s just that with the massive haunt that Blood Prison is, those low actor counts are more noticeable than they are at a smaller haunt with significantly smaller spaces. It’s just unfortunate that the result of this labor shortage turned Blood Prison into more of walking tour of a Halloween-decorated Ohio State Reformatory than a haunt. As any haunt, it has its share of animatronics and props of course, but the large open spaces felt much too tranquil for a haunt. It would take an egregious amount of animatronics to make up for the lack of actors. This haunt has so much content, I would think it would make anyone remotely interested in haunting feel like a kid in a candy store so it baffles me why Blood Prison (or any other haunt for that matter) had trouble with attracting or keeping actors on staff this year.
Fortunately, WE know what this haunt is capable of and what it’s like when it’s at normal staffing levels. I won’t lie, I’d still go even if there weren’t any actors at all just because I love the space and the sets. It’s all unlike anywhere else we go. However, from an objective standpoint, the cell blocks suffered the most this year. The smaller spaces and narrow hallways worked much better, even with a limited staff. However the cell blocks are where the most grandiose imaginings can come to life and there wasn’t much life to them, sadly. Whatever funk is keeping people away from participating in haunts needs to go away so more life can be pumped into great experiences like Blood Prison.
If you have been to Blood Prison before, then you already know – the earlier you come the better. People will arrive an hour or more ahead of doors opening to get to the front of the line, which lengthens exponentially in just a few hours. If you’re a newcomer, take that as some free advice. On the other hand, waiting in line for Blood Prison isn’t the worst wait for a haunt. While in line, you’ll pass a number food trucks and vendors to keep your hunger at bay before you go in. If you upgrade to the fast pass line you’ll still likely have a bit of a wait, but a fraction of what you would spend waiting in the general admission line. The highlight of either queue is a potential visit by the now internet-famous Wardens Widow. If you’re on TikTok, then you have likely seen her – even if you don’t know it.
The Warden’s Window has become to the focal character and icon of Blood Prison. So much so that she now has her own merch online and in the Ohio State Reformatory gift shop. She’s unmistakable – very tall, billowing period dresses, razor-sharp teeth and a truly blood-curdling scream that humans were never intended to produce at will. She’s so well-known now that fans actually bring her gifts (I like to consider them more as offerings) and take pictures with her as you would with Mickey Mouse at Disney. That’s some incredible branding for a haunt that you don’t often see.
This year’s haunt was in full swing (last year due to time restraints – results of covid - neither cell block was included in the haunt). Having all of the accessible build areas really does make a difference since the cell blocks make up at least four major scenes. I suppose one benefit to having so much space is that there’s really no limit to the size of props that can be used. This year we saw cars, the airplane fuselage, and even a tank. It doesn’t stop with military vehicles either. The enormous jack-in-the-boxes are very creepy.
The most impressive build for me is still the opening portion of the haunt – the house. The beginning and ending facades look amazing and the level of distress of the inside is top notch. It’s a perfect blend of dark, creepy, disheveled and WTF. In each room there are all sorts of furniture, pictures, random TVs, bizarre junk and my favorite – random bodies just stuck to the wall. New this year at the end of this house was a large tree with cobblestones surrounding it, just loose enough to check your footing as you proceed. If I didn’t know any better I would have thought the tree was a real. There’s no question that the crew knows how to build.
The magic that ties everything together is of course the actors and unfortunately, like many, many other haunts this year, Blood Prison faced staffing challenges. The haunt is VERY long with very elongated passageways – some of which are almost solely driven by actors, such as the basement cell halls that are nearly pitch black, pumped with fog and blaring music. It’s dark so there’s nothing to see in these halls and the apprehension is built from not knowing which cell someone may pop out from. Without the actors, these halls were rather ineffective. The areas that did have actors commonly felt unimposing still because one actor would have to cover an immense amount of ground, especially in the cell blocks.
That’s not to say there weren’t a few stand out actors, the most memorable being the chainsaw guy at the very beginning who did NOT hold back driving the chainsaw bar right into any part of our bodies and of course the infamous Wardens Widow. On the other end of the spectrum, in the very last room, normally the actor in past years was very interactive, utilizing the various tools of torture surrounding him. This year, the actor just stood as still as a statue, silently as the uninterrupted line of patrons walked by.
Throughout the majority of the haunt it was a steady stream of people in a line so the few actors in these vast areas had no chance to reset, so instead they wandered around, covering a sizeable area and just interacted with people as they walked buy. Patrons with touch passes would occasionally get pulled aside briefly but the constant flow of people didn’t allow for the actors to get too involved. The constant conga line of people certainly didn’t help with the absence of actors. Any haunt drawing the volume of visitors that Blood Prison does will always feel pressure to keep the pace of admission fairly short. Despite having a few reset points throughout the haunt, the conga line re-formed almost instantly. At each check point, the next group was given the go-ahead only seconds after the previous one preventing any one group from experiencing any kind of isolation in the haunt.
I can’t fault the haunt at all for the sparse actors. The dilemma regarding haunt workers this year was rampant, affecting almost all of the various haunts we visited. It’s just that with the massive haunt that Blood Prison is, those low actor counts are more noticeable than they are at a smaller haunt with significantly smaller spaces. It’s just unfortunate that the result of this labor shortage turned Blood Prison into more of walking tour of a Halloween-decorated Ohio State Reformatory than a haunt. As any haunt, it has its share of animatronics and props of course, but the large open spaces felt much too tranquil for a haunt. It would take an egregious amount of animatronics to make up for the lack of actors. This haunt has so much content, I would think it would make anyone remotely interested in haunting feel like a kid in a candy store so it baffles me why Blood Prison (or any other haunt for that matter) had trouble with attracting or keeping actors on staff this year.
Fortunately, WE know what this haunt is capable of and what it’s like when it’s at normal staffing levels. I won’t lie, I’d still go even if there weren’t any actors at all just because I love the space and the sets. It’s all unlike anywhere else we go. However, from an objective standpoint, the cell blocks suffered the most this year. The smaller spaces and narrow hallways worked much better, even with a limited staff. However the cell blocks are where the most grandiose imaginings can come to life and there wasn’t much life to them, sadly. Whatever funk is keeping people away from participating in haunts needs to go away so more life can be pumped into great experiences like Blood Prison.
Paul - The cellblocks are back! After not being able to have them in 2020 due to Covid uncertainties, the cell blocks at Blood Prison were back for 2021. And they're as impressive as ever.
Blood Prison is kind of a cheat code of a haunt. Just being in the old Ohio State Reformatory automatically adds awesomeness to the haunt, then when you stack this many awesome sets inside, it just becomes one of the most amazing places we visit. This year I believe a significant percentage of the beginning portion was redone from last year, because there were a bunch of things in there I didn't remember from last year. Lots of detail, plenty of actors, tight, twisty passageways- it was probably the best portion of this year's attraction. After making it through that section, we descended down into the solitary confinement hallways before heading through the cellblocks.
Solitary didn't have much this year. Usually there are a few actors in there who will hit you with some good jump scares of some sort, but for the most part it was just loud, dark-ish hallways. Once you get beyond that though, the cellblocks are the highlights for me. They pack a huge amount of stuff into the cellblocks, and they do a pretty good job of utilizing it well. I especially enjoy the church/graveyard area, but all of them seemed to be done very well. You're definitely aware that you're in a creepy old prison, but somehow these crazy little side-themes they build up in here work.
The last portion takes you through an underground section where you see some of the area the prisoners definitely wouldn't want to end up. Lots of not-so-approved experimentation and research means there is a lot of "waste" that has to be disposed of, and they've got a hell of a facility down there for doing just that.
So you have this pretty awesome haunt in an absolutely breathtaking setting- why wouldn't our scores be higher? Well, the exact same reason so many other haunts (and normal businesses) are struggling this year- It's hard to find employees. With a production this size, you have to have a huge number of actors in it to really sell the theme. There were a few very large portions of the haunt that there only seemed to be 2-3 actors covering, when they likely could have used 5x that number. Add to that the huge volume of customers that go through in a night and you end up with huge conga lines of visitors, which means the actors kind of have to pick and choose which visitors to interact with since they can't really engage every single person. I remember there being far more actors in past visits, and I think that was the biggest difference this year.
Blood Prison is one of my favorite haunts we visit. It's an unbelievably cool building with some very well done sets, props, lighting, and audio. It's one of my most anticipated haunts every year and likely will be for many years. The actor shortage this year was definitely noticed, but it was absolutely worth the drive up from Cincinnati for us and we'll 100% do it again next year. This is always one of my most recommended haunts and will likely continue to be well into the future!
Blood Prison is kind of a cheat code of a haunt. Just being in the old Ohio State Reformatory automatically adds awesomeness to the haunt, then when you stack this many awesome sets inside, it just becomes one of the most amazing places we visit. This year I believe a significant percentage of the beginning portion was redone from last year, because there were a bunch of things in there I didn't remember from last year. Lots of detail, plenty of actors, tight, twisty passageways- it was probably the best portion of this year's attraction. After making it through that section, we descended down into the solitary confinement hallways before heading through the cellblocks.
Solitary didn't have much this year. Usually there are a few actors in there who will hit you with some good jump scares of some sort, but for the most part it was just loud, dark-ish hallways. Once you get beyond that though, the cellblocks are the highlights for me. They pack a huge amount of stuff into the cellblocks, and they do a pretty good job of utilizing it well. I especially enjoy the church/graveyard area, but all of them seemed to be done very well. You're definitely aware that you're in a creepy old prison, but somehow these crazy little side-themes they build up in here work.
The last portion takes you through an underground section where you see some of the area the prisoners definitely wouldn't want to end up. Lots of not-so-approved experimentation and research means there is a lot of "waste" that has to be disposed of, and they've got a hell of a facility down there for doing just that.
So you have this pretty awesome haunt in an absolutely breathtaking setting- why wouldn't our scores be higher? Well, the exact same reason so many other haunts (and normal businesses) are struggling this year- It's hard to find employees. With a production this size, you have to have a huge number of actors in it to really sell the theme. There were a few very large portions of the haunt that there only seemed to be 2-3 actors covering, when they likely could have used 5x that number. Add to that the huge volume of customers that go through in a night and you end up with huge conga lines of visitors, which means the actors kind of have to pick and choose which visitors to interact with since they can't really engage every single person. I remember there being far more actors in past visits, and I think that was the biggest difference this year.
Blood Prison is one of my favorite haunts we visit. It's an unbelievably cool building with some very well done sets, props, lighting, and audio. It's one of my most anticipated haunts every year and likely will be for many years. The actor shortage this year was definitely noticed, but it was absolutely worth the drive up from Cincinnati for us and we'll 100% do it again next year. This is always one of my most recommended haunts and will likely continue to be well into the future!
There are extremely loud noises, aggressive music that will make your heart pound, jump scares, and if you get the touch pass, you will be touched, caressed, grabbed by the neck, pulled away from your group, tickled mercilessly, shoved, chainsawed, knifed, screamed at, taunted, and terrorized by all manner of inmates and evil beings. |
Teresa - Escape from Blood Prison is an experience you will NOT want to miss! There is absolutely nothing like it. This place has a tremendous gothic presence. It's located in Mansfield, Ohio in the old Ohio State Reformatory, famous as Shawshank Prison, if you've seen The Shawshank Redemption. The building is creepy enough in the daylight, and they do offer day-time tours. It's definitely worth a trip. In fact, your haunt ticket stub is good for a tour during the day, so hang onto it! At night, cue the lights, fog, creepy music, and festival-like atmosphere, and it's time to get scared! Check out the website for information. I'd recommend getting tickets ahead of time, but you can get them at the ticket bus, but it is cash only. If you go with general admission and arrive to find the line is a little too much for you to handle, you can upgrade your tickets to Ultra Lightning passes, which cuts your wait time at least in half. Also, if you really want to have some fun, for an extra $5, you can upgrade your ticket to a touch pass. This will guarantee some intense scares! The line can frequently be long, but everyone who buys a ticket will get in. It gives you plenty of time to stare at the intimidating prison looming over you. They don't build places like this anymore. There are also snack booths and portalets, so as long as you dress for the weather, you'll have a fun wait. Keep an eye out for the warden's widow. She is absolutely terrifying and has quite the following on social media, especially TikTok.
When it is your turn, be prepared for an intense experience. The place is HUGE. You go through the warden's home, and then solitary, and the cell blocks, and the basement. You will simply be in awe at the natural architecture. Then on top of that, this place has been haunted to the extreme. There are extremely loud noises, aggressive music that will make your heart pound, jump scares, and if you get the touch pass, you will be touched, caressed, grabbed by the neck, pulled away from your group, tickled mercilessly, shoved, chainsawed, knifed, screamed at, taunted, and terrorized by all manner of inmates and evil beings. There are insane props in here; I'm talking about crashed tanks, cars, and even an airplane. Crazy! The cell blocks are so creepy and you'll find yourself looking up at floor after floor of them, towering overhead. Solitary is pitch black and full of intense music and loud noises. You can't tell when something will jump out or grab you. The glow necklaces actually come in a little handy here, to keep you from running into someone or something in the dark. The sets are detailed and disturbing. It looks like you're going through a prison that has been in ruins for years. Ceilings and floors are collapsed in areas, trees are growing out of the rubble, and some of the decor looks to be decades old. There are bodies everywhere, hanging, swinging, fileted, flayed, and quartered. This is definitely an intense place, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to have some nightmares (and a lot of fun)!
When it is your turn, be prepared for an intense experience. The place is HUGE. You go through the warden's home, and then solitary, and the cell blocks, and the basement. You will simply be in awe at the natural architecture. Then on top of that, this place has been haunted to the extreme. There are extremely loud noises, aggressive music that will make your heart pound, jump scares, and if you get the touch pass, you will be touched, caressed, grabbed by the neck, pulled away from your group, tickled mercilessly, shoved, chainsawed, knifed, screamed at, taunted, and terrorized by all manner of inmates and evil beings. There are insane props in here; I'm talking about crashed tanks, cars, and even an airplane. Crazy! The cell blocks are so creepy and you'll find yourself looking up at floor after floor of them, towering overhead. Solitary is pitch black and full of intense music and loud noises. You can't tell when something will jump out or grab you. The glow necklaces actually come in a little handy here, to keep you from running into someone or something in the dark. The sets are detailed and disturbing. It looks like you're going through a prison that has been in ruins for years. Ceilings and floors are collapsed in areas, trees are growing out of the rubble, and some of the decor looks to be decades old. There are bodies everywhere, hanging, swinging, fileted, flayed, and quartered. This is definitely an intense place, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to have some nightmares (and a lot of fun)!
Gayle - What a brilliant way to showcase an amazing and historical building! The creepy factor is off the charts with Blood Prison, and well worth the 2.5 hour trip. This was my first time reviewing this haunt, so I spent a bit of time reading about the history of the facility beforehand...and it just adds to the whole experience here. There's so much going on outside with music, lights, actors, carnival food...all with an ominous backdrop, which allows time for "inmates" to build excitement and curiosity before entering.
Although the number of actors on the day we went was a bit scarce, this in no way took away from how great this haunt truly is! Each actor was extremely engaging and interactive, especially when being pulled into an actual cell. The scenes were perfectly in alignment with the entire theme, and did I say CREEPY?! I mean...dare I say, of all the haunts this reviewer has been, hands down my favorite in terms of location, grounds, facility, and overall entertainment is Blood Prison. The ONLY disappointing thing was having to leave!!
This is an amazing haunt from the time one steps foot on the ground! A MUST SEE! Great job, and I will definitely be back!
Although the number of actors on the day we went was a bit scarce, this in no way took away from how great this haunt truly is! Each actor was extremely engaging and interactive, especially when being pulled into an actual cell. The scenes were perfectly in alignment with the entire theme, and did I say CREEPY?! I mean...dare I say, of all the haunts this reviewer has been, hands down my favorite in terms of location, grounds, facility, and overall entertainment is Blood Prison. The ONLY disappointing thing was having to leave!!
This is an amazing haunt from the time one steps foot on the ground! A MUST SEE! Great job, and I will definitely be back!
Emily - Blood Prison was a mad house. The amount of people waiting to get in was insane. Getting in and out of the parking lot was relatively easy. There were carnival food booths set up outside for people waiting. The prison building is gorgeous. It was the main reason I was excited to experience this haunt. However, if it were not for the prison being such a cool place, I probably would have been let down by the actual haunt. The setting saved it.
The haunt was very slim on actors, which is a common problem right now, but, most still did not live up to the reputation of Blood Prison. Part of that is to do with the timing and the giant conga lines that are forced through. There is no time for them to reset so they stand and interact as best they can with everyone. If there were more of them and just a little more spacing between groups, they could be amazing. That said, when the actors were able to interact with you, they were very aggressive. I was grabbed at the throat by a plague doctor, and it was not a gentle touch. He basically choked me. Which was cool, just very unexpected. One lady used her fingernails to rub my scalp, which was… different. So, the actors are good, if you can interact with them one on one.
They have so much space to work with. The design of the haunt is awesome, it is just lacking something for me. They really need to space people more. Again, the highlight of this haunt was the building. I honestly was much less interested in the haunt at most points. Those cells were massive and terrifying. I was hoping to get thrown into one as part of the haunt, just so I could be inside to see what it felt like. Blood Prison could be great, but if it were not for the prison setting, it would not touch other top haunts in the area.
The haunt was very slim on actors, which is a common problem right now, but, most still did not live up to the reputation of Blood Prison. Part of that is to do with the timing and the giant conga lines that are forced through. There is no time for them to reset so they stand and interact as best they can with everyone. If there were more of them and just a little more spacing between groups, they could be amazing. That said, when the actors were able to interact with you, they were very aggressive. I was grabbed at the throat by a plague doctor, and it was not a gentle touch. He basically choked me. Which was cool, just very unexpected. One lady used her fingernails to rub my scalp, which was… different. So, the actors are good, if you can interact with them one on one.
They have so much space to work with. The design of the haunt is awesome, it is just lacking something for me. They really need to space people more. Again, the highlight of this haunt was the building. I honestly was much less interested in the haunt at most points. Those cells were massive and terrifying. I was hoping to get thrown into one as part of the haunt, just so I could be inside to see what it felt like. Blood Prison could be great, but if it were not for the prison setting, it would not touch other top haunts in the area.
Questions? Have a story to share? Leave it in the comments!