Todd - Blood Prison took a hard hit this year thanks to Covid, probably more so than any other haunt we visit. You see, since this haunt takes place in the gorgeous Ohio State Reformatory (AKA “Shawshank prison”), it cannot remain permanently constructed in the off season. At least, not in the parts that are the most iconic - the cell blocks. Since there are tours and events year-round, the largest areas allowing the most creative freedom must be torn down every season. Unfortunately, with Covid restrictions, the state did not greenlight the 2020 haunt season in time for a full build and to be clear, it’s an enormous amount of space to fill. As a result, the experience this year was significantly shorter. Also thanks to Covid (::shakes fist at China::) there was no touch option either. I would never hold either of these conditions against the haunt; it’s clear as day that if they could have done it any other way, they would have.
Based on what we experienced this year, Blood Prison was still a solid haunt though many of the scenes that were included remained the same. That’s not a bad thing. Why? Well, primarily because not only is the location amazing, but per capita there are some of the best looking props showcased inside. Starting at the beginning, you wander through a house infested with ghouls that clearly have some fixation on crucifixion. In multiple rooms, some poor victim (usually a female) is nailed to the wall in the iconic pose. The aesthetic is as morbidly dilapidated as the home’s inhabitants. The layout is very close-quartered with many sharp turns, giving the actors a great vantage point to scare you before they’re in visible range. Each one had their shtick as most actors do, but one thing in this area they had in common were their masks. Many wore full porcelain doll-looking masks which are not only inherently creepy, but were an effective means to hide face masks that could otherwise deter from their costuming.
Blood Prison has a few tricks up their sleeves too. One that got me was an actor standing in a recessed portion of the wall about 4 feet off the ground. He was secured in some sort of a harness so he could lean out as if he was going to fall on you, without actually doing so. Simple and effective! Another area that remains year-round is the basement containing all of the experimental laboratory equipment. Decorated with flayed, charred and frozen bodies about, there are a lot of visuals to digest. Did I mention bodies? Bodies are also stapled to boards, hanging from chains - the victim count is a top score for sure. We also navigated through the dark maze, encountered a few hideous monstrosities, were deafened by the loudest air blaster ever, - all before the final “butcher room”.
On the night we visited, the amount of people in attendance was staggering. The line was massive and the energy was upbeat. Kudos to the admission management because things seemed very organized. While in line, visitors passed several food trucks, then the ticket booth allowing a “one stop-shop” to get everything in order without losing your place in the line.
Various actors roamed outside to entertain and scare while everyone waited. This includes the now-central figure for Blood Prison, The Warden’s Widow who was featured on much of the haunt’s marketing this year. Escorted by her guards, the intimidatingly tall widow meandered around the prison giving people chills and photo ops.
With such an immense crowd, Blood Prison was under pressure to keep the line moving and unfortunately, it was only a matter of minutes before we caught up with the group in front of us and the group after ours was on our tail. The conga line is problematic for everyone. It degrades the experience for visitors and creates a challenge for both actors and timed props to reset and execute at the right time for the next group. Blood Prison is faced with even more hurdles when there’s a steady stream of people because two sections of the haunt are in near total darkness. The only illumination in these long corridors of cells is the exit sign at the end of the pass. This made for some extra cautious walking and a good chance for some unintentional touching of the person in front of you in order to avoid collision. Don’t get me wrong, these areas are effectively unnerving otherwise. A cement wall is to your left and prison cells on the right. Music is blaring and you cannot see a thing. However, I was unable to tell if the figure I could barely make out in front of me was an actor or another visitor.
Blood Prison does have a few queue areas within the haunt to reset pacing, which after the first stretch was in dire need. However, as we reached it, we were quickly ushered along without stopping. It’s unclear if this was intentional to prevent a slowdown in the line outside or just an oversight, but the conga line continued into the second segment. The second in-haunt queue area was being utilized, however we once again caught up with other groups fairly quickly. One advantage to a slow moving line is that it gives you more time to observe and take everything in, however, it also tends to broadcast the scares ahead.
Sure, I would have liked to see more separation between groups and better utilization of the reset points. However, I have no intention of critiquing the line management because I don’t know all of the logistics involved with getting a crowd of that size through the haunt in a reasonable amount of time (especially given that there was a significantly less amount of square footage for visitors to be spread out within this year).
Coming to Blood Prison is a whole experience. It’s not just going through a haunt. It’s a time to experience a very unique and historic landmark and to be entertained. It’s a fantastic two-for-one that I look forward to now each year. Typically there is a whole side show next to the haunt, but good ‘ol Covid prevented that from happening too. So in short, like everyone else, Blood Prison was dealt a bad hand with 2020 and they did the best they could given all the constraints. This time next year, there’s not a doubt in my mind that Blood Prison will be back in full force.
Based on what we experienced this year, Blood Prison was still a solid haunt though many of the scenes that were included remained the same. That’s not a bad thing. Why? Well, primarily because not only is the location amazing, but per capita there are some of the best looking props showcased inside. Starting at the beginning, you wander through a house infested with ghouls that clearly have some fixation on crucifixion. In multiple rooms, some poor victim (usually a female) is nailed to the wall in the iconic pose. The aesthetic is as morbidly dilapidated as the home’s inhabitants. The layout is very close-quartered with many sharp turns, giving the actors a great vantage point to scare you before they’re in visible range. Each one had their shtick as most actors do, but one thing in this area they had in common were their masks. Many wore full porcelain doll-looking masks which are not only inherently creepy, but were an effective means to hide face masks that could otherwise deter from their costuming.
Blood Prison has a few tricks up their sleeves too. One that got me was an actor standing in a recessed portion of the wall about 4 feet off the ground. He was secured in some sort of a harness so he could lean out as if he was going to fall on you, without actually doing so. Simple and effective! Another area that remains year-round is the basement containing all of the experimental laboratory equipment. Decorated with flayed, charred and frozen bodies about, there are a lot of visuals to digest. Did I mention bodies? Bodies are also stapled to boards, hanging from chains - the victim count is a top score for sure. We also navigated through the dark maze, encountered a few hideous monstrosities, were deafened by the loudest air blaster ever, - all before the final “butcher room”.
On the night we visited, the amount of people in attendance was staggering. The line was massive and the energy was upbeat. Kudos to the admission management because things seemed very organized. While in line, visitors passed several food trucks, then the ticket booth allowing a “one stop-shop” to get everything in order without losing your place in the line.
Various actors roamed outside to entertain and scare while everyone waited. This includes the now-central figure for Blood Prison, The Warden’s Widow who was featured on much of the haunt’s marketing this year. Escorted by her guards, the intimidatingly tall widow meandered around the prison giving people chills and photo ops.
With such an immense crowd, Blood Prison was under pressure to keep the line moving and unfortunately, it was only a matter of minutes before we caught up with the group in front of us and the group after ours was on our tail. The conga line is problematic for everyone. It degrades the experience for visitors and creates a challenge for both actors and timed props to reset and execute at the right time for the next group. Blood Prison is faced with even more hurdles when there’s a steady stream of people because two sections of the haunt are in near total darkness. The only illumination in these long corridors of cells is the exit sign at the end of the pass. This made for some extra cautious walking and a good chance for some unintentional touching of the person in front of you in order to avoid collision. Don’t get me wrong, these areas are effectively unnerving otherwise. A cement wall is to your left and prison cells on the right. Music is blaring and you cannot see a thing. However, I was unable to tell if the figure I could barely make out in front of me was an actor or another visitor.
Blood Prison does have a few queue areas within the haunt to reset pacing, which after the first stretch was in dire need. However, as we reached it, we were quickly ushered along without stopping. It’s unclear if this was intentional to prevent a slowdown in the line outside or just an oversight, but the conga line continued into the second segment. The second in-haunt queue area was being utilized, however we once again caught up with other groups fairly quickly. One advantage to a slow moving line is that it gives you more time to observe and take everything in, however, it also tends to broadcast the scares ahead.
Sure, I would have liked to see more separation between groups and better utilization of the reset points. However, I have no intention of critiquing the line management because I don’t know all of the logistics involved with getting a crowd of that size through the haunt in a reasonable amount of time (especially given that there was a significantly less amount of square footage for visitors to be spread out within this year).
Coming to Blood Prison is a whole experience. It’s not just going through a haunt. It’s a time to experience a very unique and historic landmark and to be entertained. It’s a fantastic two-for-one that I look forward to now each year. Typically there is a whole side show next to the haunt, but good ‘ol Covid prevented that from happening too. So in short, like everyone else, Blood Prison was dealt a bad hand with 2020 and they did the best they could given all the constraints. This time next year, there’s not a doubt in my mind that Blood Prison will be back in full force.
Paul - I'm a Blood Prison fanboy. I fully admit it. Of all of the haunts I've mentioned to friends, I just don't think there's one that I get more excited to talk about at pretty much any time of year. I doubt I have many friends who haven't heard the tale of the Warden's Widow scaring the hell out of me last year, or how it's just a place you have to experience for yourself to understand just how good it is.
As usual, I just have to mention the building itself. The Ohio State Reformatory first started housing inmates back in the late 1800s, and had residents for almost a century before finally moving everyone to a more modern facility in the 1990s. Since then it has been kept alive by a non-profit group who oversees keeping the building preserved. It's one of the most impactful buildings I've ever been inside of, and the facility is 100% worth visiting for a tour in non-haunt season. The fact that September and October mean the prison hosts a world-class haunt inside its walls makes it even better.
While I'd ordinarily be rambling on about how imposing the haunt's scenes are when you're walking through the massive cell blocks, 2020 kind of kicked that one in the teeth. Due to virus restrictions and delays, the cell blocks aren't part of the haunt this year. The cell blocks house my favorite scenes every year so I was definitely bummed to learn we wouldn't get to see those, but you still get the psycho house area, solitary confinement, and the insanity of the basement area. Honestly, it's probably only half of what you'd normally experience, but it's still a completely over the top way to spend an evening.
Not that you need to be inside to get scared.
This year the Warden's Widow is roaming the grounds outside of the prison walls. More imposing than ever, she was seen during our visit making her way around the premises with two of her guards by her side... Not that she needs their help for much of anything. Still my favorite actor of any haunt we go to (sorry Smasher and Peaches), the Widow just has a presence like no one else. Because the grounds around the prison are a little bit darker than you might expect, she'll sneak up on you like no six and a half foot tall person should ever be able to, and there's really no way to prepare yourself for her.
Even though Blood Prison is playing slightly injured this year, it's still a powerhouse of a haunt. It's one of the most intense, craziest, loudest, in-your-face haunts we visit, and I can't wait to see what 2021 brings.
As usual, I just have to mention the building itself. The Ohio State Reformatory first started housing inmates back in the late 1800s, and had residents for almost a century before finally moving everyone to a more modern facility in the 1990s. Since then it has been kept alive by a non-profit group who oversees keeping the building preserved. It's one of the most impactful buildings I've ever been inside of, and the facility is 100% worth visiting for a tour in non-haunt season. The fact that September and October mean the prison hosts a world-class haunt inside its walls makes it even better.
While I'd ordinarily be rambling on about how imposing the haunt's scenes are when you're walking through the massive cell blocks, 2020 kind of kicked that one in the teeth. Due to virus restrictions and delays, the cell blocks aren't part of the haunt this year. The cell blocks house my favorite scenes every year so I was definitely bummed to learn we wouldn't get to see those, but you still get the psycho house area, solitary confinement, and the insanity of the basement area. Honestly, it's probably only half of what you'd normally experience, but it's still a completely over the top way to spend an evening.
Not that you need to be inside to get scared.
This year the Warden's Widow is roaming the grounds outside of the prison walls. More imposing than ever, she was seen during our visit making her way around the premises with two of her guards by her side... Not that she needs their help for much of anything. Still my favorite actor of any haunt we go to (sorry Smasher and Peaches), the Widow just has a presence like no one else. Because the grounds around the prison are a little bit darker than you might expect, she'll sneak up on you like no six and a half foot tall person should ever be able to, and there's really no way to prepare yourself for her.
Even though Blood Prison is playing slightly injured this year, it's still a powerhouse of a haunt. It's one of the most intense, craziest, loudest, in-your-face haunts we visit, and I can't wait to see what 2021 brings.
Teresa - Escape from Blood Prison is a haunt located in the old Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. It's one of the creepiest buildings you will ever see, even without the haunt. You've probably seen it in movies like Shawshank Redemption and various ghost hunter-type shows. It makes one of the creepiest settings for a haunt that you can imagine. The crowds here can be enormous! Even with all the pandemic panic this year. The night we were there, the line ran down the approach road next to the food and souvenir booths and around the side of the building. And what a building! It's all the backdrop you need for perfect selfies. There was an energetic soundtrack playing lots of 1990s and 2000s rock music to keep the wait lively. And there were some fantastic queue actors causing younger haunt goers to scream, laugh, and hide behind one another. Keep an eye out for the warden's widow. You'll know her when you see her, towering over you. And as I mentioned, there are concessions in front and restrooms around the right side of the building. General admission tickets are $25 and skip-the-line passes are $55. You can get tickets online on the website. Tickets on-site are cash only. If you choose the skip-the-line option, you will be admitted around the right side of the building near the restrooms. However, there aren't many places with ambiance like this with this kind of history where you can spend a creepy autumn night. So if you find yourself waiting in a rather long general admission line, just enjoy the eye candy while you wait. Don't forget your mask, you will need it to go in! And for those who have been here before, please be aware that this year's show is shorter than in the past. Yes, COVID which is ruining everything this year, almost caused Blood Prison to not open at all. They only had a few weeks to set up everything and weren't able to have the prison cell blocks open. If you haven't been here, you probably won't even notice. It's still pretty long. However, if this is one of your regular haunts, as it should be, you will miss some of the usual scenes. On top of that, it has taken away the touch option. Again, if you've never experienced how crazy the touch is here in a normal year, you won't notice the difference. It is a scary, intense place. Just be glad we have them at all this year!
However long the wait, once you get inside, you will marvel at the old tile, crumbling plaster, rusty metal, and imposing doors. Seriously, you have to see this place to believe it. It looks like the place is falling apart, but a lot of that (well, some of it) is due to the mad skills of the haunt builders. The actors are fantastic. The makeup and costumes are nightmarish. The theme is (quite obviously), prison gone horribly wrong. There are ridiculously intense jump scares and the props are horrifying. There are bodies everywhere, from crucified to dissected, from frozen to barbecued. And I saw the most well-placed possessed exorcist-style animatronic that I've ever seen! Some sections are full of actors, loud noises, loud music, realistic effects, and huge animatronics and actor-controlled props. Others are super-long, dark hallways lined with prison cells on one side. You can't see anything and then you realize you aren't alone. You will go up and down stairs numerous times. There are a few areas that are used to reset between sections (although we didn't wait in any of these) and even those are creepy and filled with fog and creepy actors. It's so good that I almost forgot how it's even better without COVID. I mean, in a normal year, it is quite a bit longer, the customer flow inside is a little easier because the haunt is massive and there is more room, so people can be timed a little easier. And in a normal year, you have the option of touch passes. So the actors might grab you, tickle you, carry you, drag you, and anything else they can think of to really terrify you. I can't wait for next year! Having said all that, I really wasn't as disappointed as I was afraid I might be this year. It's still pretty terrifying and tons of fun! There's just something spine-chilling and really exciting about being in these dank halls. And if you love it this year, come back when they are back to full fright! Also, I encourage you to come back and take a tour of the facility in the off-season. It is definitely worth seeing.
However long the wait, once you get inside, you will marvel at the old tile, crumbling plaster, rusty metal, and imposing doors. Seriously, you have to see this place to believe it. It looks like the place is falling apart, but a lot of that (well, some of it) is due to the mad skills of the haunt builders. The actors are fantastic. The makeup and costumes are nightmarish. The theme is (quite obviously), prison gone horribly wrong. There are ridiculously intense jump scares and the props are horrifying. There are bodies everywhere, from crucified to dissected, from frozen to barbecued. And I saw the most well-placed possessed exorcist-style animatronic that I've ever seen! Some sections are full of actors, loud noises, loud music, realistic effects, and huge animatronics and actor-controlled props. Others are super-long, dark hallways lined with prison cells on one side. You can't see anything and then you realize you aren't alone. You will go up and down stairs numerous times. There are a few areas that are used to reset between sections (although we didn't wait in any of these) and even those are creepy and filled with fog and creepy actors. It's so good that I almost forgot how it's even better without COVID. I mean, in a normal year, it is quite a bit longer, the customer flow inside is a little easier because the haunt is massive and there is more room, so people can be timed a little easier. And in a normal year, you have the option of touch passes. So the actors might grab you, tickle you, carry you, drag you, and anything else they can think of to really terrify you. I can't wait for next year! Having said all that, I really wasn't as disappointed as I was afraid I might be this year. It's still pretty terrifying and tons of fun! There's just something spine-chilling and really exciting about being in these dank halls. And if you love it this year, come back when they are back to full fright! Also, I encourage you to come back and take a tour of the facility in the off-season. It is definitely worth seeing.
Questions? Have a story to share? Leave it in the comments!