Blood Prison, the haunted house that takes over the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield each fall, returns for 2026 under a new theme, Apocalypse. It opens September 25 and runs on weekend nights through November 1, staged inside the Gothic prison best known as the filming site of The Shawshank Redemption.
Inside the Reformatory Haunt
Blood Prison is built into the real cell blocks of the Ohio State Reformatory, a 250,000-square-foot former prison that the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society runs as a museum and tour site the rest of the year. From late August into mid-November, the daytime tour route reroutes to make room for the haunt, which fills the cell blocks, solitary confinement, and the bullpen with scare actors and built sets. The setting is the draw: this is the actual stone prison from The Shawshank Redemption, so the walls, tiers, and iron bars are the genuine article rather than a warehouse build.
Every Blood Prison ticket also includes a free daytime tour of the reformatory, redeemable later with your order confirmation, so you can walk the same Shawshank corridors in daylight on a separate visit. The building’s escape rooms run through the season as well, and the top ticket tier folds in a free escape room pass.
2026 Dates and Hours
Blood Prison: Apocalypse runs Friday through Sunday nights. Here are the 2026 dates:
- September 25, 26, and 27
- October 2, 3, and 4
- October 9, 10, and 11
- October 16, 17, and 18
- October 23, 24, and 25
- October 30 and 31
- November 1
Entry is timed in 30-minute slots starting at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights run latest, closing at 11 p.m. on the first two weekends and at midnight from October 9 onward. Sundays close at 10 p.m.
Tickets and What Each Tier Includes
Every ticket is a timed entry and includes a free daytime tour of the reformatory. Prices are before online fees:
- General Admission ($35): entry with standard wait times.
- Ultra Lightning ($55): a dedicated priority queue the haunt says moves up to 80 percent faster than general admission.
- VIP Instant Access ($80): skip the line, plus a free Touch Pass, free Lounge Access, and a free escape room ticket valid November 1 through March 1.
Two upgrades are sold separately. The Touch Pass, for guests 18 and older, marks you for hands-on contact from the actors. Lounge Access ($15, ages 21 and up) adds photo ops and a bar with beer and themed cocktails, though it is not available on Sundays.
What to Know Before You Go
Blood Prison sits at 100 Reformatory Road in Mansfield, in north-central Ohio. Everyone must be at least 10 years old, and guests who look younger may be asked for proof of age. All sales are final, with no refunds. Groups of 50 or more can email [email protected] for group rates.
For dates on other haunts opening this season, see our guide to when haunted houses open in 2026. Tickets and the full nightly schedule are at bloodprison.com.
