Shawshank Redemption Hollywood Tour

The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.

Do you know where the movie was filmed?
Mansfiled, Ohio! Yeah, at the historic prison Ohio State Reformatory.

The Reformatory was built between 1886 and 1910. The  facility remained in full operation until December 1990. In 1995, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society was formed, and they bought the Ohio State reformatory for $1. The OSR is now open for tourism with three Shawshank Trail tours available:

1. The Shawshank Hollywood Tour
2. The Reformatory East Cell Block Tour
3. The Reformatory West Tower Tour

The oak tree under which Andy buries his letter to Red is located at 40°39′14″N 82°23′31″W / 40.65400°N 82.39195°W / 40.65400; -82.39195 (Shawshank tree), near Malabar Farm State Park, in Lucas, Ohio.   The tree was heavily damaged by straight-line winds in a thunderstorm on July 29, 2011. The broken trunk is now laying on the ground of The Ohio State Reformatory next to a pond.

Other movies filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory:

• Harry and Walter Go to New York (1975)
• Tango & Cash (1989)
• The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
• Air Force One (1997)
• Godsmack "Awake" music video (2000)

We visited the Reformatory yesterday after we were done fishing in the nearby Mohican State Park. The Reformatory is open Monday - Saturday from 11am o 4pm and Sunday from 1 to 4 pm.