Locked behind the towering stone walls of the historic Ohio State Reformatory, Blood Prison isn’t your average haunt; it’s a full-blown sentence of terror. Once home to some of the state’s most notorious inmates (and the film location of The Shawshank Redemption), this infamous penitentiary now houses a new breed of prisoner: the damned.
As you step through the rusted gates, the warden throws away the key, and your freedom becomes a life sentence of screams. Every cell block drips with dread, every corridor echoes with the cries of the condemned, and every shadow hides something dying to make you serve your time.
Whether you escape or become part of the prison’s permanent population, one thing’s for certain: at Blood Prison, good behavior won’t save you… And parole isn’t an option.
Please note: This review is based on our experience with the Touch Pass option. Individual experiences may vary depending on ticket type and night of attendance.
Blood Prison is home to some of the most deranged and violent psychopaths imaginable, each waiting to unleash pure, concentrated chaos upon unsuspecting guests. Every scene burst with high-energy character interactions that keep you on edge from start to finish. If you arrive expecting a pleasant experience, prepare for quite the rude awakening.
For a haunt of its scale, Blood Prison features an impressively large cast, strategically placed throughout the attraction to ensure there’s little to no dead space, a rare feat for a production of this size. We visited during what was likely one of their busiest hours and noticed that a few additional actors could help better manage pacing and provide more individualized attention to each group. Even so, the cast delivered incredible performances, maintaining relentless energy and enthusiasm throughout our visit.
The actors at Blood Prison bring a special kind of ferocity to their roles, feeding the chaos that defines the entire experience. Their creativity is unmatched; here, they don’t just scare you, they taunt you, torment you, and sometimes even threaten to wear your skin. Each performer commands their space with confidence, using props and set pieces to corner, confuse, and isolate guests. The diverse range of scenes allows for an equally diverse cast, with meticulous detail and craftsmanship evident in every corner of the prison.
It is clearly a major focus at Blood Prison. Every effort is made to ensure that nothing pulls you out of the illusion – every inmate feels disturbingly real. The attention to detail across the cast is extraordinary: layers of prosthetics, silicone appendages, festering injuries, eerie contact lenses, and razor-sharp dentures adorn nearly every actor. Their full-body paint and intricate makeup designs are both haunting and immersive.
Standout characters such as The Warden’s Widow, Terry the Cyberpunk Prison Bot, and the Prison Guards are dressed in cinematic precision – each one could have walked straight off a Hollywood set. The creative use of integrated lighting elements in some costumes adds a dynamic and otherworldly touch. Every layer of detail amplifies the authenticity of the experience, blurring the line between reality and nightmare.
Before our visit, we explored Blood Prison’s website to gather essential information and purchase timed tickets in advance, ensuring a smooth and stress-free experience. The site was informative and easy to navigate, and our GPS guided us directly to the gates of this massive, historic establishment. Upon arrival, parking was straightforward, with attendants using illuminated wands to efficiently direct traffic.
When it came time for our scheduled entry, the queue area was a bit hectic as we tried to find the correct location, but a friendly staff member quickly helped us locate the Ultra Lightning Pass entrance. Inside, everyone, from the ticket booth to concessions and the merchandise shop, was welcoming and genuinely interested in hearing about our experience.
The only hiccup of the night came during our exit. Some confusion arose as vehicles leaving the property became mixed with those being directed to the overflow lot, creating a temporary bottleneck. The staff remained friendly and helpful throughout; it simply seemed we got caught in an unfortunate traffic mix-up.
The massive penitentiary loomed beneath the moonlight, its searchlights sweeping across the stone façade as music thundered through the night, setting the tone for the nightmares awaiting inside. Once through the gates, we were guided up the steps, paused for a quick photo op, and then funneled toward the entrance of this infamous attraction.
While Blood Prison takes full advantage of its historic setting, it doesn’t adhere to one singular theme. Instead, it delivers a cohesive experience that feels like stepping into a living nightmare where you are the main character. However, the circus segments did feel somewhat misplaced, breaking away from the otherwise dark and immersive tone. We understand that clowns strike fear into many guests, but this section didn’t quite match the atmosphere that the rest of the haunt so effectively maintains.
The first quarter of the attraction embodies a classic haunted house aesthetic, featuring detailed sets, narrow pathways, and skillful pacing that allows the actors to deliver well-timed scares – this section remains one of our favorites year after year. The cell blocks and laboratory areas follow closely behind, offering an eerie sense of authenticity that perfectly complements their terror.
During our visit, we found ourselves in a conga line through much of the first three-quarters of the haunt, which lessened the impact of certain scenes, particularly in more linear sections such as the war zone, circus, and cell blocks, where multiple groups were visible at once. Fortunately, the latter portion of the attraction shifted to smaller group spacing, allowing the immersion and tension to return. We’d simply love to see that level of pacing consistency maintained throughout the entire experience.
More than just an attack on your fears, Blood Prison is a full-scale assault on all your senses. From the moment you step inside, prepare to be completely overwhelmed by a barrage of sights, sounds, and sensations designed to keep you disoriented and on edge. Every scene assaults the senses with flashing lights, chaotic visuals, and booming soundscapes that leave you questioning what you’ve just witnessed.
The soundtrack alone is a masterclass in tension – loud, intense, and relentlessly fast-paced, keeping guests in a constant state of panic. Layered within are crisp, powerful sound effects from props and animatronics that bring the environment to life. It’s truly impressive to consider the immense effort required to rebuild these elaborate sets each season, given that the entire attraction is dismantled and reconstructed in just a matter of weeks.
No expense is spared when it comes to Blood Prison’s design. The sheer scale of the sets is astonishing – complete with full-size cars, an army tank, a downed airplane, a chapel, and even a twisted circus. The newly added laboratory scene is particularly memorable, featuring a robotic figure in a lab coat that’s nothing short of a work of art. Other standout moments include a horde of zombified prisoners in matching jumpsuits and a towering sewer rat that packs quite a bite if you get too close.
Pitch-black corridors conceal lurking inmates and a caged prisoner armed with a rather shocking surprise. Between the fog, lasers, water effects, and strobes, you’ll find yourself constantly wondering what could possibly come next.
21. How scary was it? (35% of score): 9
22. How well did they provide scares to everyone in the group? (15% of score): 8.25
23. How predictable were the scares? (25% of score): 8.38
24. How well did they provide a wide variety (types) of scares? (10% of score): 9.25
25. How strong was the ending / finale? (15% of score): 9.25
If you think a modern-day prison is terrifying, Blood Prison exists on an entirely different plane of fear – a penitentiary of pure horror that will leave even the bravest souls trembling. From the moment you step through its gates, abandon all hope; there is no mercy, no salvation, and absolutely no escape. The masters of macabre within these walls go full throttle on anyone daring enough to accept their sentence. Every scare feels deliberate and refined, each one escalating the terror to new heights.
For the best possible experience, we recommend entering in smaller groups. This allows actors to fully engage with you, creating more personal and impactful interactions. Each scene requires a brief reset, and we noticed that when pacing moves too quickly with larger groups, the immersion can suffer – occasionally distracting guests and diminishing the intensity for those behind.
The Touch Pass option, reserved for only the most daring adrenaline junkies, pushes the experience to the extreme. We opted in – and were shown absolutely no mercy. Expect to be pushed, pulled, shoved, have your head dunked into a toilet, locked in a cell, and possibly subjected to even more surprises. An especially enthusiastic, chainsaw-wielding inmate awaits at the finale, eager to determine your grisly fate.
While a few actors seemed to focus a bit too heavily on Touch Pass participants, occasionally overlooking other guests, the overall energy, creativity, and ferocity of the cast remained outstanding. Blood Prison continues to be a must-see destination for thrill-seekers, and we can’t wait to serve our next sentence behind its haunted bars.
Our sentence at the Reformatory lasted approximately 40 minutes. With general admission priced at $35, that gives Blood Prison an MPD (Minutes Per Dollar) score of 1.14 – right in line with other attractions in the region and a fair value for the experience. Guests looking to shorten their wait can upgrade to the Ultra Fast Pass for $55, which significantly reduces queue times; during our visit, this option cut our wait from hours to just 30 minutes. Instant Access is also available for $80, providing immediate entry, and Touch Passes can be added for $7 for those seeking a more interactive experience. Concessions and various vendors are also available on-site to help pass the time before your sentence begins.
We encourage guests to visit on off-nights, such as Thursdays or Sundays, to help reduce waiting times and ensure the best overall experience. If that’s not possible, we also recommend selecting one of the latest time slots available. In our experience, visiting later in the evening consistently provided smoother operations and allowed the prison to perform at its full, fear-inducing potential.
Blood Prison also hosts a special holiday event, Christmas Incarceration, during select weekends in December – giving guests another chance to step behind bars and experience the Reformatory’s chilling halls with a festive twist.
100 Reformatory Road, Mansfield, Ohio 44905