Of the 15 locations used in the filming of “The Shawshank Redemption,” 14 are in North Central Ohio and accessible to the public.
Fans of the movie are invited to travel the Shawshank Trail while visiting the area during “The Shawshank Redemption” 30th anniversary celebration Aug. 8-11.
More: Your complete events guide for ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ 30th anniversary celebration
Author Stephen King brought the story to life with his novella “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption,” published in 1982’s “Different Seasons.”
The film was released in 1994, featuring the Ohio State Reformatory as Shawshank State Prison. The Internet Movie Database lists it as the best movie ever made.
Ohio State Reformatory
The Ohio State Reformatory is known worldwide as Shawshank State Prison.
Construction of the iconic prison began in Mansfield in 1886 and ended in 1910. The place was intended to house younger, low-level offenders in hopes of reforming them before they became hardened criminals destined for the State Penitentiary in Columbus.
The reformatory contains the world’s tallest freestanding steel cell block, consisting of six tiers, 12 ranges and 600 cells.
Federal court orders closed the reformatory in 1990. Three years later, in 1993, the building served as the backdrop for the filming of “The Shawshank Redemption.”
Main scenes shot inside the Ohio State Reformatory include Brooks’ hotel room, Andy’s office, the warden’s office, the fresh fish line, the tunnel Andy crawled through to freedom and more.
Tours are available at select times for the reformatory, which is located at 100 Reformatory Road.
For ticket information, call 419-522-2644 or visit mrps.org.
Bissman Building
The Bissman Building opened in 1886 at 193 N. Main St. in downtown Mansfield.
The place was originally a wholesale grocery store. By 1993, portions of the front of the building were used to depict two different “Shawshank” scenes: the Brewer Hotel and the Portland Daily Bugle.
The building is closed to the public, but movie fans are encouraged to take photos on the public sidewalk outside the building.
Pawn shop window
The storefront that was depicted as a pawn shop window in “The Shawshank Redemption” is still intact at 118 N. Main St. in Mansfield.
Mansfield Antiques Gallery now occupies the building, and is open to the public most days during normal business hours. The shop’s owners invite the public to stop by.
Mansfield’s Central Park
Brooks was released during the film only to find free life to be difficult.
The scene where Brooks sat on a bench to feed birds and hope for a visit from his former pet bird, Jake, was shot at Central Park in downtown Mansfield.
The city park is located at Diamond and North Park streets, and is open to the public.
Food-Way Grocery Store
Brooks and Red were both employed by the Food-Way Grocery Store after their releases from Shawshank State Prison.
The building at 359 West Fourth St. in Mansfield where those scenes were shot has changed hands a few times over the years, but recently has found success as the fully remodeled KV Market.
The family that owns KV Market invites “Shawshank” fans to visit during normal business hours.
The Renaissance Theatre
The Renaissance Theater is the iconic venue that annually hosts the state’s Miss Ohio pageant.
In 1994, the theater at 139 Park Ave. West in Mansfield was where the “The Shawshank Redemption” was originally screened for members and families of the cast and crew.
More: Clancy Brown will visit Mansfield for 30th anniversary of ‘The Shawshank Redemption’
Road To Buxton
Red finally decided to abandon his job as a grocery bagger and search for the letter his friend Andy had promised him years earlier.
He hitched a ride in a red truck to what was depicted in the movie as the fictional village of Buxton.
Morgan Freeman filmed the scene at the intersection of Snyder and Hagerman roads near Butler.
Red’s bus ride
A mile from where Freeman jumped out of the red pickup truck is the scene where he was also filmed riding the Trailways Bus through a bucolic countryside.
The scene was shot along Ohio 95 near its intersection with Hagerman Road.
Movie fans are encouraged during visits to observe the location safely from Hagerman Road rather than the state route.
Malabar Farm State Park
The home and farm of Louis Bromfield, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist turned conservationist, served as a hub for the cast and crew of “The Shawshank Redemption.”
Malabar Farm State Park, 4050 Bromfield Rd. in Lucas, anchored scenes at both the beginning and end of the film.
Long before the iconic movie, though, the farm’s “Big House” hosted the famous 1945 wedding of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
Pugh Cabin
The opening scene of “Shawshank” portrayed the moment when Andy’s wife was killed while having an affair.
That scene was filmed at the historic Pugh Cabin at Malabar Farm State Park, which was built in 1938 as a weekend retreat.
The cabin can be visited at 4050 Bromfield Road in Lucas.
‘Shawshank’ oak tree
The scene where Red walked through a field and uncovered the stones beneath a tree to find Andy’s letter was shot across the street from Malabar Farm State Park.
The iconic tree suffered storm damage and was finally removed in 2016.
Movie fans can see the “Shawshank” marker along Pleasant Valley Road across from Malabar Farm, but are advised that the land is private property and is not open to visitors.
Maine National Bank
After Andy’s escape, he visited the Maine National Bank to withdraw the warden’s dirty money.
The building at 19 W. Main St. in Ashland is now owned by the Crosby Advisory Group, and is open to “Shawshank” enthusiasts during normal business hours.
Wyandot County Courthouse
The scene where Andy was wrongfully convicted of murder during trial was filmed at the Wyandot County Courthouse, 109 S. Sandusky Ave. in Upper Sandusky. The location is open to the public during normal business hours.
Shawshank Woodshop
The woodshop and several vehicles used in “The Shawshank Redemption” are on display at 226 S. Eighth St. in Upper Sandusky.
Appointments to see the preserved woodshop and other memorabilia are available to the public. To schedule, call 419-835-5163 or visit shawshankwoodshop.com. Donations are accepted.
Zihuatanejo
The final scene of the movie, when Andy greets Red on the beach, was the only one not filmed in North Central Ohio.
The location meant to depict the city of Zihuatanejo on Mexico’s Pacific Coast was actually Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge on the southwestern end of St. Croix in the Caribbean.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Shawshank Redemption movie filming sites in Ohio can be seen by public
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