Mansfield (Ohio)

Mansfield is a city in Richland County. It is known as the Carousel Capital of Ohio, Danger City, The Fun Center of Ohio and Racing Capital of Ohio and also the filming location for Shawshank Redemption.

Understand

Named after Jared Mansfield, Surveyor General of the United States in the early 19th century, the city sits on a fork of the Mohican River in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, a hilly region surrounded by fertile farmlands, and its elevation is among the highest of Ohio cities. The highest elevation in Mansfield is at the Woodland Reservoir (1,493 feet or 455 meters above sea level), which is on the southwest side of the city. The elevation of Central Park, which is on the square in downtown Mansfield, is 1,243 feet or 379 meters above sea level. Mansfield is known as The Heart of Ohio. It is home to the historic Renaissance Theatre, Miss Ohio Scholarship Program Pageant, and was the filming location for "Shawshank Redemption" (1994); Air Force One (1997); Tango & Cash (1989); Escape Plan 3: The Extractors (2019), and other movies, television programs.

Tourist information center

Get in

By plane

The nearest airports for commercial flights are:

By car
  • (I-71). Mansfield can be accessed by I-71 which provides connection to Cleveland to the northeast and Columbus and Cincinnati to the southwest, running its course into Kentucky southwest to Louisville. From I-71 Mansfield is accessed via SR-13 at Exit #169 and SR-39 Lucas Rd at Exit #173.
  • carries the Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway along it length through Mansfield. The freeway provides connection to Wooster, Canton and Pittsburgh to the east and Ontario, Bucyrus and Fort Wayne to the west.
  • Park Ave E goes through Mansfield and the downtown district. It provides connection to Ashland to the northeast and Lexington and Mount Gilead to the southwest.
  • Main St & Diamond St go through Mansfield and the downtown Historic Carrousel District. It provides connection to Bellville to the south and Norwalk and Sandusky to the north. At Exit #169 of I-71.
  • goes through Mansfield and by the downtown Historic Carousel District. It provides connection to Shelby to the northwest and Lucas and Amish Country to the southeast. At Exit #173 of I-71
  • starts out at U.S. Route 30 near the Home Road overpass in Mansfield. It provides connection to Ontario and Galion to the west.
  • goes through Mansfield and the downtown business district. It provides connection to Ontario to the west and Mifflin to the east.
  • starts out at Ohio State Route 39 in Mansfield. It provides connection to Olivesburg and Savannah to the northeast.

By bus

The 🌍 Marathon Gas & 7-Eleven on 2424 O'Possum Rd, on SR-13 & I-71 (Exit #169 of I-71) in the south of town serves as a de facto bus station for:

  • Barons Bus. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Greyhound, (bus stop) 7-Eleven at 2424 O'Possum Rd (bus stop east side of store along O'Possum Rd), toll-free: +1-800-231-2222. Travels primarily on Interstate 71 (Cleveland, West Salem, Mansfield and Columbus) 
  • 🌍 Go Bus (Operated by Barons Bus), (bus stop) 7-Eleven at 2424 O'Possum Rd (Same stop as Greyhound.), toll-free: +1 888 95 GOBUS (46287). Travels on US Hwy 42 and I-71 between Wooster, Mansfield, Mt Gilead and Columbus. 

RCT #3 (South Main/Southside) bus connects the nearby Wal-Mart and the 7 Eleven store (Greyhound & Go bus stop) to downtown Mansfield.

Get around

By bus
  • 🌍 Richland County Transit (RCT), (bus transit center) 74 S Diamond (S Diamond & E 1st Ave), ☏ +1 419 522-4504, fax: +1 419-522-3157. RCT operates local bus service five days a week; no service on Saturdays, Sundays or national holidays. RCT offers local bus services within Mansfield and to Ontario, Shelby, and portions of Madison Township, in Richland County on 12 fixed routes. 

By taxi

See
  • The Miss Ohio Scholarship Program, ☏ +1 419 522-MOSP (6677). Annual event in June. 
  • 🌍 Biblewalk (The Living Bible Museum), 500 Tingley Ave, ☏ +1 419 524-0139, toll-free: +1-800-222-0139, fax: +1 419-524-2002, . M-Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 3PM-7PM. Ohio's only life-sized wax museum, with over 70 scenes and more than 300 wax figures featuring original music and narration to bring Biblical scenes to life. Also features a live Christian dinner theater and other attractions. 
  • 🌍 Bissman Building, 193 N Main St (along N Main between E 5th & 6th, middle of block on west side of street; there's a white & orange 'Shawshank Trail' sign in front of the building). Closed but can be seen from the street. Peter Bissman built the Bissman Building in 1886 for his expanded wholesale grocery store. In the early 1930s, residents of Downtown Mansfield would wake up to the rich aromas of the store’s personal coffee blends and return home to the smell of roasting peanuts. The building possesses an early Romantic Gothic style that closely resembles the Ohio State Reformatory. Both were designed by same architect, built the same year and both are believed to be haunted. In Shawshank Redemption the exterior served as the Brewer Hotel halfway house where Brooks and Red went to after their release from prison. The room where Brooks & Red stayed in was filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory while the Food Way where they worked as a grocery bagger was filmed at the KV Market which is listed among local grocery stores under "Eat" in the below. The front room of the Bissman Building served as the offices of the Portland Daily Bugle in the film where the editor received the warden's accounting ledgers accompanied by a letter explaining the warden's illegal activities. The Bissman Building is now vacant and is believed to be haunted. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Central Park, 29 Park Ave E (SE corner of S Main & Park Ave E). Seen in The Shawshank Redemption, this 2-acre park features a playground, gardens and a gazebo which still functions as a city park for all. In Shawshank Redemption, Brooks (James Whitemore) sat here to feed the pigeons in hopes that "Jake", a crow he reared while in prison, would come by to say "hello." The bench where Brooks sat on is located towards S Park Ave in the southwestern part of the park. The listing marker is at the approximate location of the bench which is marked by an orange/white "Shawshank Trail" sign. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Kingwood Center, 900 Park Ave. W, ☏ +1 419 522-0211, . 47 acres of gardens on former estate, a favorite spot for orchardists, gardeners and photography. 
  • 🌍 Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Project, 100 Reformatory Rd., (just off SR 545), ☏ +1 419 522-2644, . Th-Su 11AM-4PM. The Ohio State Reformatory (OSR), also known as the Mansfield Reformatory, is a historic prison located in Mansfield, Ohio in the United States. It was built between 1886 and 1910 and remained in operation until 1990, when a United States Federal Court ruling (the 'Boyd Consent Decree') ordered the facility to be closed. While this facility was seen in a number of films (including several while the facility was still in operation), TV shows and music videos, it was made famous by the film The Shawshank Redemption (1994) when it was used for most scenes of the movie. In addition to Shawshank Redemption, other filming productions produced there are Air Force One (1997); Tango & Cash (1989); Escape Plan 3: The Extractors (2019), among other movies, television programs and music videos, other activities and tours take place throughout the year. The prison also exhibits things used in the prison such as an electric chair and props from the movies that were filmed there such as the pipe that Andy crawled through to escape prison in The Shawshank Redemption and the portraits of Lenin & Stalin from Air Force One. 
  • 🌍 Old Westinghouse Warehouse Factory (a big open lot south of E 5th & Wayne St, in the old industrial part of town.). The factory was built in 1918 by Westinghouse, one of 39 factories in the U.S. with 5 stories on 4 acres along E 5th St. The Mansfield location was where they manufactured household appliances. By 1955 operations peaked with a workforce of 8,177 people working in 16 buildings on 42 acres. Westinghouse was the largest employer in Mansfield employing 1/3 of the city's populace of that time. By 1990 Westinghouse closed its Mansfield operations and the buildings stood empty till 2011 when the main buildings were demolished while others still stand. Scenes from the inside of the cell blocks of the fictional Shawshank Prison were filmed in a purpose built set built within the main Westinghouse Warehouse building that once stood along E 5th and Wayne St (demolished in 2011) while some scenes of Escape Plan 3: The Extractors were filmed in the nearby building on E 5th and Newman St by the railroad tracks (still standing on 200 E 5th St). The majority of the scenes of both films were filmed at the Mansfield Reformatory (see above). (updated Apr 2020)
  • 🌍 Malabar Farm State Park, 4050 Bromfield Rd, Lucas OH (main entrance at Bromfield & Pleasant Hill Rd. 11 miles southeast of town via S Diamond St (County Rd #301) and Pleasant Hill Rd (County Rd #303) near the town of Lucas), ☏ +1 419 892-2784. In 1976, Malabar became an Ohio State Park. Dedicated to perpetuating Bromfield's farming philosophies, preserving the Big House artifacts, providing a place where visitors can explore life on the farm and beauty of nature. The following are some historic places of interest within the park, a couple of which were filming locations for Shawshank Redemption in 1993 (the marker is at Bromfield & Pleasant Hill Rd, the main entrance into the park from the north): (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 "Big" House. A 32-room Western Reserve style house built in 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield who lived there till his death in 1956. He wrote many of his books, attracted film stars, artists, politicians, writers, and conservationists. Bromfield also hosted Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall's wedding and honeymoon at Malabar Farm in 1945. While in town James Whitmore (Brooks) and Clancy Brown (Captain Hadley) were taken on a personal tour of the Big House at Malabar Farm by local tour guides. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Ceely Rose House. The Miller's house, mentioned in the Pleasant Valley collection of ghost stories, was the 19th-century home of a young, mentally challenged girl named Ceely Rose. In 1896, Ceely Rose murdered her three-person family by poisoning their food with arsenic. Annually in October, the Ceely Rose Play is performed in the park's timber frame barn, as part of a ghost story trilogy. The other two plays are Phoebe Wise and Louie. In 2014, an episode of Ghost Hunters was filmed at the Ceely Rose House (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Pughs Cabin This authentic, rustic log-cabin style home was built in the 1940s by Bromfield's neighbor, Jim Pugh, within the modern-day park. The cabin is available for rent, for weddings, reunions, company holiday parties and other private gatherings. It was used in the opening scene in Shawshank Redemption, in which Andy Dufresne's (Tim Robbins) wife and her lover had their last rendezvous (before being murdered) while Andy sat in his car with a gun on his lap and getting drunk.
  • 🌍 Sugar Camp Used every spring during the Maple Syrup Festival when the maple sap is boiled into pure maple syrup and sold at the giftshop.
  • 🌍 Visitors Center Location of the park administration, museum, educational exhibits, guided tours, library, gift shop, restrooms and a conference room for rent.
  • 🌍 "Shawshank Tree" The white oak tree became a major tourist attraction following the filming of Shawshank Redemption. In the film the tree is in a hayfield near Buxton where Red (Morgan Freeman) went to find the box containing a letter and some money Andy had left for him after Red's release. A lightning strike cut the tree in half in 2011, and it toppled over in 2016 in a windstorm. The tree stood on private land across the road from Malabar Farm State Park so whatever is left of it can only be seen from the main public road. It's located across the street from the main entrance into the park along Pleasant Hill Rd.

The following are a couple of sites in the rural areas south of Malabar Farm State Park, near the town of Butler, and one location in town where scenes from Shawshank Redemption were filmed which may be of an interest to movie buffs. The locations are marked with an orange/white "Shawshank Trail" sign:

  • 🌍 Intersection of N Main & E 5th This is where Brooks nearly got hit by a car as he attempts to cross the street to get to the Brewer Halfway House (The Bissman Building). For the filming he started at the SE corner of the intersection and walked north along the east side of Main St. (Brick building at 160 N Main St w/ "City Mills" sign in the background.)
  • 🌍 Intersection of Hagerman Rd & Snyder Rd Towards the end of the film Red was dropped off here by a pick-up truck where he walked towards Buxton to find the box Andy hid for him.
  • 🌍 Intersection of Hagerman Rd & SR-95 Second to the last scene where a bus is seen leaving town with Red on board going towards Ft Hancock, Texas. The bus went north on SR-95 from Hagerman Rd for the filming. The final scene and end credits where Red (Morgan Freeman) and Andy (Tim Robbins) met again as free men on a beach in Zihuatanejo was filmed at Sandy Beach National Wildlife Refuge in St Croix, USVI.
  • 🌍 Mid Ohio Race Track (Sports car racing), 7721 Steam Corners Rd, Lexington, Ohio, ☏ +1 419 884-4000. All kinds of roadracing, special track events, Driver education. Very important in Mansfield area. (updated Feb 2022)
  • 🌍 Warren Rupp Observatory, 5127 O'Possum Run Road (in Hidden Hollow, southeast of town). Warren Rupp Observatory is one of the world's largest amateur-operated telescopes. It is nestled in a pastoral setting that boasts some of the darkest skies in the state. The Rupp Scope and the Richland Astronomical Society dedicate themselves to public awareness of astronomy. Public Nights are held on the first Saturday of each month, from March through November and special programs are offered on alternative weekends. If weather permits, you can look through the big telescope and smaller ones that people bring. Free. 

Do
  • 🌍 The Renaissance, 138 Park Ave. West, ☏ +1 419 522-2726, fax: +1 419-524-7005. The 1,600-seat theatre opened in 1928 as the Ohio Theatre and serves today as the largest performing arts center in North-Central Ohio. 
  • 🌍 Mansfield Playhouse, 95 East 3rd St, ☏ +1 419 522-2883. Vary, the playhouse is active from early August to late May. The second oldest, and largest continually producing community theater in Ohio, the Mansfield Playhouse has been in its current location for over 40 years. With an aggressive season consisting of 6 Main Stage shows, 2 Youth Theater shows, and 2 Second Stage shows. $10-15. 
  • 🌍 The Blueberry Patch, 1285 W. Hanley Rd. (just off US Route 42, 5.5 mi (8.9 km) south of town), ☏ +1 419 884-1797, fax: +1 419-884-1798, . The u-pick blueberry season is open from early July to early September and the u-pick raspberry season is open from mid August to frost. The Blueberry Patch has a gift shop, blossoms cafe, greenhouse and a nursery. 

Annual events

Learn

Buy
  • 🌍 Alpaca Meadows, 1200 Rock Rd, ☏ +1 419 529-8152. Alpaca Meadows Farm & Fiber Studio is a local alpaca farm that offers alpaca products including yarn, fiber, and fiber art equipment. They also host various events, including tours and art classes. 
  • Historic Carrousel District. Features eateries and coffee shops, small antique, craft and gift shops and more. It is what turned the downtown around. 
  • 🌍 Carrousel Antiques, 118 N Main St (N Main St & E Temple Ct), ☏ +1 419 522-0230. M-Sa 10AM-5PM; Su noon-5PM. Open today as a boutique shop where you can find a variety of antiques, decor, furniture, and other upscale resale items. It was a filming location of Shawshank Redemption where Red came upon a pawn shop window offering guns and compasses. Red was tempted to buy a gun but instead he bought a compass which would later help him find the red box Andy hid for him in a 'hay field near Buxton'. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Jones Potato Chip Company, 823 Bowman St (Bowman & Louis St, north of Bowman and US Hwy 30), ☏ +1 419 529-9424, toll-free: +1-800-466-9424, fax: +1 419 529-6789, . Family-made since 1945 by the Jones family. The Jones Potato Chip Company and retail store are located at the same address. The chips can be bought at any local grocery store or supermarket, where potato chips are sold. 
  • KritterMall. Buy pet supplies and find a comprehensive list where kids can touch, feed and interact with animals in Ohio. Locations include petting zoos, wildlife safaris, horseback riding, aviaries, working farms, butterfly conservatories and more. Purchases are covered by warranty and have complete customer support. (updated May 2017)
  • 🌍 Mansfield Antique Show and Flea Market at Richland County Fairgrounds, Richland County Fairgrounds at 750 N. Home Rd (north of N Home Rd & US Hwy 30 junction), ☏ +1 614-282-4938, fax: +1 419 747-7141. The Mansfield Antique Show and Flea Market is a monthly event that is held from February to November, the last weekend (last Saturday and Sunday) of each month at the Richland County Fairgrounds. For more information contact Kevin Spore at +1 419 756-3904 or Tim Babcock at +1 419 884-3253. Admission is $1 for adults, free for kids age 11 and under. 
  • 🌍 Richland Mall, 2209 Richland Mall, Ontario, ☏ +1 419 529-4003, . M-Sa 10AM-9PM, Su noon-6PM. 

Eat

Bakeries
  • 🌍 Buckeye Bakery Inc., 21 E. 4th St (in downtown Mansfield in the Historic Carrousel District), ☏ +1 419 522-2341, . M-F 5AM-5PM, Sa 5AM-4PM. 
  • 🌍 Buckeye Bakery Inc., 866 Ashland Rd (Ashland (US Hwy 42) & Indiana, in NE part of town between downtown and Jct US Hwy 30), ☏ +1 419 589-5174, . M-F 7AM-5PM, Sa 7AM-4PM. 
  • 🌍 Schneider's Olde World Bakery, 146 Orange St (along Orange St between railroad tracks and Beymiller St, northeast of downtown core), ☏ +1 419 522-2212. 
  • 🌍 Blackbird Bakery, 105 N. Main St (inside Relax Coffee), ☏ +1 567 231-9709. Very nice and friendly bakery. You can eat in or have baked goods delivered. Cookies, pretzels, scones, cake, etc. (updated Oct 2019)

Grocery stores
  • 🌍 KV Market, 359 W 4th St (W 4th & Sycamore St, west of downtown Mansfield), ☏ +1 419 709-9235. M-Sa 8AM-10PM; Su 8AM-9PM. When Shawshank Redemption was filmed in 1993, this location was the E&B Market. It has since undergone extensive renovation and is once again home to a full-service supermarket offering fresh produce, meat, deli and hot foods located near downtown and more convenient for travelers staying closer in town. Once paroled from the Shawshank Prison, both Brooks and Red struggle to adjust to life on the outside while bagging groceries at the Food-Way which was filmed here. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Meijer, One store in Ontario at 1355 N. Lexington-Springmill Rd (NW of the Lexington-Springmill Rd & US Hwy 30 junction at Lexington Springmill Rd & Walker Lake Rd), ☏ +1 419 747-8364. Open 24 hours, seven days a week. Ask for discount card. There's also a Starbucks, CiCi's Pizza, Game Stop and a IHop Restaurant in separate buildigs along the south end of the premises on Walker Lake Rd in separate buildings. 

Restaurants
  • Athena Greek Restaurant, 41 N. Main St, ☏ +1 419 524-5620. M-Sa 11AM-8PM. 
  • City Grille and Bar, 37 E. 4th St (Located downtown in the Historic Carrousel District), ☏ +1 419 709-9199. Tu-Th 11AM-11PM, F 11AM-1AM, Sa 4PM-1AM, closed Su and M. 
  • Coney Island Diner, 98 N. Main St (Located downtown in the Historic Carrousel District), ☏ +1 419 526-2669. M-F 6:30AM-7PM, Sa 6:30AM-4PM, closed Su. Coney Island Diner is Mansfield's oldest restaurant and is famous for its coneys and pea salad. The downtown eatery has been around since 1936 and has become famous among filmmakers and politicians. 
  • Coney Island Inn, 20 South Park St (on the Square), ☏ +1 419 525-1406. M-Sa 5:30AM-8:30PM. 
  • Dairy Land, 800 Springmill St, ☏ +1 419 525-2168. Spring and summer hours are Tu-Su 11AM-10PM from early April to the first of September. Fall hours are Tu-Su 11AM-9PM from the first of September to the second week of October. Closed for the winter season from mid-October to late March or early April. Dairy Land is closed on Mondays and 4th of July. The drive-in restaurant has been serving Mansfield since 1947 and its menu serves ice cream, sundaes, shakes, sodas (Pepsi products), fries, burgers, hotdogs, coneys, chicken and more. When you arrive at Dairy Land, you just park and one of the servers will help you in taking your order. Before you go, you may want to ask for a menu (a yellow paper menu full of good food and ice creams with prices listed) to take with you so you know what to order on your next visit. They are locally famous for their excellent shredded chicken sandwiches. 
  • El Charrito, 80 W. Hanley Rd, ☏ +1 419 522-7226. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F 11AM-10:30PM, Sa noon-10:30PM, Su 11AM-9PM. This Mexican restaurant with the best combination platters around is known for their fajitas, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos and burritos. El Campesino also has a full bar that serves Margaritas,flavored margaritas and daiquiris, domestic and Mexican beer, wine, and mixed drinks. 
  • Hong Kong Buffet, 331 N Lexington-Springmill Rd #125, Ontario, ☏ +1 419-529-8678. 
  • Mansfield Restaurant, Southside, 948 S. Main St (on the southwest corner of S. Main St. and W. Cook Rd.), ☏ +1 419 756-0479. M-Sa 5:30AM-8:30PM and Su 6:30AM-2:30PM. 
  • Mansfield Restaurant, Westside, 1090 Park Ave West, ☏ +1 419 529-8238. M-Sa 5:30AM-8:30PM and Su 6:30AM-2:30PM. 
  • Rancho Fiesta, 1360 S. Trimble Rd (near the intersection of S. Trimble Rd. and Lexington Ave. (US Route 42) at the Appleseed Center), ☏ +1 419 774-1774. Mexican restaurant that serves authentic Mexican cuisine and cantina. (updated May 2017)
  • The Leaning Tower of Pizza, 180 Lexington Ave, ☏ +1 419-525-3462. (updated Nov 2018)
  • Two Cousins Pizza Co., 103 N Main St (by the Mansfield Carousel), ☏ +1 419 522 2211. Friendly local pizza place. (updated Oct 2019)

Drink

There are plenty of choices for alcohol. Most grocery stores carry it, as well as the gas stations, drive-throughs and convenience stores.

Sleep

Stay safe

The non-emergency number of the police department is ☏ +1 419-755-9724.

Connect

Cope

Hospitals

Gym

Laundromat

Library

Newspapers

Go next
  • Ashland is 10 mi (16 km) northeast on U.S. Route 42 or Interstate 71. A couple more Shawshank Redemption scenes were filmed there.
  • Canton is about 1 hour and 15 minutes east on U.S. Route 30.
  • Cleveland is about 1 hour and 25 minutes northeast on I-71.
  • Columbus is about an hour southwest on I-71.
  • Cincinnati is about 2 hours and 50 minutes southwest on I-71.
  • Lexington is a rural village about 7 miles southwest of downtown Mansfield on U.S. Route 42.
  • Ontario is a suburban city west of Mansfield. It is a major regional retail hub with a shopping mall serving the entire North-Central Ohio area.
  • Upper Sandusky is the location for a couple more Shawshank filming scenes, one of which is a dedicated museum to the film. The town (and county seat of Wyandot County) is 46 mi (74 km) west on US Hwy 30.
  • Amish Country centered in Holmes County to the southeast of Richland County on Ohio State Route 39.
  • Mohican Resort & Conference Center located in southern Ashland County is surrounded by 6,000 acres of Mohican State Forest and borders Pleasant Hill Lake. Hiking, swimming and boating are nearby. 96 guest rooms offering a private balcony. The dining room is also open Sundays with a great buffet for $12.95. A Ohio Department of Natural Resources facility.
Routes through Mansfield
Cleveland ← Ashland ←  N  S  → Bellville → Columbus
Lima ← Ontario ←  W  E  → Wooster → Canton
Jct ← Shelby ←  W  E  → Loudonville → Dover
Lima ← Ontario ←  W  E  → END
Ashland ←  N  S  → Lexington → Delaware


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