Pain is caused by pleasure! Visit OSR
With the recent
cancellation of “Silent Hills” many of us are feeling the urge to immerse
ourselves in the Silent Hill ambience. Short of dangerously, visiting Centralia PA or the DeJarnette Sanatarium (Staunton VA), where is one to
go? I highly recommend the Mansfield Ohio, Ohio State Reformatory (OSR).Ohio has lots of abandoned places, though most cannot be toured officially:
- Ghost Town: Helltown - Boston Township
- Hospital: The Athens Lunatic Asylum - "The Ridges"
- Amusement Parks: Geauga Lake Amusement Park … or … Chippewa Lake Amusement
- Subway: Cincinnati's abandoned subway (tours limited or postponed due to safety concerns).
But there is an easy-to-tour, must-see
that is safe and cool: Mansfield Ohio, Ohio State Reformatory. It will satiate the
need to experience the Tocula Prison, Nightmare realm, Chapel, and even a bit
of Midwich
School! OSR is huge, affordable, and has
official tours (including night ghost hunting). So it is safe and cool. It is
known for the filming location of movies like Shawshank Redemption, Tango and
Cash, Air Force One, and even music videos for Godsmack and rapper Lil Wayne.
Some interesting perspectives with images below:
- Built in 1886, not long after the fictionalized 1866 Tocula Prison of the Silent Hill world
- It was originally a reformatory, so it’s design included a huge chapel and school.
- It was converted to a prison sometime (less reformation focus), and then eventually shut down in the 1990's
- The architect ensured the inmates could see the outside to have more hope; cells were put in the interior-center facing out.
- Since it was shutdown, many broken windows allow the weather to deteriorate the building--> especially the lead paint which peels off the walls.
- The warden lived in a beautiful central area. The wood was engineered due to fire codes the railings were made in steel, but look like wood.
- The East cell block is the largest fee standing steel cell block; very loud too; this side had more grates to ensure inmates could not fling material at guards. The West cell block was quieter at night.
- The Chapel is fitted with iron bars lockable chambers inside the sanctuary
- "Pain is caused by pleasure" - Godsmack Awake video graffiti (a call out to Moon Baby lyrics)
