The Shawshank Trail- Mansfield, OH

I would be remiss if I didn’t follow up my post about The Ohio State Reformatory with an entry regarding The Shawshank Trail. Even as someone who has seen The Shawshank Redemption an obscene number of times, I never knew it was filmed in Ohio. I suppose if I thought about it at all, I would have placed it in Maine. It was written by Stephen King after all.  But no, it was filmed for the most part on location in Central Ohio, and you can still visit many of the filming locations. Although a few are far flung, most are an easy drive from the reformatory.

After the prison itself, the first trail stop in the quaint town of Mansfield is the Bissman Building, known in the movie as the Brewer Hotel- the flop house where both Brooks and Red wind up when released from Shawshank. Only the exterior of the building was used for the movie, but it remains unchanged. It is easy to imagine it as a place of last resort. The actual room set was constructed on site at The Ohio State Reformatory, where you can wander through it today. Make sure to look up at the iconic graffiti from the film.

The second stop is just a short walk up Main Street from the hotel, at an antique store that stands in for a pawn shop. It is here that Red finds the compass that will lead him to Andy’s treasure, under the old Oak Tree. As an aside, the 200 year old tree is no more; it was toppled in a 2011 wind storm. A portion of its trunk is on display in front of the reformatory.

At the top of Main Street is Central Park, where Brooks spends his free time on a bench, feeding birds. The original bench is long gone, in its place a gazebo. They have replaced it with a replica, emblazoned with the trail logo, along a walkway in the park.

Before leaving town, you can drive past The Renaissance Theatre. It is a fabulously grand 1928 Neo-Classical movie palace that was completely restored in 1985. I question its inclusion on the tour, but it was the site of the movie’s premiere on September 13, 1994. If you have time to spare, the venue hosts musical performances, plays, and film festivals.

The next two stops are outside of Mansfield, along rural roads. First, at the intersection of Hagerman and Snyder, the location where Red gets out of the pickup, on his way to Buxton. Depending upon the time of year you visit, you may not see some of the landmarks. The road runs through farmer’s fields, and corn is tall. Right around the corner is the stretch of Route 95 that Red traverses on a Trailways Bus, on his way to Fort Hancock, Texas. Here, the landmarks are easily recognizable.

Next up, Malabar Farm State Park, location of the movie’s opening scene. Remember drunk Andy, sitting in his car, revolver in hand, while his wife carries on in a cabin? That’s the Pugh cabin, and it’s an event space at the park. True fans could rent it out, and throw a fabulous Shawshank themed party. Which I am sure has been done. For the rest of us, you can walk up and peer inside, although they would prefer you didn’t. If there’s not an event, it won’t be an issue.

The park itself is very interesting, and includes the home of Pulitzer Prize winning author Louis Bromfield. There, in the grand Greek Revival, he was known to host many famous guests, including Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who were married at his farm. Tours are offered of the house, if you can manage to time it correctly. We did not, and missed the last tour. During the filming of Shawshank, Brooks and Captain Hadley were taken on a private, personal tour of the property; I did not receive that offer. However, it was lovely from the outside.

At this point, most people will call it a day, and hit one of the local wineries. There are several, and while Ohio wines aren’t fabulous, they are usually good enough, with tasting rooms located in scenic spots. For intrepid fans of the movie, there are additional stops in Ashland and Upper Sandusky, as well as a beach in St. Croix, that stands in for Zihuatanejo. Driving directions for the trail can be downloaded or picked up at the reformatory. It certainly is a fun way to spend a day for fans of the film, and something different to do if you find yourself in Central Ohio.

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