Exploring The Real Shawshank Prison - Shut Down in 1990

[@magnamanv45]

I served time there from 1980 to 1984, 4 years. It was a living nightmare. The cells only had cold water, there was no hot water. A trustee would walk the ranges with a water can like they used at a gas station for filling radiators. You knew he was come cause he would be yelling "Hot Water!". The food was horrible. You would find rocks in it and Brooks wasn't joking about finding maggots in your food. Now, I know a lot of people say it's haunted, but, after being there for 4 years, I never seen or heard any ghost. Never heard any other inmates see or hear them either. So, if it is haunted, they came after I left. The thing that really surprised me was, I would see inmates return after being released and violating parole. Not me, that place straighten me right up. Another thing, it would be freezing in the winter time and scorching hot in the summer. When you first get put into population, you were celled on the second range. The first floor was to infested with rats to house inmates there. But as you did your time, you would get moved a lot. As time went by, you would slowly move up the ranges. The closer you get to the top, the closer you were to going home. But the problem was, as you moved up, the hotter it would get. My last 6 months was spent on the 6th floor, top range. It would get up to 100 degrees at night in the summer and 120-140 in the daytime. I remember when I first went in, I weighed about 240 lbs. When I got out, I weighed 125 lbs. It truly was cruel and inhumane punishment.

[@michaelhiles5350]

Yo I got there right after you left 137327 made it to j dorm worked greenhouse cut the grass around the headstones slaughterhouse 7 cows everyday 25 pigs on Wednesdays plus we had 48.000 chickens worked 7 days 18.00 bucks a month enjoy your life brother

[@terrybellar7661]

119753 funny how you never forget your name!

[@1martymcfly298]

How old were you when you did the four years? I know it was about 40 years ago. Thanks for the interesting information and for commenting on the video.

[@RansomShindawakei]

I knew Andy Defresne, and Red. We use to play chess together. Than one day, our friend Brooks was unexpectedly paroled.

[@magnamanv45]

@@1martymcfly298 I was 18, got out when I was 22

[@ernestj3081]

Shawshank Redemption One of the best movies ever made. 👏🏻👊🏻👍🏻

[@Poppagee69]

I think there is many non criminals who will never do time in a prison that would probably love to come and rent a cell for a couple of days and stay as a guest in a place like this just to have a real life experience of what convicts must have had to endure for long terms in the past . What do you think? Please reply to me

[@Joseph-sq7iu]

Top 3 favourite for me and funnily enough the one of the other is a prison movie as well.

[@bogeysbaby]

It was boring

[@ernestj3081]

@@bogeysbaby it was for an intelligent audience!!

[@LeBasketballGuy]

One thing I miss since converting to streaming is flicking through the channels and seeing either this movie or Goodfellas on. Seems like those two were on the most, partly because they're so good, partly because they could fill a 3 hour block with commercials. It's been about 10 years since cutting the cord, think I need to watch those soon.

[@Jared_Wignall]

It’s awesome to see you go though the prison that The Shawshank Redemption was filmed in. It’s one of the best films ever made and it’s cool how places like this give tours as for many places similar to this either just shuts down again when the shooting of a film ends and nobody is allowed to go inside or the building or buildings are demolished and something else might be built in its place. Keep up the great work Chris, have a great rest of your day and take care!

[@jodysales2362]

"Andy crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of shit-smelling foulness I can't even imagine- or maybe I just don't want to. Five hundred yards... that's the length of five football fields; just shy of half a mile." Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding

[@joshuapaul349]

He must have had a hell of an immune system.

[@user-tb2jy9lu3d]

Red never was good at math, apparently. 500 yards = 1,500 feet, which is not "just shy of half of a mile" which would be 880 yards or 2,640 feet.

[@AlonnahCasey]

I can repeat that in my soul, you can literally feel the heartache in Red's voice, beautiful comment ya know that's life for us all I'm afraid

[@jodysales2362]

@@AlonnahCasey one of my favorite movie quote and I can't hear it with hearing Morgan Freeman's voice. Lol

[@AlonnahCasey]

@@jodysales2362 facts cookie 🍪

[@hamlufet]

Made me wanna rewatch the movie. So awesome to learn about the history of this place. Thanks for touring us, Chris.

[@lesliewachter1275]

I was just there a couple days ago. Never saw the movie but highly recommend touring the reformatory and paying a little extra for the Behind the Bars Tour. You won't be disappointed and all the proceeds go towards restoring the prison.

[@NeighborhoodOfBlue]

I can't fathom having never seen this movie, let alone touring the prison without having seen the movie. Please watch it! You won't be disappointed.

[@lesliewachter1275]

@@NeighborhoodOfBlue I plan on it!

[@dawnmartz8483]

Why r they restoring it?

[@DrQuagmire1]

funny how the inmates had the balls to sue this particular prison for inhumane conditions, and yet, look at the crimes they committed that brought them there in the first place. what does that tell you??

[@Kuypers125]

That you have no problem sounding like a sociopath

[@dennisneo1608]

It tells me the world is topsy turvy!!!!

[@Ganiscol]

I'll just quote Mr. Dostoyevsky, because he is still right: 'A society should be judged not by how it treats it's citizens, but by the way it treats it's criminals' Of course, the US is still failing miserably on most counts. Not least because of the privatization & industrialization of punishment over actual rehabilitation.

[@NeighborhoodOfBlue]

That humane conditions matter, and that torture doesn't lead to reform.

[@NeighborhoodOfBlue]

@@Ganiscol You are a good person

[@MonicaLitman]

I was born and raised in Ohio so the reformatory was still in use while I was still there. I didn’t know Shawshank Redemption was filmed there. Thanks for the tour Chris

[@hammondj82]

Tells me that we have a government and a lot of local police departments that revolve around the almighty dollar.

[@anthonytaylor7928]

How old are u?? U mean all this time u didn't know?

[@anthonytaylor7928]

​@@hammondj82most people know that it was filmed there if ur from Ohio the dude with the comment above must be young or misinformed

[@kevinclapton7835]

in the 70s i had a bad drug problem and i was here for 4 long yrs roaches crawling out of ur eggs on yhe plate ..violent stabbings rapes in the shower screams at night from new guys getting raped ...taught me to behave for the rest of my life..

[@scottrider641]

This facility is close to my home. I have visited a few times. You did a great job capturing the best points of interest of the tour. Thanks for this great, well presented video. Thanks, Chris. Great job as usual

[@randywatson2]

That’s a great movie. Watched it for probably the 20th time last weekend

[@user-tb2jy9lu3d]

They got the math wrong at the end. 500 yards = 1,500 feet, which is not "just shy of half of a mile" which would be 880 yards or 2,640 feet. Also, when Andy crawls out of his cell and breaks open the pipe with a rock, sewage sprays everywhere and is pressurized....yet how? The other end of the pipe was completely open, so that was impossible. One of my favorite movies, but they messed up on a lot of details that I would have expected them to get right. The opera song that Andy Dufresne plays over the loud speakers is Canzonetta Sull'aria from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Le nozze di Figaro".

[@miuqe1468]

the methane in that pipe would have killed him before he made it out

[@user-tb2jy9lu3d]

@@miuqe1468 That too.

[@minimumrage323]

Yep. This movie would have been categorized under fiction in Brooks' library.

[@user-tb2jy9lu3d]

@@minimumrage323 Right next to Alexandre Dumazz according to Heywood.

[@larrybuckner8619]

Now I gotta go rewatch that movie.

[@flatlineracer3207]

Wow this is one AWESOME video! From one of my all-time favorite movies. Thank you.

[@frankwafer6919]

Thank you for the wonderful video,it was an excellent movie!🤔💯👍!

[@annethyg]

My grandfather was one of the physicians on call for the prison before it closed

[@Dawna-gp1zk]

wow

[@AlonnahCasey]

This is by far my most favorite movie of all time, the story is heartbreaking, Thank you for sharing

[@FDT212]

Great video thank you I live in Ohio myself & appreciate it when people showcase what our state has to offer

[@Liz-cmc313]

Excellent tour of one of the best movies ever made. Thanks Chris.

[@dezertraider]

FANTASTIC..ONE OF MY FAV CHRIS,THANK YOU,,SAFE TRAVELS

[@davem8836]

I'm always amazed at how quickly things deteriorate if not maintained.

[@ninaappelt9001]

Except Roman roads

[@bigbasil1908]

@@ninaappelt9001 Well Roman roads tend to be covered by a lot of soil that has built up over the many centuries. Most Roman stone stuff in Britain was robbed out to build other buildings after the Romans scurried back to Rome.

[@LyonessQueen]

Thanks for sharing! Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite movies ❤

[@Hangmanaudits]

2nd Video love prison history , I visit prisons and police stations in Scotland .

[@ronaldmiller2740]

THE PRISON JAILS LOOKED LIKE A GIANT HUMAN ,,BIRD CAGE LOOKING UP AND DOWN.. THANKS ,, CHRIS...

[@ToddEWalnuts]

Cool video, Chris. Shanks for uploading this and bringing us along. Shawshank Redemption is such a classic movie. One of the best ever made. It was cool to see behind this scenes with your tour. Have a good weekend. Thanks for all that you do to provide us with entertaining videos.

[@cosmos7492]

Amazing video thanks for showing us around Chris enjoyed it as always

[@Gypsy839]

It’s a beautiful building❤

[@minimumrage323]

Greatest movie of all time.

[@Marco-qe5zw]

Thats a fact.

[@garydilbeck340]

Get busy living..or?

[@cardinaloflannagancr8929]

There are a few areas you need to get the guided to for them to be included. The one is a catwalk (west attic), that looks straight down you can see on the self guided tour somewhat through a door up on the top tier. Plus you were able to go in the yard and the guard tower (weather permitting though). Also the sub basement. I did the self guided and can't wait to go back and see the rest. One thing I learned was the shower scene where andy meets Boggs. That shower room actually you do not stay in place that one was called the car wash. As you actually walk continually supposedly to prevent soap dropping or things of the sort. Along with in theory at least a more efficient and consistent time for people to go through.

[@robertladue7647]

It seems to me that the old Shawshank building/prison should be refurbished/restored and utilized again but with the right number of inmates.

[@dianemakarevitz798]

Excellent video, Chris! I love Shawshank Redemption and Morgan Freeman so this was a real treat! ☮️❤️

[@catcrazy67]

Fascinating tour I need to visit Im about 1 hour north of Mansfield in Ohio

[@MrUnknown-wf1xf]

The spiril stair case leads you to a cat walk where the guards would watch over the prison. I had the opportunity to walk up it,see the guard tower, see the other correctional facility, the inmates walking around 😅 tim Robins was apparently not very pleasant with coworkers during the movie set,was very difficult to work with, a Germaphobic. Morgan Freeman was cordial, pleasant to work with. I have been here b4, and it's definitely a great place to visit

[@DianeC.]

Hi!!! I'm from Northeast OHIO... I have rode past here. I had a friend who was a " Ghost Buster" and took his equipment there. He did find things...Nice Video!!!...🦋

[@mvol5973]

Little known fact, the "Brooks was here" is not the original from the movie. The original was stolen from the building during one winter while the place was shut down and the staff created a new one

[@davidlamotta1994]

Morgan Freeman has confirmed what I will say today. This film did not do well at the box office, lord knows why. It was the most rented film in history the very next year for people who bought and sold VHS tapes back in the day. This film was and is a classic. Can you imagine if the 1972 film Deliverance was made today? My lord, it would make at least a billion dollars just as the film Titanic did in 1997. Deliverance and Shawshank, two kick ass films.

[@davechattoe9144]

I can only imagine the psychological wear and tear of making the prisoners build their own wall to surround themselves in prison. That's pretty messed up.

[@gborch]

Great video man thank you so much. I love that movie. You have no idea how many times I watched it maybe 50 times that’s no joke. I wonder how they ended up with that boat and did they fix it up?

[@RaveDave871]

Gimme fun of Tango n Cash over pretentious preachy arty farty Shawshank Redemption any frign day 👌

[@fritz1990]

Awesome video. Thanks! Loved the Shawshank redemption movie.

[@RaveDave871]

Jeez the aisles, cells, so frign narrow ! Fat as crims today couldn't fit in the place huh, thst why joint closed bro

[@GraveVisitations]

Loved this tour thanks Chris. One of my favourite movies

[@MrJusduit]

This was a Great Story of a Movie. They dont make Movies no more like this!

[@samanthab1923]

Very cool. Remember first seeing this place on Scariest Places 07. GH was there in 05 but didn’t name it. GA followed with 09. 👻

[@MaarkiMarko]

I enjoyed the movie Shawshank Redemption, and I enjoyed the tour of the prison it was filmed in. The chapels condition is so sad. I remember the video you did at the prison in New Jersey. This was very interesting! Thank you, Chris.

[@Salty_Balls]

I've been through the Halloween Haunt at Mansfield several years. We started the haunt on the stairs at 20:45, going up into the offices, eventually through the mess area and cells. It's a fantastic haunted attraction.

[@theathjr]

My top 3 favorite movies of all time. This video was AWESOME. I have to visit before I’m done on this earth.

[@jamesholt7612]

Awesome place and the movie was great.

[@michaellyon9220]

This summer is the 50th anniversary of the death suicide famous by gunshot of Christine Chubbick - I think you’re nice enough and approachable guy. Maybe you could talk to the family about getting some sort of exclusive interview and maybe a clip of the hidden footage who knows

[@schumifannreins295]

Just WTF dude...

[@PieAndChips]

Death suicide famous by gunshot

[@sanddabz5635]

Still doesn't explain how Andy got the poster to lie flat and taunt against the wall from inside of the tunnel though.....lol

[@CarrieJames-tl9uh]

I wonder that as well

[@CraigFThompson]

Morgan Freeman starred in a movie that was made here decades ago; does anyone else remember "Brubaker"?!

[@CarrieJames-tl9uh]

Seen this movie or tv show . Wonder why this place got shut down or not reopen . Or doing something else besides tours or movie scenes to makes money etc etc

[@justinboger1348]

Great tour. I was looking into this building after watching the movie. Must have been miserable to be an inmate there. I visited a similar one in Belfast, North Ireland.

[@michaelhiles5350]

Oh yeah did 4 years 84 88

[@lookup17]

Ohhh, I’ve been there numerous times, let me tell ya, some of those prisoners have never left. Serious paranormal activity there. Great vid!

[@mikelambert8324]

Exactly

[@alrise1776]

Shawshank is one of my favorite movies. Tombstone is my # 1 favorite. The Green Mile was great too

[@RaveDave871]

Shawshank and Jaws most over rated movies all time 👎

[@playmangostingiu2217]

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to take a glance of how looks like this place. I'm a fan of that movie, it's a masterpiece, I watched it several times, never tired and always noticing new details. Thank you so much

[@eddiehoppe]

Brooks was here, So was Red, Now Chris.

[@JumboFPS]

What is up with the Audio quality!?! It used to be much better!

[@wulf76]

I visited this place before and it is huge plus you can take haunted ghost tours also

[@RaveDave871]

If ya can't do da time, don't waste ya dimes on hard wine 🤪

[@joed307]

I believe the real prison the movies based on is in Maine

[@CraigFThompson]

Better make that "was" in Maine; in fact, it was located in Thomaston, not too far from the Thomaston prison.

[@timlloyd1454]

Marshfield reformatory or use to be called Ohio state reformatory i been there many times for tours and they hold a haunted house in there every year and YES its VERY haunted but most of the areas that are highly paranormal are sectioned off and the building is in disrepair👍👍

[@jburnett8152]

Nothing is worth even one day. I've seen the movie several times. It's always been one of my favorites. Morgan Freeman was great in this movie. Thanks Chris. I'll send you a cake.🎂

[@robertrosicki9290]

Seems like a place where you could lose something .... your freedom , your virginity , all hope , your will to live , your sanity , your life .

[@mikebas7325]

Thanks for taking us on this tour with you, had no idea that movie was filmed here. I'm not too far from the area, might have to take a tour of it.

[@passat4862]

Very cool thanks! One of a cupal moves I can recite every word. This one and forest Gump lol

[@terrysmith7076]

Fantastic video I'm a big fan of Shawshank movie. Thank you for sharing ☮️

[@dennisneo1608]

Chris, you're a great documentary maker. Shawshank is one of my favourite movies. Top 10 for sure.

[@ritagail4559]

Can you plz do one on al copones old hotel on Michigan and cermack in chicago plz try thank you mobile instinct your awesome

[@BCaldwell]

What a beautiful place of suffering.....

[@andrewbryce7927]

I love this movie. That was so cool 😎 to watch. Thanks, Chris. appreciated 😊😊

[@The1cdccop]

Not catwalks. They are called tiers. The cellblock layouts of these older institutions are very similar. We have Folsom and San Quenton, still in use today.

[@maxstueven1965]

Looks like where I work, the prison I work in was built in 1889. Don't get your fingers in between where those cell doors meet, it hurts a lot ask me how I know.

[@Steven_Rowe]

Actually there would only be positive and negative on the chair electrodes if they used direct current. They actually use alternating current which means the current flows in one direction then the other and this happens at 60 cycles per second.

[@nikkigardiner9426]

Thank you, Chris! ❤

[@Mypandaloves]

Cool tour. Awesome to see all the cool stuff

[@deannaharby5677]

My favorite movie---thank You !!!

[@TheYizuman]

Is that lead paint peeling off the walls at the cell area? Was there asbestos inside the prison?

[@shawngoldsberry747]

Yes both in excess

[@wendysmith8246]

Chris Thank-you!! One of my favorite movies!! So cool to see this!!!!❤

[@RansomShindawakei]

NOPE! STOP LYING! ONLY the 'EXTERIOR' shots were filmed at the prison. ALL the 'INTERIOR' shots were done in a studio sound-stage, because the prison was in decrepit condition.

[@medionlvr]

when i was inside in 1979/80 the constant noise was at times unbearable.

[@Carolbearce]

I love the movie Shawshank. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[@stevemason5173]

I have been there several times since 2013. Not as an inmate, but as a curious tourest. It is about 30 to 40 minutes from my house. On our first trip, we discovered they were preparing for a 20 year anniversary celebration of the filming and trying to raise money for the restoration. The place was in shambles and allot of vandalism had gone on and a few of the movie props left behind were stolen from the site. The original board where Brooks carved his name was stolen and a replica made, along with the safe in the warden's office. We were informed the last remaining buildings we see today and in the film were scheduled to be torn down on the day they received the phone call from Hollywood. All the destruction equipment was on the way. Much of area and buildings have been torn down behind the main building and replaced with a newer more modern reformatory. The filming of this movie saved a gorgeous landmark filled with interesting history in Mansfield Ohio. The cemetary seen in the movie is real and still there, but no longer able to be seen or visited. There are a set of railroad tracks that run between the prison and the cemetary that I have walked and explored that cemetary several times between the closing of the prison and the filming of the movie. They have done a very fine job od restoring the areas where the filming took place as of today.

[@forwardomni1355]

I worked with Morgan Freeman on the movie driving Miss Daisy back in the 80s. You can’t ask for a better person, actor.

[@rayrose6499]

I was sentenced there in 1981. Hated every second of my stay. I was on range 2 and 6. It was freezing on 2. It was hot on 6. The food sucked. Sometimes three kinds of beans supper. Powder milk. Only about 10 minutes to eat.

[@theend9258]

After year's of watching your videos, I'm sorry but I have to unsubscribe. KZbin is censoring WAY too much. It became to annoying while watching your videos. Best of luck buddy

[@donbustle5845]

I worked at the Ohio correctional prision in Lebanon ohio in 1986. As part of our orientation I did get to visit the Mansfield prision back then to see its operation. While it looked nothing like your video today it was pretty creepy even back then. It was still quite an amazing facility. The administration wing was quite fasinating and in full use in 1986. Ohio's electric chair was kept at the Lucasville prision at that time. During my orientation visit to Lucasville I was able to see it there. Shawshank is one of my all time favorite films.

[@bobbiemillikan6893]

My team did a private overnight paranormal investigation. It's an amazing building. VERY creepy in the dark 😄.

[@carlocartier7082]

That place is so gnarly definitely a must visit that front space also doubled as a mansion that was lived in by then warden Arthur Glattke where he and his family would host friend family & dignitaries in guest bedrooms (so yea imagine sleeping in a elegant mansion with huge prison attached 🥴) his wife Helen Glattke mysteriously died when she was looking for a Sunday hat and her husband's gun "fell" and she was hit in the kneck/head area in one of those rooms 1950 😅

[@terrymoogan3773]

SO SAD JUST LIKE THE PRISONS IN THE UK LONDON THANK GOD I ESCAPED TO THE USA> BLESS YOU ALL > LIVERPOOL BANK ROBBER TO Hollywood Butler BEST SELLER>

[@dml5053]

love this!....one of fav from your channel ...great job!

[@johnori6740]

Nobody can believe some prisoners built those walls and that reporposed castle from the old world. Imagine uneducated folk building that?

[@HkSniper]

The Reformatory is definitely an interesting place. Especially if you are into history and movie history as well. Several movies were filmed there. Surprised you didn't cover some of the Russian stenciling and writing as well as the paintings on the walls of the guard room when it was turned into a Soviet/Russian prison for Airforce One. I have had many chances to be inside of the place, on tours, doing work for events there, and I even got the chance to play airsoft in that place (twice at night) 3 times. The crew there is doing an amazing job restoring and it's been a long process. But it's come a long way even in the last 10 or so years!

[@CT-vm4gf]

I can’t help but have empathy for the criminals that were in there for less serious crimes. Or the innocent people that were in there for life.

[@ritagail4559]

Wow I really loved seeing this you have such great content I love everything about it thank you for sharing this I would like to see more like this and I enjoyed the video that you and Lamont did on Emmitt till that young man suffered beyond belief plz do more content like this thank you again can you do one on auchwitz I hope I got that right

[@DouglasBellis]

The movie was filmed at Mansfield prison, not the Ohio State prison which was is Columbus.

[@truckinfam2207]

I pulled a coal bucket back in the 1990s. Place I went to was within 500 ft of the prison. Beautiful

[@JetScreamTEAM]

Much respect to the content creators but this kind of trivializes the suffering of these human beings but since they're just"convicts"let's buy a t-shirt😅