Mansfield, Ohio, offers a number of interesting events and activities. You can celebrate the life of Johnny Appleseed, tour Hollywood-style movie sets, visit a haunted mansion and watch race cars zoom around a fast track. The area is populated by just over 49,000 people, but don't let the size fool you. Mansfield is big in entertainment. There are a variety of events for everyone, and the bureau of tourism in Mansfield is focused on keeping that flow of events alive.
"The Shawshank Redemption" is a Hollywood classic starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. Fans of the film travel to Mansfield annually to see where the actors made the magic that was presented on screen. The main attraction along the Shawshank Trail is the historic Ohio State Reformatory. You will also see 12 other well-known sites, such as Malabar Farm State Park, and Mansfield Warehousing and Distribution, where sound stages were built to create the interior prison shots for the movie. You can purchase tickets for guided tours of the sites at the Mansfield Visitor's Bureau, or you can take yourself on a self-guided tour. You need a car for the tour, as some of the sites are one mile or more apart. Locals are proud that Mansfield was used in the production of the movie, and they will gladly tell you all sorts of interesting stories.
Mansfield Visitor's Bureau
124 North Main Street
Mansfield, OH 44902
800-642-8282
mansfieldtourism.com
This popular race track and arena holds a number of racing events and other motorsports-related events, including mud bogging where trucks race through giant mud pits, monster truck races, destruction derbies and tractor pulls. It also hosts a flea market on the weekends as well as occasional concerts. This is also the site of the Johnny Appleseed racing event, which was started in 1970 and continues every fall. The park began as 3/8 mile track in 1959 and has blossomed into a full-scale motorsports experience that offers seating for 6,800 fans, camping areas, luxury suites offering waiter service from food stands, and even free wireless Internet access.
Mansfield Motorsports Park
100 Crall Road
Mansfield, Ohio 44903
419-524-0183
Malabar Farm State Park is located just outside of Mansfield and is the home of the Ceely Rose House, where you can hear the gruesome story of Ceely, who in 1896 murdered her family. Legend has it that Ceely Rose still haunts the property, and you can try to spot her during a candlelit tour of the house. A local bat expert will offer his insight and information about the area, and other locals will tell their own stories to try to scare you. A bonfire caps off the event, where you can tell your own ghost stories while eating hot dogs and s'mores. Call ahead to find out about tour dates and time. Taking children on this tour is permitted but not recommended.
Night Haunts--Malabar Farms State Park
Malabar Farm State Park
4050 Bromfield Rd.
Lucas,OH 44843-9745
419-892-2784
malabarfarm.org
