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.

By plane


The nearest airports for commercial flights are:

By car

 * I-71.svg (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.
 * US 30.svg 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.
 * US 42.svg 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.
 * OH-13.svg 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.
 * OH-39.svg 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
 * OH-309.svg starts out at U.S. Route 30 near the Home Road overpass in Mansfield. It provides connection to Ontario and Galion to the west.
 * OH-430.svg goes through Mansfield and the downtown business district. It provides connection to Ontario to the west and Mifflin to the east.
 * OH-545.svg starts out at Ohio State Route 39 in Mansfield. It provides connection to Olivesburg and Savannah to the northeast.

By bus
The 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:

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

See





 * 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.
 * Used every spring during the Maple Syrup Festival when the maple sap is boiled into pure maple syrup and sold at the giftshop.
 * Location of the park administration, museum, educational exhibits, guided tours, library, gift shop, restrooms and a conference room for rent.
 * 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.
 * Used every spring during the Maple Syrup Festival when the maple sap is boiled into pure maple syrup and sold at the giftshop.
 * Location of the park administration, museum, educational exhibits, guided tours, library, gift shop, restrooms and a conference room for rent.
 * 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:
 * 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.)
 * 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.
 * 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.



Do

 * You'll find two floors of open galleries filled with beautiful artwork.
 * You'll find two floors of open galleries filled with beautiful artwork.



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


 * Fresh Apple Cider This area is to apple cider, what Florida is to orange juice. In the fall, through late spring, fresh squeezed, unadulterated cider flows freely at the local orchards. Some freeze it for year around use. (It only makes it sweeter.)
 * Fresh Apple Cider This area is to apple cider, what Florida is to orange juice. In the fall, through late spring, fresh squeezed, unadulterated cider flows freely at the local orchards. Some freeze it for year around use. (It only makes it sweeter.)
 * Fresh Apple Cider This area is to apple cider, what Florida is to orange juice. In the fall, through late spring, fresh squeezed, unadulterated cider flows freely at the local orchards. Some freeze it for year around use. (It only makes it sweeter.)

Stay safe
The non-emergency number of the police department is.

Newspapers

 * The Mansfield News Journal is the only daily newspaper published in the Mansfield area.

Go next

 * Ashland is 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 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.