If you and your family are ready for a drive that’s just under two hours, Mansfield is certainly worth exploring. We found the town to be full of nice restaurants, cafes, antique stores, and a lovely town square, in addition to all the activities below that we enjoyed with our three-year-old, Townes.
We also happened to be visiting here to celebrate the 30th anniversary of “The Shawshank Redemption,” which – though set in Maine – was filmed in Mansfield. It was a busy weekend of exploring for us!
Buckeye Imagination Museum
This children’s museum began as Little Buckeye Children’s Museum in 2011, but they only recently opened their new location, an expanded playscape that promotes learning for kids and adults! The first floor has a child’s scale version of a town complete with an ice cream parlor, post office, hospital, doctor’s office, grocery store, bakery and more, all surrounded by a road system where young kids can ride around in toy cars. My personal favorite feature was the car wash that Townes drove his car through several times.
The upstairs of the museum is for adults and older children; it features STEM-related challenges and games, classic arcade games, interactive mini-golf and a make-it space.
The Shawshank Trail
At three-years-old, Townes is not quite ready to watch “The Shawshank Redemption,” but my husband Matt and I are big fans. The three of us used the online guide to find every site where the movie was filmed, each of which was fun for Townes to explore. I highly recommend driving through the countryside to visit these sites. Extra points if you watch the movie afterwards to see if you can pinpoint all the locations.
Ohio State Reformatory Tours
If your interest in history skews toward the creepy side, a tour of the imposing Ohio State Reformatory should be on your list of things to do in Mansfield. Though it would be ideal for elementary school age kids or older because of the length of the tour, climbing stairs, and holding their attention, Townes enjoyed the experience very much. He loved going in the jail cells, looking into the creepy recesses of the old building, and we even spied a cute bat sleeping on the wall!
This is the site where many scenes in “The Shawshank Redemption” were filmed, so movie fans will recognize it. The tour we went on was a mix of movie references and fascinating historical references about the site.
The Retro House at Hancock Heights
We stayed at this Airbnb right across from the Reformatory; it is a restored building that was reserved for guards who used to work in the prison. It’s beautifully restored in a 1940s aesthetic that is reflected in everything from the wallpaper and farmhouse sink (we bathed Townes in there) to the furniture and 1940s Mansfield yearbook we found on our bedside table. Very charming, and perfect location!
Malabar Farm
The opening scene of “The Shawshank Redemption” was filmed at Malabar Farm, so we stopped there to meet with actor Scott Mann who was featured in the scene, followed by a trip to the farm-themed playground and the educational visitor’s center. By the time we’d left, Townes had pretended to be a chicken farmer and had a conversation with the resident pet parrot who lives there — a day well spent for all of us.
Richland Carrousel Park
As our family walked downtown, we could hear the carousel’s Stinson organ playing an old-timey tune, and it drew us in for a ride. The carousel features 52 hand-carved and painted animals, all created at Mansfield’s Carousel Works Inc. Before that company shut its doors in 2021, it was the largest manufacturer of wooden carousels.
Kingwood Center Gardens
Visitors can enjoy the opulent Kingwood Center Gardens all year long, as they have events for major holidays, workshops, yoga classes and many other activities to take part in. For little ones like Townes, there is plenty of room to run and play, chances to educate kids about its botanical wonders, a story time series, story book trail and the Peacock Playhouse Sensory Center that is open from February through October. A must-visit for history lovers is Kingwood Hall, a French Provincial style mansion on the property.
