Blood Prison returning this weekend with new haunts in store for fright fans

Fright fans will have even more scares at this year's version of Blood Prison.

"We went into this off-season really wanting to make a mark in the east cell block," haunt manager Vic Amesquita said. "We've always had the clowns on the one side, which is a phobia for a lot of people. That's why we keep them there.

"The other side, we really wanted to give it a facelift. We try to keep the prison theme as much as we can."

Blood Prison starts Friday and continues each Friday through Sunday until Oct. 29 at the Ohio State Reformatory, 100 Reformatory Road. This year's incarnation will feature a new infirmary and a new chapel this year. Amesquita noted both are part of most prisons.

"We wanted to make it a little more realistic," he said of the infirmary, which has a waiting area, a checkup area, a surgery area and a morgue. "We wanted to add those elements to what we already had and just make it more realistic.

"Instead of walking through a bunch of beds everywhere, now we have rows."

Word to the wise, the patients aren't doing too well.

The chapel now has pews and parishioners covered in sheets. A priest and a nun also will be featured.

"Instead of a facade, it's just a whole entity in itself," Amesquita said.

People were 'screaming all the way through' dress rehearsal

Staff held a dress rehearsal last Saturday. There are 80 to 100 actors in this year's haunt.

"We got nothing but positive feedback," Amesquita said. "We didn't have music playing in all areas. We had no fog machines running.

"People were screaming all the way through it, and these were people that we know, OSR volunteers and some of my friends and some of my crew, which made it even more encouraging."

Blood Prison staffers gave a sneak peek with its inclusion in July's INKcarceration. Amesquita said Phil Anselmo of Pantera and Corey Taylor of Slipknot taking the tour.

"That was really cool," Amesquita said. "Our crew was pretty jacked about it."

Amesquita led a News Journal reporter and photographer on a tour earlier this week. There were plenty of leaves and dirt, suggesting an area that had been forgotten long ago. The world's largest free-standing steel cell block gives off a claustrophobic feel.

A new set piece this year is a military-style helicopter that appears to have crashed into the building. It is divided into two parts.

"We made it in less than a month," Amesquita said. "One of these is 60 feet long, so we scaled it down to half-size. The guys have loved doing it. They dig it."

Amesquita in 7th year as haunt manager

The haunt manager is in his seventh year at the helm of Blood Prison. Amesquita also helped Robert Kurtzman one year.

"We did a lot of new stuff," he said. "This is the most relieved I've ever been going into a Halloween season. Everything's gone really well.

"I love it. There are some times when you're under the gun, but we're building cool stuff."

Amesquita said staff members make many of the pieces, while some of them come from vendors.

"The design work is fun. I don't do it all myself; a lot of people help me out," he said. "Just to collaborate with all those guys is a great role to be in."

Amesquita even has his own podcast called the Blood Prison Shakedown.

"I used to be in radio," he said. "This is a fun part for me. I talk to other haunt people."

For the second year in a row, patrons are asked to sign up for times at bloodprison.com. They must be at least 10. Tickets are available online only.

A ticket costs $35, while an ultra-lightning pass is $75. Gates open at 6:45 p.m.

"It's as close to immediate access as you're going to get," Amesquita said. "The line waiting is minimal."

For general admission, he said the longest wait last year was about 90 minutes.

"And that was pushing it," Amesquita said. "In years past, it was four hours, five hours. We've really cut the wait time down. It makes it better for everybody."

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

X (formerly Twitter): @MarkCau32059251

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Blood Prison coming back to Ohio State Reformatory this weekend