Each year, USA Today’s 10 Best ranks some of the coolest, sweetest, and most notorious attractions in the nation. They do so with the advice of a panel experts to narrow down the initial pool of nominees, and then the public votes for the top ten nominees in each respective category. When it came to the most haunted destinations in the nation, two haunted places near Cleveland were nominated. One of those two infamous locations made the list… and it’s not the famous landmark you’d expect. Both are just a quick drive from Cleveland, and both destinations are well worth planning a future visit to. Buckle up, because we’re about to take a trip through local legend.

The Ohio State Reformatory, infamous for its hauntings and famous for its role in The Shawshank Redemption, was actually the nominee that did not make the list of the nation's top ten haunted destinations.
Mike/Flickr
If you have never been to this historic site, it is well worth a tour. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, this historic site is larger than life once you're standing before its massive brick facade.
This massive structure, built in the Romanesque architectural style to mimic the feel of a church (to help "reform" inmates), was constructed between 1886 and 1910.
Mike/Flickr
The field on which this site is built originally trained recruits during the Civil War. The building was designed by famous Cleveland architect Levi T. Scofield, though its construction was entrusted to architect F.F. Schnitzer.
Originally called the Intermediate Penitentiary, this site was meant to be a halfway point between Lancaster and Columbus to house first-time offenders. Things changed, of course.
Mike/Flickr
Over time, prisoners began to refer to the Reformatory (which taught them vocational skills in the hopes that they'd utilize them upon release) as inhumane, and it was eventually shut down in 1990. Nonetheless, that doesn't change the many years of misfortune at this haunted destination. It hosted your everyday prison riots. A few prisoners took their own lives during their incarceration, and others fell to disease. Over 200 of them are buried at the site's cemetery.
To this day, many consider the Ohio State Reformatory to be one of the most haunted places in the world... even though it didn't make the top ten list in this particular instance.
Becker1999 (Paul and Cathy)/Flickr
This place hosts regular ghost tours, and it's truly no secret why. This place is overflowing with paranormal activity. Shadow people, disembodied voices, pokes and prods from unseen hands, orbs, and more are the norm at this haunted site. And who can blame those spirits for attaching to the premises? Though much of the original prison has been demolished, what remains was once running high with emotion from hundreds of confused, scared, and frustrated inmates.

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The second landmark near Cleveland, and number nine on 10 Best's most haunted list, is hiding in the scenic Malabar Farm State Park.
Jerward/Wikipedia Commons
Malabar Farm is an absolutely gorgeous little slice of paradise. It was constructed as the home for author Louis Bromfield, and he built his stately home in the most eclectic fashion. To this day, much of his home has remained unchanged, and the landscape continues to operate as a working farm. Visitors are delighted by the historic atmosphere of this scenic and striking state park.
While much of the park is peaceful, there's one little home on the property that's anything but.
Lynn C/TripAdvisor
Pictured here is the Ceely Rose House, a place of great sadness and turmoil. It was, during the nineteenth century, home to Ceely Rose and her family. Ceely was happy-go-lucky, even silly... but she was mentally challenged in some way, with many in the community brushing her off as being somewhat inhuman and others considering her to be insane.
When Celia “Ceely” Rose was 23, she had a crush on the neighbor boy. When her parents chided her, she killed her family.
Scott A/TripAdvisor
In June of 1896, Ceely put rat poison in her family's cottage cheese. Though it had a few ingredients, it was mostly arsenic. Her father died within days, whereas her brother lingered on and suffered until Independence Day. Her mother recovered, and she actually took pity on her daughter. When she discussed leaving the home, Ceely simply gave her another dose of arsenic and ended the discussion.
Upon going to trial, Ceely was found not guilty by reason of insanity. She went on to the Toledo Asylum, and after transferring to Lima she died a few decades later.
David Reese/Google Images
Many assert that Ceely herself haunts her home. Could she be searching for the lost neighbor boy whom she never got to love? Or, could her family be trapped in the very home where they met their demise? Is the entire Rose family there together, and are they happy?
While the house is not open to the public, it is said to be haunted to this very day. Over the years, it has been visited by some very famous ghost hunters... and Ceely just might appreciate the company.
Myrna Lesko/Google Images
Ceely, given the lack of nurturing she received from her community and the reputation that followed her, might not have even fully understood that her family was gone for good. She was a young woman that suddenly lost her family, her home, and her claim to sanity... and she has gone down in local history as one of Ohio's most infamous nineteenth century killers.

While there are several haunted places near Cleveland, these two landmarks are among Ohio’s most famous hauntings. What do you think? Have you visited either of these sites, or have you had any paranormal experiences of your own elsewhere? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Craving more ghostly fun? Visit a haunted museum in Amish Country to pique your paranormal curiosity.

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Featured Addresses
The Ohio State Reformatory, 100 Reformatory Rd, Mansfield, OH 44905, USA
Malabar Farm State Park, 4050 Bromfield Rd, Lucas, OH 44843, USA