The prison site, which was planned to be fully torn down after filming,[55][108]became a tourist attraction.[53] The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society, a group of enthusiasts of the film, purchased the building and site from Ohio for one dollar in 2000 and took up maintaining it as a historical landmark, both as its purpose as a prison and as the filming site.[55][109] A 2019 report estimated the attraction to be earning $16 million in annual revenue.[41] Many of the rooms and props remain there, including the false pipe through which Andy escapes,[55]and a portion of the oak tree from the finale, after it was damaged in 2011.[44]The surrounding area is also visited by fans, while local businesses market "Shawshanwiches" and Bundt cakes in the shape of the prison.[55] According to the Mansfield/Richland County Convention and Visitors Bureau (later renamed Destination Mansfield),[59]tourism in the area had increased every year since The Shawshank Redemptionpremiered, and in 2013 drew in 18,000 visitors and over $3 million to the local economy.[44] As of 2019, Destination Mansfield operates the Shawshank Trail, a series of 15 marked stops around locations related to the film across Mansfield, Ashland, Upper Sandusky, and St Croix. The trail earned $16.9 million in revenue in 2018.[59][110]
