The poorly lit corridors, just tight enough to trigger feelings of claustrophobia, are filled with ancient jail cells, the musty smell of latex and the echo of not-distant-enough screams from “prisoners” begging to be freed.
Actors swoop in and out of undetectable hiding spots and from around corners, terrifying everyone who makes contact with their unappealing and horrifying sight. The fear is enough to make a grown person run out. Many have.
The Jail of Terror is open for the evening.
The Jail of Terror, housed at the Licking County Historic Jail for the last 10 years, has become a must-visit for lovers of haunted houses and spooky spots around Halloween – with visitors coming from around the country to wander the halls of the haunted jail.
The Licking County Historic Jail opened in 1889, and was built by J.W. Yost in a “Richardsonian Romanesque” style, featuring arches, turrets and “unique architectural details” like cat-like creatures sculpted into window sills, according to TourismOhio. It was the fourth jail in Licking County.
The jail was decommissioned in 1987 after it failed to meet standards established by the Ohio Administrative Code. It was common practice to overfill the cells, leading to cramped spaces and occasional violence. The jail also lacked fire escapes, and sprinkler systems, and was not up to proper lighting and dining standards.
In 2015, the jail opened its doors for historic tours as well as a haunted house attraction. The Licking County Governmental Preservation Society and SINdicate Haunted House Group now manages the jail and attraction.
The Jail of Terror is run by a team of hardworking individuals including management, security, historians, actors and makeup artists hoping to give visitors a fright.
Don Robertson has been the “Warden” of the Jail of Terror since 2016. His character entertains the crowds waiting to get inside the jail through various bits he has created. One of these bits includes “seasoning” the visitors with a salt and pepper shaker.
He meticulously designed his own costume to match the character he created.
“I wanted it to be as realistic to modern day, more militaristic,” he said. “I’ve invested a lot into this character.”
The mask that he dons every evening was made by taking a mold of his own face and adding gory details. His face is painted white with black circles and bloody red lips painted on.
“I have a great deal of passion for the Jail of Terror,” Robertson said. “We have an atmosphere that is a family, we always refer to each other as family.”
This sentiment is shared by other actors, creating an environment where all of the workers care for each other.
Codi Reynolds, another actor in the jail, took weeks to perfect his mask, creating the individual dreadlocks by hand. He was introduced to this job by a friend and has been “hooked ever since.”
The makeup artists, fondly known as “monster-makers,” bring the haunt alive. There are five makeup artists that work on the actors, with two of them being actors themselves. The makeup is meticulously created with airbrush paint and latex.
“These people are the reason we’re here,” Robertson said. “There would be no monsters, no scares without them.”
Melissa Crawford is one of the artists who brings these characters to life. She has been doing makeup since 2021, and though she doesn’t enjoy going through haunted houses herself, she loves “helping them fulfill their roles and characters.”
Each actor has their own persona and look that helps create the experience within the jail cells. One actor takes visitors into a cell and “tattoos” their expiration date on them, while other actors contort themselves to hide under the inmates’ bunk beds, grabbing at people’s feet and taking their shoes. Some actors name their personas, such Joe Pavich’s character “Skully,” while others have perfected different cackles like Daniel Mayse.
The haunted house is three floors filled with monsters, scares and terrifying experiences. This year, they introduced a touch factor – meaning the monsters may grab visitors – which has made the event scarier than years past. Visitors wishing to opt out are able to wear a yellow vest indicating that they don’t want to be touched by any of the actors.
The jail has been visited by thousands of guests yearly who want both the terrifying experience of the haunted house, as well as the historic and paranormal tours.
Historical tours are offered year-round and visitors are able to learn about the long history of the jail. The building has three floors and a basement, and when it was operational, it had rooms available for the county sheriff and his family, as well as for a “jail matron” – a woman responsible for caring for the inmates – and her family. The top floor was reserved for women and children whose parents were taken to jail and had nowhere else to go.
With 32 cells, the jail had a capacity of 68 prisoners – though often housed more than that. Cells that were meant to house two individuals often held up to six or eight people.
It was also temporarily home to notorious criminals passing through Newark, including the Lewingdon brothers and Carl Etherington.
Gary and Thaddeus Lewingdon, known as the .22 Caliber Killers, resided in the jail while on trial, Robertson said. They were eventually found guilty of murdering 10 people between 1977 and 1978.
And though Etherington was only housed at the jail for one night in 1910, he is among the most notable visitors.
At only 17 years old, he was a deputy marshal with the Anti-Saloon League, and enforced prohibition laws. On July 8, 1910, when serving a warrant, he was attacked by a group of bar patrons, one of whom he shot and killed in self-defense. That night, he was taken to the jail, where a mob of angry people broke in, beat him and hung him on a light pole on the street outside of the jail. Nearly 60 people were arrested that night, and 25 were indicted for first-degree murder.
Visitors, workers and paranormal enthusiasts have reported unusual activity within the jail.
One spirit that has been said to have stayed in their cell was Mae Varner. Imprisoned out of concern from local authorities due to her attempted suicide, Varner was taken to the jail out of protection. The night she was admitted, she set herself on fire and died. Since then people have said that she is still present in the room. A music box was made to honor her, as she is said to make appearances when music – particularly Elvis Presley – is played.
Paranormal investigators come from around the nation to visit the jail cells and try to get in contact with spirits. But many people come for the haunted house portion of the jail.
The Jail of Terrors’ last haunting of this season is on Nov. 1.
Ellen Hansen writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.