MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

In 2013, Roberson and Grady conducted the first study of the independent tourist attraction “The Shawshank Trail.” The Shawshank Trail is a self-guided, drive-it-yourself tour of 16 filming sites from the beloved and award-winning film, The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont, 1994). The 2013 survey was designed based on research in the discipline of fandom studies to measure the importance and satisfaction of a number of elements for the visiting fan-pilgrims. This data, which was shared with the Trail’s organizers, published in a peer-reviewed journal, and included in the book The Shawshank Experience, led to a number of changes in marketing, attraction design, and merchandising. The impact of these changes has been staggering — the number of visitors to the Ohio State Reformatory (aka Shawshank Prison) has grown from 85,000 in 2013 (the year of the study) to an estimated 150,000 in 2018. Merchandise sales have kept pace with this increase and all proceeds go to the restoration and renovation of the historic buildings and locations used in the film, all of which are non-profits or small businesses. In this presentation, we return to the Trail to discuss the results of a new survey, held during the Trail’s celebration of Shawshank’s 25th Anniversary in August 2019. We will discuss the new data that can once again help the small communities that the Trail bisects and ensure that these historic treasures are sustainably preserved and maintained for new generations of visiting fans.