Starting in 1897, 315 prison inmates were executed in the electric chair in the prison. In 1885, the penitentiary became the site for executions, which had been carried out by local law enforcement officials up to that time. At first, prisoners condemned to death were executed by hanging, but in 1897 the electric chair replaced the prison's gallows. Both men and women were electrocuted between 1897 and 1963, when the death penalty was halted in Ohio. Tourists were encouraged to visit the Ohio State Penitentiary.