the shining tour estes park

The Stanley Hotel

The Stanley Hotel is an Estes Park landmark.

Coming into town you see it on the hill above town, a big white neoclassical building.  With panoramic views, it looks over the Continental Divide of nearby Rocky Mountain National Park.  Lumpy Ridge forms a dramatic backdrop behind it.

Built in 1909 , F.O. Stanley picked the best location for his 140 guest room hotel.  It appeals to people from all walks of life, including royalty and Hollywood personalities.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a member of Historic Hotels of America,  it is a favorite spot for weddings and conventions.

The Shining

The horror novelist Stephen King was inspired to write The Shining after staying there with his wife.  The hotel has been featured as one of America’s most haunted hotels. It has also been featured on the television show Ghost Hunters where they investigated the hotel for paranormal activities.

Each year The Stanley Hotel hosts summer and winter music festivals in its beautiful music room, as well as several events over the holidays (Halloween balls and Easter Egg hunts, for example).

You can take tours of the historic Stanley Hotel, a Day Tour featuring history, architecture, folklore, and pop culture, and a Night Tour that introduces you to “active phenomena” and spirit folklore.

Do friendly ghosts live in The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park?  The hotel has a long, haunted history.

Besides inspiring the setting of Stephen King’s novel and consequent blockbuster, The Shining, the hotel has had rumored ghost stories of its own for over a century.

The haunted theories date back to 1911 when the hotel’s chief housekeeper, Ms. Elizabeth Wilson, was blasted through the floor of room 217 during a lantern explosion. Her fall was not fatal, however, room 217’s guests have reported strange additional maintenance being done to their room for decades. It is almost as if Ms. Wilson is still there tidying up and taking care of her guests.

In other rooms, guests have reported hearing children laughing and playing outside their door only to open it and find nothing there.

The ghosts of the original builder, Freelan Stanley, and his wife have reportedly been spotted hovering in different locations around the hotel.

A piano is often heard though no one is playing it. Sometimes the lights flicker, or footsteps fade leaving guests wondering about supernatural presences.

It was also in room 217 that Stephen King commenced writing The Shining . During his stay there, King reported hearing phantom children yelling down the hallways. He sensed the ghostly ambiance of The Stanley Hotel and brought one of the greatest horror stories in history to life from it.

Stanley Kubrick, the director of The Shining, followed in King’s footsteps in 1980 and based the film’s famous Overlook Hotel off of The Stanley Hotel.

The film production built a life sized model of the Overlook Hotel in London and supplemented by filming in various locations in California, Montana, and Oregon.

17 years after Kubrick’s critically acclaimed film came out, King hired a new director to film the story more accurately to his novel. This second, lesser known film adaptation was filmed inside The Stanley Hotel exactly as King envisioned it should be.

Stephen King believed in The Stanley Hotel’s unique environment strongly enough to conceive his own twisted, horror story in the midst of it.

The Shining is yet another remarkable development to add to the hotel’s rich past. Hundred year old ghost stories can be hard to refute, especially with one of America’s greatest writers believing in them.

Today, The Stanley Hotel is not threatened by sinister spirits like other establishments that lay claim to haunting. Rather, there are frequent tales of paranormal housekeeping.

Guests may find their things packed, unpacked, or rearranged in unexpected ways. Sometimes, guests wake up and discover that someone folded their blankets or tucked them in while they slept.

Whether the ghosts are real or not, The Stanley Hotel is a special, historical place where curious people can find out for themselves.

The Stanley Film Fest

Reveling in all films horror, this film festival started in 2013.

It has featured the best of this frightful genre and celebrates the Stanley’s history as creepy inspiration for Stephen King’s “The Shining”.

Wonderful Winter Wedding

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Live Out Your Halloween Fantasy in the Colorado Town That Inspired The Shining

T here’s a place high up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where you can actually live out that crazy Halloween dream (or rather, nightmare) that creeps forward each October. A place where you can feel the spirit of REDRUM-inspired paranoia hanging in the air like a curse: Estes Park. A small mountain town about 90 minutes outside Denver , Estes Park is the perfect spot to actually celebrate Halloween, not just put on a sailor hat and get faded on jungle juice at a house party. Most famously, Estes Park is home to The Stanley Hotel , which inspired Stephen King’s novel The Shining , iconically brought to the big screen by Stanley Kubrick. The hotel stands as a dramatic and intimidating backdrop to Estes Park; you’ll want to start there — but there’s more to Halloween in Estes Park lurking around the corner.

Get your freak on at The Stanley Hotel.

Photo: Stanley Hotel /Facebook

There are haunted hotels around the world, but there’s only one Stanley. Show up with your game face on because once you’re here, the vibe is freaky from the moment you pull into the parking lot. The hilltop building towers over the town like an overlord staring down discouragingly at his minions, itself a formidable presence, but the most unsettling aspect of the approach is that you’re greeted by the infamous hedge maze based on the scene where Danny Torrence narrowly held onto his life in the film. No one will blame you if you look over your shoulder as you walk in the front door. Once inside, you should probably head straight to Whiskey Bar and calm your nerves over a stiff drink.

Photo: Sopotnicki /Shutterstock

If you aren’t freaked out by a raucous, blood-red cocktail party, score a ticket to the hotel’s annual Halloween Masquerade Party ($119) or Shining Ball ($159). Both are lined with costumed revelers who can’t quite seem to get that possessed look out of their eyes, so you’ll fit right in as long as you dress the part. Even if you don’t make it to one of the parties, the hotel offers multiple nightly tours of the grounds and its most haunted spots. On the Historic Stanley Tour ($28), you’ll be led through the hotel and shown where many of the story’s memorable moments took place, getting the rundown on the facility’s legacy both pre- and post-Shining.

The Night Tour walks you through several supposedly haunted rooms and nooks and crannies throughout the hotel, and it’s generally filled with anxious tourists ready to shriek in terror the moment the lights dim — the type who find themselves more rattled by campfire ghost stories than six-year-olds. There’s also a Murder Mystery Dinner for problem solvers. You can meander much of the property by yourself though you might not be able to make it up to any of the main sights unless you book a room for the night. Unfortunately, room 237 is booked out on Halloween for years to come — but you can still take a selfie in front of the door. As a consolation, The Shining plays on repeat on the TV in every room, so you’ll still get the effect.

Dress up and head downtown.

Photo: Hayk_Shalunts /Shutterstock

The streets of Estes Park are lined with action on Halloween weekend. The city shuts down Elkhorn Avenue from car traffic on Halloween itself for the annual kids’ parade, which takes place in the early evening. This is the perfect opportunity to dress up and make your way downtown even if you don’t have kids because the street party lives on long after the family crowd heads home in the early evening. You should definitely go all out with your costume — there is absolutely no way you’ll be the weirdest dressed. Everyone is doing it, and if you own it, odds are you’ll land yourself a free drink or two. The party tends to center around The Barrel , an outdoor pub right downtown on Moraine Avenue, but because the entire town can’t fit onto one patio, the whole of Elkhorn and Moraine Avenues are packed. Wheel Bar and The Slab are hot spots, as well. Restaurants and bars up and down the city center fill up with visitors and locals, with celebrations going until last call.

Hike with a spirit at Carter Lake.

Photo: welcomia /Shutterstock

These days, he’s known only as Mr. Bennet after the street on which he was killed. This man, a settler of the area about 30 miles east of Estes Park around Carter Lake, was murdered as the result of a land dispute more than 100 years ago. The crime is confirmed, but many around here will tell you that Mr. Bennet never left. Legend has it that he now walks along the trails of Carter Lake, dressed head to toe in the style of the era and carrying a bag with his belongings. Multiple people have reported sightings — though none have gotten close enough to touch, or even talk to, the ghost of Mr. Bennet themselves. The story goes that you can see him as you hike along the trails near the lake, starting from County Road 31. Maybe your experience will be nothing more than another mysterious sighting, and maybe no one will believe you — but it seems that if a twist on one of the area’s most legendary ghost stories were to unfold, there’d be no better time for it to happen than Halloween.

What to know for visiting Estes Park in 2020

Photo: The Seven Layers /Shutterstock

As with live events around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has halted or altered Halloween celebrations in Estes Park. All non-recurring events at the Stanley Hotel, including concerts and parties, have been canceled or postponed. Hotel tours — including the popular Night Tour — are still on, but with restrictions. Each tour hosts up to 10 people and requires advanced reservations. Current Colorado policy requires a mask or face covering in all public places, including on the hotel tours.

In lieu of the usual Halloween revelry, you could camp just outside town. The Mary’s Lake Campground puts you near both trails and on-water activities on an established site with RV hookups and restrooms. While its 125 spots require reservations and cost at least $45, dispersed camping is available in the Arapahoe and Roosevelt national forests free of charge (thank you, public lands). Reservations are required for entry to Rocky Mountain National Park before 5:00 PM, though you can drive, hike, and spot wildlife after that time without a reservation. If you plan to camp inside the park, be sure to reserve your permit or campsite in advance .

A version of this article was previously published on September 17, 2018, and was updated on August 18, 2020, with more information.

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UponArriving

Stanley Hotel Shining Tour Review: The Supernatural Birthplace of an Iconic Horror Film

Estes Park, Colorado, is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, but it also holds a significant place in cinematic history.

The iconic Stanley Hotel, located in Estes Park, has a profound connection to one of the most legendary horror films of all time, “The Shining.” For visitors seeking a unique experience, the hotel provides an opportunity to delve into the origins of “The Shining” (both the book and the movie).

Below, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about this tour, which is part Shining history and part ghost tour. I’ll tell you what to expect and ultimately help you decide whether or not it’s worth it, so be sure to keep on reading!

Table of Contents

What is the Stanley Hotel Shining tour?

The Stanley Hotel Shining tour takes you back to the origins of the Shining story by Stephen King, providing fascinating and some might even say chilling insights into its creation.

You’ll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the Shining, whether that be getting extra familiar with the infamous room 217 or catching a glimpse of one of the most iconic horror movie props.

The tour also incorporates the eerie ghost stories associated with the Stanley Hotel, adding a touch of spookiness as it delves into the property’s historical background.

Related: Stanley Home Museum Review: An Estes Park Legacy Unveiled

Booking the Stanley Hotel Shining tour

You can book tours online here and the prices are $30 per person. There is a limit of 10 people per tour and children under the age of eight are not allowed.

How to get to the Stanley Hotel Shining tour

As mentioned, the tour takes place on the Stanley hotel property.

In order to park anywhere on the property you need to pay $10 at the entrance gate so if you want to avoid that you may be able to find nearby parking and simply walk over to the premises.

After you park, you want to head over to the main building which is the building with the clock tower on top.

There will be a side entrance for tours which you can follow and as you make your way down the hall you’ll come across a desk where you can check in for your experience and get issued your special tour sticker.

I recommend arriving around 20 to 30 minutes early.

This will give you some time to explore the grounds of the hotel on your own time, including some of the art installations out front and of course the hedge maze (this was not used in the movie).

If you pay for parking you will also receive a special token that could be used to get a discount at the gift shop or one of the restaurants. Even if you don’t use the token, it’s still a really cool coin to hold onto.

The Stanley Hotel Shining tour

The experience begins in a little lounge area where you will wait for your animated tour guide.

Here, you may have scenes from the TV series of the Shining playing and you can also check out a number of different artifacts.

When your guide arrives, you’ll be briefed on the experience that awaits you.

One of the biggest things you find out from the beginning is the lack of cinematic footprints here: none of the scenes from the Shining movie were filmed at the hotel.

Don’t let that fact steal any of your enthusiasm though because the Stanley Hotel maintains a profound connection to the Shining

First, it was at this very place where the seeds of Stephen King’s iconic story were sown (which you will hear all the details about).

While I love seeing actual movie sets and sites used in movies , at the end of the day, it is the storytelling that truly imbues them with meaning. And you get to visit the grounds where this haunting tale first unfolded. With the help of your tour guide you’ll be taken back to what it must’ve been like when those first stories started to emerge in Stephen King’s mind as he stayed at this hotel, just as it was shutting down for the winter.

In addition to Stephen King’s personal experience, the hotel’s own ghost stories played a significant role in inspiring the chilling narrative of the Shining. These haunting tales — accumulated over the hotel’s long and storied existence — have left a lasting impact on numerous individuals throughout the decades. From premature room check outs to employees abandoning their posts, ghosts have caused quite a supernatural stir here.

During the tour, you will have the unique opportunity to step foot into the actual locations where these supernatural occurrences have been reported. Whether you choose to embrace the thrill or prefer to observe from a distance, you’ll be able to visit the very spots where these events unfolded.

The tour began by taking us to the MacGregor Room.

Here, you will gain profound insights into the hotel’s story and its enduring struggle for survival throughout the 1900s. Through engaging narratives, you will learn about the challenges faced by the Stanley Hotel during harsh winters when heating was not yet available and reliable roads were absent, isolating this remote establishment in this mountainous valley.

As you immerse yourself in this room, you will uncover the evolution it has undergone, which included the influence of Stephen King himself.

Did you know? Some of the Shining TV series was filmed here and you can find some props from the series. Ask your tour guide about a QR code to find the TV series.

After the MacGregor Room, we moved to the outside.

It was from here that we had a view of the very room that Stephen King stayed in when he found inspiration for the Shining. This particular room holds immense significance and is known as Room 217. Interestingly, you may find the room number sounds roughly familiar, as it differs slightly from the room depicted in the movie adaptation, which is Room 237.

The difference in room numbers between the book and the movie adaptation stems from a creative decision made by Stanley Kubrick, the director of the Shining film. It is speculated that Kubrick intentionally altered the room number to 237 to avoid creating any potential controversy at the location where filming took place — the Timberline Lodge in Oregon.

Did you know? The opening scenes were actually shot near Glacier National Park in Montana.

As you stand on the lawn in front of the property, a fascinating tale awaits you — one that revolves around one of the most renowned ghosts of the hotel: Elizabeth Wilson, the former head chambermaid. Prepare to be captivated as you delve into the stories surrounding her spectral presence and the interactions she has had with hotel guests over the years.

Through captivating narratives, you will learn about the type of guests she prefers and those who may not meet with her favor. You might be surprised to discover that even high-profile guests have encountered the mischievous antics of Elizabeth Wilson.

While you find yourself outside, be sure to indulge in the breathtaking vistas that grace the property. The views from the Stanley Hotel are nothing short of phenomenal, offering a captivating panorama of the majestic Rocky Mountains. Among the awe-inspiring peaks that adorn the horizon, Long’s Peak stands tall, showcasing its snow-peaked grandeur.

If you opt for the nighttime tour, your mountain views might be limited, but the ambiance will be enhanced, creating a spookier atmosphere that adds to the experience.

However, choosing a later tour time may result in larger groups, potentially diminishing the intimate connection you would otherwise have with your tour guide. It also might make it easier for you to get lost or left behind in some of these haunted chambers…. Just kidding (hopefully).

After getting acquainted with one of the ghosts of the Stanley hotel, it was time for some more paranormal activity.

Our guide took us to one of the structures used for housing when the property was built. This smaller, two story structure is not in great condition but it safe to go into, at least safe for your physical safety.

Within the walls of this historic building, you will delve into the realm of recent paranormal events. The guide will share intriguing stories, shedding light on encounters with otherworldly entities. Brace yourself for a spine-tingling experience as you are even shown photographic evidence of the residence ghost.

If you possess the courage, you will have the opportunity to wander through the shadowy corridors where this ghostly presence has been sighted. The dimly lit passageways hold an eerie atmosphere, inviting you to explore the realm where the line between the living and the supernatural blurs.

Despite my reluctance to buy into ghost stories, this was the one spot where I couldn’t deny the goosebumps I felt. I was officially a little bit spooked, as much as I hate to admit it.

Before you leave this haunted dormitory, make sure you get a photo op with the re-created door from the infamous “Here’s Johnnyyy!!!” scene, which Jack Nicholson actually improvised.

After turning up the spookiness, it was time for us to enter my favorite part of the tour: The Ground Keeper’s cottage.

This is a wonderfully restored building that will take you back in time with antique furniture that has revived its historical charm and elegance.

You’ll be able to walk through the old living quarters of the hotel’s grounds keeper. Learn about the family and their famous little dog as you take in the artifacts from a bygone era.

Once that’s over, it’s time to head upstairs.

As you ascend to the upper floors, get ready for two of the most captivating highlights of the tour, intimately connected to the Shining.

If you prefer to keep the surprises intact, I invite you to stop scrolling now. However, if you’re eager to build up even more excitement for your tour, allow me to give you a glimpse of what awaits you.

First, you’ll head upstairs where they will be three different rooms including the Shining Suite, the Twin’s Room, and the Caretaker’s Suite.

The Shining Suite is a cool bedroom where you can find some interesting artifacts like the infamous party that never ends photograph featuring Jack Nicholson and a rug that harkens back to the movie.

But what really is going to blow your mind is one of the axes from the filming of The Shining — a prop that has been valued in the six figures. This remarkable piece of cinematic history was generously donated by an anonymous benefactor and was recently obtained by the hotel.

Learn about the struggles Jack Nicholson faced with this axe and how he incorporated it into his performance as you look upon one of the most iconic pieces of horror film history.

But that’s not all you’re going to see you. You’ll also be able to step into a re-creation of the infamous bathroom from room 237. Find out how the set was specifically designed to bring a chilling effect to viewers and then get your own re-creation of one of the most disturbing scenes from the movie.

You’ll find a couple of other little treasures up there that will pique your interest so make sure you snoop around and check out this unique and historic hotel room which apparently goes for something like $60,000 per night.

I was a little bit reluctant about doing this tour only because I knew the Shining was not actually filmed at this location and I actually considered doing a ghost tour over this one to take advantage of this paranormal location.

But the creators of this tour do an excellent job of filling you in with interesting insight about the movie and its creation that started at this property.

It also is essentially a ghost tour as well as you learn about the different ghosts that haunt the property and you even have an opportunity to have an encounter of your own.

So for anyone who is a fan of the Shining and/or ghost tours, I would definitely say that the tour is worth it.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo . He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio .

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How to Visit the Hotel Where 'The Shining' Was Filmed

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Spend a night in the hotel that inspired Stanley Kubrick’s classic movie The Shining … if you dare. It’s said to be haunted, but don’t let that put you off. Here’s what you need to know.

Did you know you can now travel with Culture Trip? Book now and join one of our premium small-group tours to discover the world like never before.

Stanley Kubrick’s terrifying adaptation of Stephen King’s book The Shining was something of a box office flop when it was released in 1980. Today the film is seen as one of the best horror films of all time, and fans continue to seek out the impressive hotel at the heart of the story. Here’s a guide to finding the real-life inspiration behind the movie, and how to spend the night there.

Why is ‘The Shining’ such a popular movie?

Based on a book by Stephen King, the Kubrick version of The Shining has spawned a belated sequel in the form of Doctor Sleep (2019) and even been remade at the request of King himself, who famously hated the 1980 film version of his own story. The conflict between King and Kubrick has also led to confusion over where the hotel at the center of The Shining can actually be found, or if it even exists at all.

Which hotel was used in the filming of ‘The Shining‘?

In Kubrick’s movie, Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is charged with looking after the Overlook Hotel in the winter season when all other guests have checked out. Jack brings along his wife and young son; the family soon settles in for a winter retreat. Slowly a sinister force begins to drive Jack insane, but is it supernatural or something to do with his personal demons?

The story is set almost entirely within the confines of the hotel, and Stephen King came up with the idea for The Shining when he was staying at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado. The surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park plays into the paranoia Torrance experiences in the book. The 1997 TV movie of the same name actually uses the Stanley to sit in for the fictitious Overlook Hotel, although Kubrick had a very different vision in mind for his earlier movie.

Timberline Lodge in Oregon was chosen by the eccentric filmmaker to portray the exterior of the Overlook Hotel. Many of the interiors were based on the Ahwahnee in Yosemite, although filming took place on purpose-built sets in England. As you can imagine, this confusing series of events has led many to wonder where the hotel from The Shining can actually be found.

Where is ‘The Shining’ hotel located?

For many, the historic Stanley Hotel is the true home of The Shining. The hotel is actually formed of a collection of four properties in Estes Park, Colorado, which you can visit with Culture Trip as part of o ur specially curated small-group Colorado and Utah trip . The main building is more than 100 years old and is surrounded by a large area of wilderness close to the popular town of Boulder.

Denver is the largest city within easy reach of the hotel, about 70mi (113km) away. Direct flights can be found from other major US destinations as well as from Europe. It’s a 90-minute drive from Denver International Airport to the famous spot.

In the novel, King highlighted Room 217 as the source of paranormal activity that haunts the Torrance family. For his film, Kubrick changed the location to Room 237 apparently at the behest of Timberline Lodge who feared that subsequent visitors would be put off staying in the room. Apparently, if you do book in for a stay at the Stanley, you’ll be able to watch The Shining whenever you want as the hotel has a channel screening the movie on a loop.

How can I visit ‘The Shining’ hotel?

If you’re looking to stay at the hotel and have a truly spooky experience, rooms 401, 407, 428, and of course 217 are said to be favored by otherworldly spirits. The Stanley also organizes daily tours for those keen to see what all the fuss is about.

For more conventional visits, the Stanley is ideally situated for day trips and excursions into the Rocky Mountains. You can stay at the hotel or take part in some of the leisure activities on offer. This is a tradition the current owners of the property are keen to hold on to; it aligns with the original purpose of the venue as an entertainment spot where founder Mr FO Stanley came to recuperate after falling seriously ill in 1903.

Rooms vary in price, but you are advised to book early if you want to stay overnight in one of the iconic, haunted rooms.

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Stanley Hotel Tour - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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This historic hotel is one of oldest (and most grand) in the Estes Valley, plus it’s situated in a prime spot for the maximum panoramic Rocky Mountain views. The Stanley Hotel was built in 1909 by F.O. Stanley (known for the Stanley Steamer) as an upscale resort and wellness destination.

The Stanley also has plenty of pop-culture history. Stephen King spent one winter night there snowed in, and was inspired to write “The Shining.” The subsequent film starring Jack Nicholson wasn’t filmed here in Estes – but popular comedy Dumb and Dumber was. As the inspiration for a spooky movie like The Shining, the Stanley has earned a bit of a paranormal reputation. You can now go on night tour at the property to explore the active phenomena and spirit folklore. If you’re more interested in the history and celebrities who have stayed over the years, they offer a daytime tour as well.

The Stanley is more than just a hotel. It’s internationally known for an expansive whiskey bar , home to Colorado’s largest selection of whiskeys and single malt selections. Plus, restaurants, gift shops, and event spaces.

Some of the most popular events fall under the Stanley Live . Hosting nationally and internationally-known music and comedy acts.

A Stanley Hotel History

A Stanley Hotel History: Part Four

A Stanley Hotel History: Part Four Turning The Stanley Hotel into a profitable business This is the fourth...

A Stanley Hotel History: Part Three

A Stanley Hotel History: Part Three Note: This is the third installment in a series that examines the history...

A Stanley Hotel History: Part One

This is the first of a six-part series introducing readers to- or maybe revealing some new, unfamiliar details...

A Stanley Hotel History: Part Two

A Stanley Hotel History: Part Two F.O. Stanley enjoying his porch with a Stellar’s jay in Estes Park....

Estes Park Visitor Center

500 Big Thompson Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517 | 970-577-9900

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I stayed in a 112-year-old hotel that's been nicknamed a 'Disneyland for ghosts,' and the stories I heard will keep me up at night

• I went on a ghost tour at the Stanley Hotel, where Stephen King was inspired to write "The Shining."
• King isn't the only one who has shared stories of apparently paranormal encounters there. 
• The hotel has a list of tales — such as stories of a ghost cowboy and golden retriever — that spook guests.

As the sun set over Estes Park, Colorado, I checked into the Stanley Hotel. In just a few hours, I'd be touring the 32-acre property in the dark, hoping to find what Colorado's most "haunted" hotel is known for: ghosts.

During the fall of 2021, I traveled to Estes Park, Colorado, to visit the state's most popular national park and spend a night in one of the country's most "haunted" hotels . 

While I'm not easily spooked, I arrived knowing that the hotel had frightened one of the country's most popular horror novelists, Stephen King. While staying at the hotel, King says he had a paranormal encounter that inspired him to write his famous novel "The Shining," as he wrote on his website. 

King isn't the only person who has said they've had paranormal encounters there. The hotel formerly had an onsite paranormal investigator, Lisa Nyhart, who called the property a "Disneyland for ghosts," TripSavvy reported .

On September 30, 2021 — exactly 47 years after King's visit — I checked into the hotel for one night and joined about a dozen people on a ghost tour of the property.

The experience, which the hotel calls a spirited night tour, costs $25 for hotel guests and $28 for visitors at the time of writing. The hourlong tour highlights the spooky stories hotel guests, employees, and visitors have collected over the decades. And I haven't been able to shake the stories from my memory since.

The tour started with some historical insight. The guide told my group the Stanley Hotel was opened in 1909 by Freelan Oscar Stanley, known as FO Stanley. Today, it's known as the inspiration for Stephen King's "The Shining."

Stanley relocated from Denver to Estes Park with the plan to die of tuberculosis in a beautiful place, the tour guide told my group.

But the clean air offered more than gorgeous scenery. Stanley survived tuberculosis and lived nearly 40 more years, the tour guide said. After his health improved, he and his wife, Flora Stanley, decided to stay and build a hotel, the guide added. 

Since it opened, the Stanley has welcomed historic figures, I learned on the tour. Everyone from the Roosevelts to the Rockefellers has spent nights on the property, but today, the hotel's most well-known guest is Stephen King. 

After reading stories about what King saw on his frightful night, I was ready to see the hotel firsthand and learn the eerie stories many have told about the institution.

The Stanley Hotel is comprised of four main buildings, and one includes a concert hall. The hall was built for the owner's wife, Flora, who some say still haunts the building today, the tour guide said.

In 1910, FO gifted his wife Flora the concert hall, the tour guide said.

Flora was an avid piano player, but after performing just once in the concert hall, she learned she had stage fright and never performed again, the guide said.

Some believe Flora never stopped playing. According to the tour guide, hotel guests and late-night visitors claim they have heard music ringing through the concert hall despite not seeing a piano player around.

In the basement of the concert hall, we heard about a ghost named Paul who apparently left behind a haunted couch.

A former Stanley Hotel employee named Paul died in 2005, but some visitors say they've seen his spirit throughout the concert hall, the tour guide said. 

According to our guide, Paul had a couch in a room in the hall's basement. When he died, no one in his family wanted to make the journey to pick up the leather couch, so it remains, the guide told us.

The guide added that some have claimed to see a man sitting on the couch, lights flickering, and doors opening and closing unexpectedly.

As we left the concert hall, we stopped at The Lodge, which is a miniature replica of the main hotel building. There, visitors have claimed to see a ghostly golden retriever named Cassie, according to the guide.

The tour guide told us that if we hear clawing at our door, we shouldn't be alarmed; it's likely just Cassie, a friendly golden retriever who was buried on the property. 

On the hotel's property, there's a pet cemetery where Cassie was buried, the guide said. Sometimes, according to our tour guide, Cassie leaves her grave to visit guests, deliver newspapers, and search for treats. 

Inside the original Stanley Hotel, there are countless stories and paranormal sightings.

Over the years, the Stanley Hotel has grown in size. Today, it's made up of four main buildings, including the concert hall, the lodge, and a newer hotel and spa. But the most famous building is the original 1909 Stanley Hotel.

While the concert hall and lodge aren't without a spooky story or two, the original building is where the most accounts of ghosts have been reported, the tour guide said. 

Guests sharing stories of shadowy figures, strange laughter, doors closing and items moving randomly, and beds shaking are commonplace inside the original hotel.

The story of Elizabeth Wilson's ghost may be the most famous tale associated with the hotel.

The story goes that Wilson was the hotel's head housekeeper. One night in 1911, Wilson went from room to room with a candle lighting each room's lantern, according to the tour guide. But the hotel had a gas leak, and when Wilson stepped into room 217, her candle caused an explosion, the tour guide said.

Wilson fell through the second story and into the first floor, where she survived, the guide said. After recovering, she continued living at the Stanley Hotel into her 90s, according to the guide. 

However, our guide suggested that Wilson never left and said her ghost is often spotted in room 217, where she takes a particular disliking to unwed couples who stay in the room.

According to the guide, some guests say they've felt a cold force between them in the hotel bed, while others have said their luggage was mysteriously packed up and left at the entrance to their room.

The room Wilson is said to haunt is where King spent the night, and that inspired him to write "The Shining."

Our tour guide shared the story about how King and his wife Tabby ended up at the Stanley. The couple was stuck on a roadblock and in the middle of a snowstorm while traveling through Estes Park in 1974, according to the guide. Defeated, they decided to book a hotel room at the Stanley, the guide said.

When they arrived, the couple learned that they were the only guests since the hotel was closing for the winter the next day, our guide said. King explored the empty hotel before retreating to room 217 for the night, the guide said.

But in the middle of the night, King woke after dreaming about a possessed fire hose chasing his son in the hotel, according to the author's website .

"That night I dreamed of my three-year-old son running through the corridors, looking back over his shoulder, eyes wide, screaming. He was being chased by a fire hose," King wrote of the inspiration behind his book.

"I woke up with a tremendous jerk, sweating all over, within an inch of falling out of bed," he continued. "I got up, lit a cigarette, sat in the chair looking out the window at the Rockies, and by the time the cigarette was done, I had the bones of the book firmly set in my mind."

The tour guide mentioned that the fourth floor, where my room was located, was the "most densely spooky floor" of the entire hotel.

According to the tour guide, the fourth floor was formerly an open layout without bedrooms where the nannies and children of the rich guests would stay. 

Today, it's common for guests on the fourth floor to report hearing children laughing and crying, the guide said. There have also apparently been sightings of ghost children playing with hotel guests, the tour guide said.

I attempted to spend the night in room 402 listening for the sounds of ghost children, but instead, quickly fell asleep. 

In room 428, there is a cowboy that sometimes greets guests.

The tour guide said that some guests — mostly women — have reported waking up in the middle of the night to a cowboy standing at the corner of their bed in room 428.

While there are no accounts of a cowboy dying at the Stanley, according to paranormal tour company Nightly Spirits , "those that know their Estes Park history believe this to be the spirit of 'Rocky Mountain' Jim Nugent." Nugent was Estes Park's first guide, but he died after a rival guide named Griff Evans shot him, according to Visit Estes Park . 

Inside room 428, the cowboy is said to sometimes give guests "a ghostly kiss," the Nightly Spirits website states.

Below the hotel, there's a series of tunnels that are said to be haunted.

The hotel previously had an expansive set of tunnels that workers used to navigate the property, our tour guide said.

Although many of the tunnels are said to have collapsed over the years, one is still included on the tour. Inside the tunnel, our guide shared stories of numerous ghosts who are said to haunt the underground part of the hotel.

While I didn't leave with any ghost sightings, I spent days reflecting on my tour guide's hair-raising stories.

I quickly understood how a hotel like the Stanley could inspire a horror novel like "The Shining." Its eerie atmosphere paired with the tour guide's ghost stories left me spooked for days. 

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How To Visit The Real-Life Overlook Lodge From "The Shining"

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I n horror books and movies, setting is everything. This is super apparent in "The Shining", Stephen King's novel which was adapted for the screen by Stanley Kubrick. Both book and film delve into the tricks the mind can play on those susceptible to paranoia, fear and violence when trapped and cut off from the real, rational and sane world.

Jack Torrance, his wife, and their kid move into a secluded and completely eerie mountain resort called the Overlook Hotel to care for it while it closes for the winter. They slowly succumb to the maddening isolation and fear of the beautiful but spooky old hotel.

The Stanley Hotel

Estes Park, CO

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The hotel that inspired Stephen King to pen the novel is The Stanley in Estes Park, CO just outside Rocky Mountain National Park. He checked into the hotel in 1973 for a one-night stay with his wife, Tabitha. Fortuitously, they were the only guests at the hotel that night. They pretty much had the run of the place, but King wasn’t convinced they were actually alone. The room he stayed in was Room 217, which is, to this day, the hotel’s most-requested room. The Shining was inspired by these events and the overall experience of being secluded in the grand resort hotel alone.

The Stanley appeared in the 1990s King-sanctioned made-for-TV series version, as he wasn't a fan of Stanley Kubrick's atmosphere-heavy, plot-light take on his material. Today you can watch both King's and Kubrick's versions on a nonstop loop on the hotel’s Channel 42.

King might not have been crazy, though. The Stanley Hotel was originally opened in 1909, by Massachusetts couple F.O. and Flora Stanley, as a secluded, grand mountain resort. Though the Stanleys have passed, many believe they never actually left. Mr. Stanley has been reported as hovering behind employees at the reception desk, and Mrs. Stanley can still be heard playing piano in the hotel’s music room.

Haunted events have been recorded at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, since as far back as 1911, when Ms. Elizabeth Wilson, a housekeeper, was electrocuted during a lightening storm. Though she wasn’t killed, the room where it happened, Room 217, has become a hotbed of paranormal activity.

Over the years, every single room in the hotel has experienced something strange, from clothes being mysteriously unpacked, to items moving on their own, and lights turning themselves on and off. The fourth floor is often filled with the spectral laughter of children giggling and running down the halls. However, the staff at the Stanley are quick to point out that “there are never any reports of sinister or evil events happening here, because there are only happy ghosts at the Stanley Hotel!” Suuuuure.

Timberline Lodge

As for Kubrick's version, it was not filmed at the Stanley. The exterior shots were filmed at Mount Hood's Timberline Lodge. Built during the Great Depression as a WPA project, it features year-round skiing, a heated hot tub, and incredible rustic cabin vibes. If you're worried about getting snowed in and being driven mad by cabin fever, just stop by for a drink in the bar.

Sadly, the hedge maze from the movie was filmed at the studio, but the Stanley has one now in honor of the novel!

The Ahwahnee Hotel

Yosemite Valley, CA

The interiors were filmed at a studio, but heavily drew inspiration from the Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park. The interior design of the Ahwahnee is actually pretty distinctive, especially where "parkitecture" is concerned: it's got the natural wood and stone look of most other National Park Service lodges, but the interior almost featured a Mayan revival motif, as designed by Henry Lovins. Ultimately, the look blends Art Deco, Native American, and Arts and Crafts elements with a touch of Middle Eastern flair.

Going-to-The-Sun Road

So we've seen inspiration from the Rockies and Yosemite... but to throw another park into the mix, the opening scene was filmed along the famously stunning Going-to-The-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana.

The isolated but breathtaking atmosphere of all of these rustic lodges definitely wavers between hauntingly beautiful and hauntingly... well, haunting. Just try to get some sleep if you happen to stay in one, and ignore any nightmares!

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Visiting the Famous Stanley Hotel and Beautiful Estes Park, CO

By: Author Melody Pittman

Posted on Published: June 17, 2021  - Last updated: December 1, 2022

(UPDATED NOVEMBER 2022) The Stanley Hotel ( The Shining  Hotel) and Estes Park might be the best way to explore Rocky Mountain National Park and see a spectacular part of Colorado. This jaw-dropping area is plentiful with wildlife, elk, and big-horn sheep and has the ultimate historical, haunted hotel. Here are suggestions for spending your time at the Stanley Hotel and Estes Park, based on what my friend Sara and I did during ours. 

Staying Overnight at The Stanley

The Stanley Hotel was built in 1909 by F.O. Stanley. It was his gift to his lovely wife, Flora, a western getaway from their Massachusetts life. The Stanley Hotel sits up the road from F.O.’s original cottage—today’s hotel was just a place for their friends to stay during their summer visits.

As with all of the elite at the time, F.O.’s guests would stay for the entire summer season, filling the hotel with prominent families and lavish parties.

In 1974, renowned author Stephen King spent the night in room 142 at The Stanley Hotel. He awoke from a nightmarish dream, and just like that, King had his start, finish, and characters for his most famous novel of all time,  The Shining . The story was so renowned that it became a movie soon after. 

The Shining movie wasn’t shot at The Stanley Hotel; a set was erected (on a sound stage in London) to the hotel’s filming scale. The details matched precisely.

However, years later,  The Shining  mini-series and  Dumb and Dumber  (starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels) were filmed at The Stanley. 

One would nearly gasp when they see the sheer magnitude of the fine hotel amidst the stunning Rocky Mountain scenery. The famous hedge maze sits in front of the big front porch, a great place to pass the time and enjoy the fresh air. Inside, a fine dining restaurant (Cascades), tour desk, coffee shop, and upscale gift shop are offered for guests and visitors. 

The Stanley Guest Rooms

Mine and Sara’s classic hotel room overlooked the hedge maze and had a King-sized bed, writing desk area, armoire, 42″ HDTV, and complimentary WiFi. Though we had a lovely room, I missed not having a mini-fridge for personal use. The huge bathroom had a bathtub, which was great for warming up after being cold all day.

Besides the historic rooms in the central hotel, The Stanley Hotel also offers extended modern apartments and condos. It should come as no surprise that The Stanley has “spirited rooms” or those with a high paranormal activity level. We were sad that no spirits tried to communicate with us during our stay, but I met people who had encounters on our trip.

Food and Drinks at the Stanley Hotel

Sara and I had breakfast one morning and dinner another at Cascades Restaurant, the onsite hotel eatery. She had homemade Biscuits and Sausage Gravy for breakfast, and I opted for Denver Omelet with crispy red potatoes.

The Whiskey Bar , a separate area that shares the same menu as the Cascades, grabs your attention and has a welcoming feel. Fancy a bourbon or single-malt scotch? You can try 1,200 different ones here. There is also a creative cocktail menu to choose from other drinks, such as the Redrum Punch and the 291 Sm’oaked Old Fashion.

Sara and I sat at the illuminated bar for dinner. The bartender provided excellent service and made friendly conversation with his many guests. I couldn’t choose between two appetizers, so I had both for my meal. Sara had a traditional New York Strip that came with a house salad.

I recommend the creamy and rich Chicken Liver Pâté served with grilled bread and baby greens. The presentation was gorgeous, too.

I also had the Raclette Tartine served over smoked potatoes with arugula and bacon jam. It was an imaginative recipe creation.

Colorado Cherry Co. offers a full-service coffee bar, ice cream, grab & go items, and gourmet jams, jellies, and spreads in the hotel’s basement.

The Shining Tours

I found it surprising that The Stanley Hotel offers tours both day and night, several times per day. They fill up quickly with guests curious about the paranormal activity, the historical aspects, and the  Shining  movie connection. 

Sara and I took the night tour with Robert as our guide. He did a fantastic job gauging what his audience was most interested in and scaling the tour to suit our needs. We began with a short film explaining the hotel’s history and the wonderful couple who created it. Then, we moved to the first floor to see the Stanley Steamer classic vehicle and learn about the hotel’s architecture.

Luckily, a wedding took place during our tour, so it had to be doubly modified because of that and the frigid outdoor temperatures. So, our group was granted access to some of the most sought-after rooms at The Stanley Hotel—407, 428, and  Ghost Hunters’  favorite, 401. 

The mother of all rooms is 217, which you may remember from  The Shining . The occupants of that room were on our tour and allowed us to come inside and see the hotel’s famous Stephen King Suite. We were all crazy busy taking pictures with our phones and cameras, hoping to see some orbs or figures. 

Our tour concluded in the basement as we went on a “behind-the-scenes” trek through the dark and tight spaces; it was the perfect closing. Besides the night tour, others are a 75-minute historic Stanley day tour (ages eight and over) and the F.O. and friends Family History Tour (geared toward kids eight and under).

Exploring Estes Park: The Mountain Town

Rocky Mountain National Park’s base is Estes Park, a charming town with many local shops and affordable eateries. My visit to Estes Park was during the off-season, so a few things were closed, but there were no crowds or traffic jams.

Colorado Homestead, Inkwell & Brew, and  Macdonald Book Shop  were my favorite shopping places. Be sure to save room for homemade taffy pulled onsite in  The Taffy Shop — one of the only places in the country makes the tasty treat in-store since 1935. 

If that doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, consider Purple Mountain Taffy for delicious caramels or Caramel Corn for candies and popcorn.

The Estes Park Mountain Shop was a great place to buy souvenir t-shirts, Colorado trinkets, and quality clothing and accessories.

I had the Indian buffet at Nepal’s Cafe with an all-you-can-eat or one single-plate option for lunch. Everything there was finger-licking good. Later that day, Sara and I grabbed fries from Penelope’s Old Time Burgers, a retro diner that boasts the best burgers in town and 1950s tunes.

We also had yummy chocolate chip muffins and cocoa from  Notchtop Bakery & Cafe , and Mexican fare from Peppers Restaurant, a fast-food counter service eatery, for dinner.

My sweet tooth was satisfied by the Donut Haus donuts, recommended by our friends at  The Postcard Jar . 

Abundant Wildlife

I’m an animal lover, and Estes Park was an excellent place to find them. There was elk—huge and abundant elk—everywhere we looked. They roam through town like tourists. After several hundred pictures, you’d think I would have tired of them, but no.

We also saw wild turkeys, mule deer, and Bighorn sheep by the Rocky Mountain National Park entrance.

Rocky Mountain National Park

You can’t come to Estes Park or the Stanley Hotel without visiting  Rocky Mountain National Park , one of the most stunning national parks. Sara has been to the Rocky Mountains dozens of times and was a fantastic tour guide. We whizzed around the park like we worked there, and mind you, it was 22 degrees, and the roads had 18″ of snow. 

My favorite part of the tour was seeing Longs Peak, standing at 14,259 feet and the highest elevation at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Fun Fact: The park has 415 square-miles.

A Nature and Pop Culture Lover’s Dream Getaway

Our trip to Estes Park and The Stanley Hotel was spectacular. This is a place where the epic scenery and a landmark hotel outweigh any obstacles that may come your way, primarily weather and climate.

Happy travels!

Thanks to The Stanley Hotel for our complimentary accommodations. As always, reviews and opinions are 100% mine and unbiased. 

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Read about more great places to explore:

5 Reasons to Visit Medora, ND

Garden of the Gods, CO

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Monday 24th of June 2019

Looks like a fun place to stay. I'd definitely try that redrum punch! And those donuts and that salt water taffy!

Thursday 20th of June 2019

I've always thought it would be cool to stay at The Stanely Hotel. I mean, as long as I don't have a Shining-like nightmare! Having visited Colorado, I can easily imagine how stunning the backdrop of the Rockies must have been. I really love being around the mountains in Colorado, so someday I'll have to visit Estes Park and perhaps even stay at the Stanley Hotel.

cindy ladage

Wednesday 19th of June 2019

This is awesome. What a cool hotel. I love the porch! I would like to stay here and visit Estes Park too. The wildlife and the views are amazing! Thanks for sharing.

Doreen Pendgracs

The Stanley Hotel looks like a great place to stay. It's been a long time since I was last in Colorado, but for all the reasons you've mentioned, I'd love to go back and explore Estes Park.

Monday 17th of June 2019

What a fantastic trip you had! It's been a long time (20+ years) since I've been to Estes Park! I think it's time I get back!

MelodyPittman

And take Sara as your private guide. LOL ;)

Things To Do | The Stanley Hotel has re-created one of “The…

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Things to do | broncos select oregon quarterback bo nix with 12th overall pick, things to do, things to do | the stanley hotel has re-created one of “the shining’s” most terrifying scenes, the estes park landmark is offering tours that feature the bathroom from room 237.

Estes Park's Stanley Hotel continues to build on its reputation as the inspiration behind Stephen King's "The Shining" with a historic renovation focusing on both The Caretaker's Cottage and design elements of the 1980 Stanley Kubrick adaptation of the book. (Kyla Chambers)

Director Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 take on Stephen King’s “The Shining,” which was inspired by King’s creepy stay at Estes Park’s Stanley Hotel, contains a scene so disturbing that its mere mention sends fans into paroxysms of terror.

That would be the bathroom scene, in which lead character Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) enters the fictional Overlook Hotel’s accursed Room 237 — and, more specifically, its color-saturated, mid-century modern bathroom. There he finds a silent, naked woman in a bathtub, who emerges dripping to embrace our hypnotized Torrance.

You won’t be shocked to hear it doesn’t end well. But it does imprint itself permanently on the gray matter, which is why Denver’s MOA Architecture relished the opportunity to re-create the set in screen-accurate detail. Now guests of the hotel’s “Shining”-related tours can step into that bathroom for themselves.

The space is part of a larger renovation of the hotel’s Caretaker Cottage that “commemorates both the hotel’s real and fictional history,” according to MOA associate Taylor Coe, the company’s strategic growth manager.

“The first floor is a time machine. Step inside to be whisked back to 1912, when the hotel’s first caretaker moved in with his family,” Coe wrote. “The design team spared no detail to achieve this effect. Look closer and even the smallest details stand up to scrutiny — from period brass air registers to the hand-carved crown molding.”

The historic restoration, completed under lead designer Tina Kivalu, is now part of “Caretaker’s Cottage/The Shining Suite,” an hour-long theatrical experience at the Stanley. The tour combines Lamborn’s Caretaker’s Cottage, as it’s called, with all kinds of “Shining” lore.

Guests can’t stay in the cottage, but they can move through it and snap photos.

“If you are bent on ignoring Dick Hallorann, proceed up the stairs,” Coe wrote, referencing the fictional head chef at the Overlook who teaches young Danny Torrance how to harness his telepathic powers (a.k.a. “the shine”), and who warns the caretaking-Torrance family of the hotel’s ghostly malevolence.

“The second floor leaves history behind and drops you into a disorienting, uneasy space, somewhere between cinema and the designers’ imaginations,” according to a press statement. That includes the movie-set bathroom but also touches like the Hick’s Hexagon pattern (the famous, red-brown-and-orange hallway carpet created by David Hicks) in one of the bedrooms. There’s also a bedroom imagined to be the “Grady twins’ bedroom,” where the creepy ghost sisters who appear to the Torrance family once lived.

“The Shining”-themed renovation adds to the Stanley’s attempt to fashion itself as the home of Rocky Mountain horror, including a recently acquired prop axe from “The Shining” production which sold at auction in May for $175,000. It was then anonymously donated for display in the Stanley Film Center, a sprawling film and music entertainment complex that’s been in development for years on the Stanley’s property.

No surprise that the hotel, which regularly hosts themed events and multi-night music performances, was named as the first of America’s Most Haunted Hotels by Trips to Discover digital magazine last week.

The hour-long Caretaker’s Cottage tour is limited to ages 8 and up and costs $30 per person. Advance reservations for parties of up to 10 people are required at thestanleyhotel.thundertix.com .

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The Haunted History Behind The Shining's Stanley Hotel

While fans of Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's "The Shining" might have a love for the fictional Overlook Hotel, King was inspired by a real, historically haunted hotel: The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. The Stanley has been embedded in my psyche since childhood, so I can understand King's reaction to the place. It's an imposing, beautiful building that somehow emanates a feeling of wrongness, a "bad vibe" that's almost impossible to shake even if you're a true-blue skeptic. King was so shaken by his stay at the Stanley while he was in Colorado that it inspired him to write "The Shining," which went on to be one of his most famous works.

The Stanley Hotel sits on a huge foothill nestled in the Rocky Mountains, in the tourist town of Estes Park. As a child growing up in a nearby Denver suburb, Estes Park was the one vacation my family could afford each year — a place where we could race go-karts and go hiking in the beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park. On our way to whichever tiny riverside cabin we had rented, we would pass the Stanley up on the hill, leering down at us from on high. When my parents explained to me that it was the very hotel that had inspired "The Shining," I felt justified in being creeped out. Years later, I would return to the Stanley, take the ghost tour, and spend the night — and its haunted halls have lingered in my memory ever since. 

What is it about the Stanley Hotel that leaves its guests so unnerved? Is it just the stories of hauntings and King's association that make people see and hear things that aren't actually there? Or is it truly as haunted as its fictional counterpart?

The history behind this haunted hotel

According to the Stanley Hotel's website , when inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley arrived in the valley of Estes Park in 1903, he discovered the mountain air helped ease his tuberculosis symptoms. He planned to return to the town every summer until the day he died — but he and his wife, Flora Stanley, were accustomed to a different lifestyle than what Estes Park could offer. They built the Stanley Hotel, which officially opened in 1909, as a home away from home where they could host friends and other guests. The hotel was designed to be top-of-the-line, with electric lights, telephones, bathrooms attached to each room, and a staff of uniformed servants. Stanley Hotel even boasted a fleet of steam-powered automobiles, one of which has been on display at the hotel for decades. By 1917, the tiny hamlet of Estes Park was an official municipality that owed its development to Stanley and his hotel. 

Throughout the hotel's history, there have been reports of ghostly apparitions. When I visited with my family about a decade ago, guests could sign up for a ghost tour that highlighted all of the most haunted rooms in the hotel. Stanley himself is said to wander the halls, most often in the hotel bar. Sightings of his wife Flora have also been reported, usually of her playing her piano in the ballroom. Employees and guests both have reported hearing piano music coming from the room and seeing the keys moving. I didn't hear the music or see the keys move, but the ballroom  does feel colder the closer you get to the beautiful grand piano. 

Room 407 is supposedly haunted by Lord Dunraven, the man who owned the land prior to Stanley. Some guests have reported seeing his face in the window even when the room isn't booked. Room 418 is haunted by children, whose laughter can be heard in the hallways by guests and cleaning crew inhabiting the room. The ghost of a small boy is said to appear outside of room 217, where author Stephen King stayed, and he reportedly saw the child, who was calling out for his nanny. Brave guests on the hotel tour can stand in the closet in one of the haunted rooms, where voices are said to be the loudest. I volunteered, and while I didn't hear anything besides my own heartbeat in my throat, I can definitely appreciate the kind of fear King must have felt while visiting back in 1974.

The 1911 explosion

There have been several unexplained or spooky accidents over the course of the hotel's history, which only adds to the legend of the building be cursed. On June 25, 1911 , Elizabeth Wilson, the head chambermaid at the two-year-old hotel, went into room 217 with a lit candle, only to tragically discover there was a leak in the hotel's gas lanterns. The candle ignited the gas and there was a major explosion, destroying about one-tenth of the hotel and putting Wilson into a coma.

Wilson miraculously survived and continued working at the hotel until 1950. According to some guests who have stayed in room 217, the maid is still working there in the afterlife. Guests have said that they woke up with their room straightened up and their suitcases neatly organized. Now that's a friendly ghost.

A spooky pet cemetery

Believe it or not, not all the ghosts in the Stanley are purported to be the human kind. There is a pet cemetery on the property where the owners of the hotel buried their pets over the years, and guests have reported seeing the ghosts of some of the animals buried there wandering the property. Among them are a golden retriever named Cassie and a white cat named Comanche, and they have been spotted all throughout the grounds, including in the hallways and guest rooms.

Funnily enough, the cemetery and ghost stories predate King's novel "Pet Sematary," which features animals coming back to life after being buried in a cursed cemetery. Cassie and Comanche didn't come back from the dead, but according to some guests, they're still hanging around in some form. It's probably a lot less scary stumbling across a spirit dog or cat than a person, especially given the hotel's history and connection to "The Shining." Maybe guests should bring some dog treats, just in case.

The Shining connection

In the 1970s, the Stanley Hotel was starting to fall into a state of disrepair, but the arrival of a rising author would change everything. In late September of 1974, King and his wife Tabitha spent a night at the Stanley. He recounts the experience on his website :

"We were the only guests as it turned out; the following day they were going to close the place down for the winter. Wandering through its corridors, I thought that it seemed the perfect—maybe the archetypical—setting for a ghost story. That night I dreamed of my three-year-old son running through the corridors, looking back over his shoulder, eyes wide, screaming. He was being chased by a fire-hose. I woke up with a tremendous jerk, sweating all over, within an inch of falling out of bed. I got up, lit a cigarette, sat in the chair looking out the window at the Rockies, and by the time the cigarette was done, I had the bones of the book firmly set in my mind."

King stayed in the book's infamous Room 217, turned into Room 237 for Kubrick's adaptation. Visitors to the Stanley can purchase room number plates from Room 217 to hang in their own homes, if they dare. 

King published "The Shining" in 1977, and it was a huge hit, following in the footsteps of "Carrie" and "Christine." The book would be adapted into a feature film by director Stanley Kubrick in 1980, though King is not a fan of the many changes that Kubrick made. The author set out to help make a more accurate version of his story for a television miniseries on ABC in 1997.

Giving the Shining miniseries some authenticity

The 1997 "Stephen King's The Shining" miniseries is notorious for its cheesy made-for-TV moments, but it is much more accurate to the author's original story. In addition to the production team working with King in order to get his approval this time around, the miniseries was also filmed at the Stanley Hotel. (Kubrick's Overlook was created almost entirely on a soundstage in London, with exterior shots done at the  Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon.) The real hotel that inspired King's work is a perfect backdrop for the terrifying tale, and the Stanley's eerie vibe practically oozes out of the screen. 

The filming of the miniseries was a big event in Estes Park, and I happened to be there for part of it at a Girl Scout event nearby. I'll never forget seeing all of the vans and trucks carrying movie-making equipment going down the tiny Estes Park main street toward the hotel. The miniseries is flawed, but there's still plenty to love about it, including preserving the Stanley Hotel for all time. 

Is it really haunted?

While I didn't experience anything  too  ghostly during my own stay at the Stanley, it was impossible to shake the feeling I was being watched at all times. There are spots of cold that could be the result of the building's ancient bones, or could be spirits making their presence known. It's hard not to be a tiny bit uncomfortable while staying in the Stanley, especially when there's a channel on the TV in every room that plays Kubrick's "The Shining" on a 24-hour loop. There are also plenty of reminders of the building's creepy connections, including the word "REDRUM" scrawled on an attic door. The hotel added its own miniature version of the movie's hedge maze in 2015, so fans of both King and Kubrick can really get the most out of visiting this historic hotel. 

One day I hope to visit it again and stay in Room 217 — and maybe then I'll get some truly ghostly stories to share with everyone. 

The Most Haunted Places You Can Actually Visit in the US

I t's no secret that we love talking about weird and strange destinations. Spending a night in a haunted hotel? Sign me up! Visiting iconic cemeteries while exploring a new city? Just let me grab my bag. Exploring an abandoned asylum? I'm all in. There's just something about these chilling and spine-tingling tales that makes my little adventure-loving heart beat faster. So, if you're a lover of unusual and eerie places as well, join me on this tour of the most haunted places in the US that you can actually visit. 

The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado

We've already talked about the Stanley Hotel in detail, but it would be such a shame not to mention it on this list as well. Perched high in the Rocky Mountains, this building is one of the most iconic locations in Colorado. Especially if you're into paranormal travel. Best known as the inspiration for Stephen King’s novel “The Shining,” this historic hotel is said to be haunted by a host of restless spirits, including its original owner, F.O. Stanley. Guests have reported a myriad of paranormal phenomena, from shadowy figures and mysterious footsteps to unexplained cold spots and eerie apparitions. For those brave enough to spend the night, a stay at The Stanley Hotel promises an unforgettable-and undeniably spooky-experience.

The Myrtles Plantation – St. Francisville, Louisiana

Are you feeling like enjoying some Southern hospitality? I'm then we have something for you too. Nestled in the heart of Louisiana’s countryside, The Myrtles Plantation emerges as a reminder of darker times. Built in 1796, this mansion is rumored to be haunted by the spirits of its former occupants, including the restless souls of slaves and tragic lovers. Visitors to the plantation have reported a wide range of supernatural phenomena, and even their website claims that this is one of the most haunted locations in the US. However, that doesn't mean that you won't be able to spend a getaway weekend here. From their bed and breakfast, numerous charming cottages, or old-fashioned restaurants - everything promises a hauntingly good time.

Alcatraz Island – San Francisco, California

Known as “The Rock,” Alcatraz Island is synonymous with incarceration and intrigue. Once home to some of America’s most notorious criminals, including Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly, this imposing fortress is now a popular tourist destination-and rumored to be haunted by the spirits of its former inmates. Visitors to the island have reported a wide range of paranormal phenomena, from ghostly apparitions and mysterious voices to unexplained cold spots and eerie feelings of unease. Nighttime tours of the island offer a spine-tingling journey into its haunted past, providing guests with a chilling glimpse into the darker side of Alcatraz’s history.

The LaLaurie Mansion – New Orleans, Louisiana

Back to Louisiana, get ready to step into the dark and twisted world of The LaLaurie Mansion. Of course, if you're a fellow American Horror Story watcher, you already know what I am talking about. Built in the early 19th century by the socialite Madame Delphine LaLaurie, this grand mansion was the site of unspeakable acts of torture and abuse inflicted upon its enslaved inhabitants. There are so many documentaries about it, and even AHS did a good job representing it. The whole story is just so cruel and shocking that it is unimaginable how that could have been our history not that long ago. And while you can't spend the night here, you can still join a guided tour.

The post The Most Haunted Places You Can Actually Visit in the US appeared first on Malorie's Adventures .