Haunted Stanley Hotel and The Shining

Colorado’s Stanley Hotel is historic, influential, and haunted.

This 142 Colonial Revival hotel was opened 1909 and is located in Estes Park, Colorado. It most noteworthy for having served as the inspiration for Stephen King’s 1977 bestselling novel and for the truly terrifying and genre defining film of the same name, The Shining.

Photo: Michael Gallagher/Ghost Town Travels

The most famous room at the haunted Stanley Hotel is Room 217. According to TripSavvy, this is Stephen King’s experience in that room.

“When King and his wife arrived at the hotel, it was closing down for the season and they were the only overnight guests staying there. They ate dinner in an empty dining room while pre-recorded orchestra music played before retreating to their room on the spacious (and eerily empty) second floor. King woke up that night to a terrifying dream about his 3-year-old son being chased through the corridors and screaming. King jerked out of bed, realizing it was a dream. He lit a cigarette on the balcony and the plot for his now-famous book shaped up.”

Photo: fanfest.com

Movie director and close friend Michael Gallagher spent the night at the Stanley. He asked the hotel manager what was the single most haunted story he had heard or experienced. This was his response:

“He was working the graveyard shift, and a guest came to him and said he had to check out immediately. He then showed the manger a series of photos. One photo that was taken in the middle of night, was when the guest opened the door, and pure daylight entered the room. The second photo, is a photo he took in the hallway of the door of his room. The photo had a large black cross in front of it. The manager had never hear a story so specific, especially with photos, and how obviously shaken the guest appeared…”

No wonder Jack had so much trouble working…

Photo: Michael Gallagher/Ghost Town Travels

The Stanley Hotel provides ghostly “night tours” of the hotel. Find out more about the tour here.

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