History of the Haunted Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado

Perched above the town of Estes Park in Colorado, the Stanley Hotel is an elegant early 20th-century resort. The iconic hotel has earned a reputation not only for its majestic setting and historic grandeur, but also for being one of America’s most famous haunted hotels. Built in 1909 and rich with supernatural lore, it also holds a special place in literary and film history. It directly inspired The Shining book by Stephen King and the basis for the scary movie. The haunted hotel’s aura of isolation and mystery continues to enthrall visitors today.

History and origin

The hotel was erected by inventor and automobile magnate Freelan Oscar Stanley (of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company) and his wife Flora. After he found relief from his tuberculosis in the mountain air of Estes Park, Stanley decided to build a luxury getaway for easterners and health-seekers alike. The Stanley Hotel opened officially on July 4, 1909.

From the start, it offered many luxuries of the era: electric lights, telephones, en-suite bathrooms. Hence, over the decades the hotel has grown into an icon.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains a full-service resort today.

Haunted reputation and ghostly facts

While any old hotel can gather ghost stories, the Stanley Hotel’s collection is particularly rich and well-documented:

• One of the most famous spots is Room 217. That very room is where Stephen King stayed during a winter visit and where he claims inspiration for his novel struck. Guests today continue to report flickering lights, doors opening by themselves, luggage being mysteriously packed, or a cold presence between couples in bed.

• On the fourth floor and in Room 418, cleaning staff and overnight guests report hearing children’s laughter. Thus, even when no children are booked or seeing footprints or shadows moving in the hallway.

• The founders themselves are said to return. The apparition of F.O. Stanley has been seen checking in at the front desk or appearing in the billiard room or bar. Also Flora Stanley, an accomplished pianist, is sometimes heard playing the piano late at night or seen at the grand piano in the ballroom.

• Another legend involves a 1911 gas-explosion in Room 217. The head chambermaid, Elizabeth Wilson, was severely injured but returned to work after recovery. Her spirit is often credited with the odd but gentle phenomena of tidied-up clothes, made beds, and the like.  Shockingly, even if guests remain in the bed overnight.

• The hotel embraces its haunted persona. As a result, it offers ghost tours, packages geared to paranormal investigations and regularly hosts groups looking for a thrill.

Connection to The Shining

Perhaps the Stanley Hotel’s most enduring claim to fame lies in its role as the creative seedbed for Stephen King’s novel The Shining (1977). King and his wife stayed at the hotel in 1974 during the off-season; the hotel was nearly empty, its long hallways silent, chairs up on tables in the dining room, the surrounding mountains heavy with snow and solitude. King later described this eerie setting as the moment the idea for The Shining snapped into place.

While the 1980 film version by Stanley Kubrick did not shoot full-scale in the Stanley (some exterior references and later the 1997 miniseries used it), the hotel is nonetheless the inspiration for the fictional Overlook Hotel – making it a pilgrimage site for horror fans. The hotel even uses references such as the backward “REDRUM” mugs and themed packages to celebrate that connection.

Why it matters

The Stanley Hotel is more than a haunted house. It combines early-1900s luxury, mountain retreat ambience, and storied guests with a rich supernatural tradition. Whether one believes in ghosts or not, the hotel invites you to walk its long corridors, hear the echoes of the past, and imagine what it might be like to be the only guest in a grand resort high in Colorado’s Rockies at night.

If you’re looking for a haunted getaway with history, literature, film, and genuine mountain views, the Stanley offers all of that and perhaps a ghost or two.

Visitor tips & planning advice

1. Book tours in advance
   The ghost/spirited night tours at the Stanley often sell out, especially in fall and around Halloween.  Be sure to reserve your spot ahead of time on the hotel’s website.

2. Know the tour types & duration

   • The Historic or Day Tour offers a walking tour of the architecture, history, and lore. It typically lasts about 60 minutes.

   • The Spirited Night Tour (or “Night Ghost Tour”) is conducted after dark, delving into haunted rooms and spirit folklore.

   • Some “Shining Tours” focus on the Stephen King / The Shining connections.

   • The Historic Stanley Tour is often ~90 minutes and costs (in recent years) about $23 for adults (children ~17 & under lower price)

   • The Night Spirit Tour is around the same duration, with a slightly higher ticket price (e.g. ~$28)

Photo: Pixabay