You’ve probably seen the red-and-white facade of the Stanley Hotel perched on a hill in Estes Park, Colorado. It looks regal, almost polite. But for horror fans, it’s basically the birthplace of a modern nightmare.
Most people show up here expecting to find the long, blood-soaked hallways from Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 masterpiece. They want to see the twins. They want the elevator. But here is the thing: the movie wasn't even filmed here.
Honestly, the real story is much weirder. It’s a mix of a desperate man’s search for clean air, a freak gas explosion, and a very lucky snowstorm that happened just as the hotel was about to shut its doors for the season in 1974.
The Night Stephen King Met the Overlook
It was September 30, 1974. Stephen King and his wife, Tabitha, were driving their car through the winding roads of the Rockies. They were trying to get to Estes Park, but the weather was turning. Winter comes early in the high country.
By the time they pulled up to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park Colorado the Shining wasn't even a thought in King’s head yet. The hotel was literally one day away from closing for the winter.
Because of that, the Kings were the only guests in the entire place.
They were checked into Room 217. They ate dinner in a cavernous, empty dining room while the staff stacked chairs on tables around them. Later that night, King wandered the empty corridors. The silence was heavy.
"It seemed the perfect—maybe the archetypical—setting for a ghost story," he later wrote on his website.
That night, he had a nightmare. He saw his three-year-old son running through those very hallways, looking back over his shoulder, screaming as he was chased by a sentient fire hose. King woke up in a sweat. He walked out onto the balcony, finished a cigarette, and by the time he stubbed it out, the "bones" of The Shining were set.
Why Room 217 is Still the G.O.A.T.
If you try to book Room 217 today, good luck. It’s the most requested room in the hotel.
While the 1980 movie changed the "scary room" to 237 (at the request of the Timberline Lodge, which didn't want guests to be afraid of their real Room 217), the Stanley embraces the original number.
And it’s not just because of King.
Back in 1911, a head chambermaid named Elizabeth Wilson was lighting acetylene lamps in that room. There was a leak. A massive explosion ripped through the floor, dropping Wilson into the MacGregor Dining Room below.
She survived. She even returned to work and stayed until she passed away at age 90.
But guests today swear she never really left. People report their bags being packed for them or their clothes being neatly folded by invisible hands. If you’re an unmarried couple staying in 217, legend says she might even try to push you apart in bed—she was apparently a bit of a traditionalist.
The Kubrick Disconnect
Here is where it gets spicy for film buffs. Stephen King famously hates Stanley Kubrick’s version of The Shining. He called it "a beautiful Cadillac with no engine."
When Kubrick was scouting locations, he thought the Stanley Hotel looked too "pretty." He wanted something more imposing, more "evil." So, he used the Timberline Lodge in Oregon for the exterior shots. Most of the interiors were actually built on soundstages in England.
King was so annoyed by the changes—including the hedge maze, which isn't in his book—that he eventually produced his own TV miniseries in 1997.
That version was filmed right here at the Stanley.
The hotel eventually gave in to the pressure of the fans, though. For decades, they didn't have a hedge maze because the Colorado wind and snow make it hard to grow one. But in 2015, they finally planted one just to satisfy the tourists who kept asking where it was.
Ghost Children and Whiskey
While Room 217 gets all the press, the fourth floor is where the "real" activity is supposed to happen.
Back in the day, the fourth floor was where the nannies and children stayed. Now, guests report hearing the sounds of kids running and giggling in the halls. It’s sort of a rite of passage to stay up there and hope for a spectral roommate.
If that’s too much for you, the Cascades Bar is a better bet. It houses one of the largest whiskey collections in the state.
They even serve a "Redrum Punch," which is a bit cheesy, but hey, you’re in a haunted hotel. You might as well lean in.
Actionable Tips for Your Visit
If you’re planning to visit the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park Colorado The Shining fan or not, you need to know a few things to avoid the "tourist traps."
- Book the Night Tour: Don't just wander around. The official ghost tours (about $30) actually get you into the "spiritually active" areas you can't access on your own.
- The Shining Suite: If you want the movie vibe, look for the "Shining Suite" in the caretaker’s cottage. It’s a replica of the 1980 film’s Room 237, complete with the green bathtub and the geometric carpet.
- Altitude is Real: Estes Park is at 7,500 feet. If you’re coming from sea level, drink twice as much water as you think you need. One whiskey at this altitude feels like three.
- Check the Calendar: October is madness. If you want a spooky vibe without the 400,000 other people, try visiting in late September—the same time King stayed. The elk are bugling, the air is crisp, and the hotel feels a lot more isolated.
The Stanley isn't just a movie set. It was built in 1909 by F.O. Stanley, the guy who invented the Stanley Steamer car. He came here because he had tuberculosis and was told he had six months to live. The mountain air cured him, and he lived another 30+ years.
Whether you believe in the ghosts or not, the hotel is a survivor. It nearly went bankrupt multiple times, was saved by a horror novel, and now stands as a bizarre monument to both Colorado history and the things that go bump in the night.
To get the most out of your trip, check the hotel’s "events" page before you go. They frequently host seances, murder mystery dinners, and even horror film festivals in their new film center. If you want the full Room 217 experience, you typically need to book at least six months to a year in advance.