The Stanley Hotel: Where The Shining Began and the Spirits Never Left

A Grand Hotel with a Dark Reputation

Perched in the Colorado Rockies at 7,522 feet above sea level, The Stanley Hotel has earned its place as one of America's most haunted locations. Built in 1909 by inventor F.O. Stanley, this Georgian Colonial Revival masterpiece is best known as the inspiration for Stephen King's novel The Shining—but the hotel's paranormal activity predates King's famous stay by decades.

The Inspiration Behind The Shining

In September 1974, Stephen King and his wife Tabitha checked into The Stanley Hotel on the night before it closed for the winter season. They were the only guests in the entire 142-room hotel. That night, King had a vivid nightmare about his young son being chased through the hotel's corridors by a fire hose. He woke at 3 a.m. and walked the empty halls, and by the time he left the next morning, he had outlined the entire plot of The Shining.

The Spirits of The Stanley

The hotel's paranormal activity centers around several key figures and locations:

F.O. Stanley (Room 407 and the Billiard Room)

The hotel's founder himself is frequently encountered in the areas he loved most during his lifetime. Guests report seeing a well-dressed gentleman in early 20th-century attire in the Billiard Room, and the scent of his preferred pipe tobacco lingers in Room 407. Piano music has been heard coming from the Music Room—played on F.O. Stanley's own piano—when the room is empty and locked.

Flora Stanley (The Music Room)

F.O.'s wife Flora was an accomplished pianist, and her presence is most strongly felt in the hotel's Music Room. Witnesses have heard phantom piano performances of Beethoven and Chopin, her favorite composers. The piano has been observed playing by itself, with keys depressing as if invisible fingers were at work.

Room 217

This is the room where Stephen King stayed, and it remains the most requested room in the hotel. The spirit of Elizabeth Wilson, a housekeeper injured in a 1911 gas explosion in this room, is said to still perform her duties. Guests report items being unpacked and neatly arranged, lights being turned on and off, and the sensation of someone sitting on the edge of the bed.

The Fourth Floor

The fourth floor, once the servants' quarters, is a hotspot for paranormal activity. Children's laughter echoes through empty hallways, and guests report seeing the apparitions of children playing in the corridors. Room 418 is particularly active, with reports of covers being pulled off sleeping guests and items moving on their own.

Documented Phenomena

The Stanley Hotel has been investigated by numerous paranormal research teams, including the crew of Ghost Hunters, which filmed one of their most compelling episodes here. Common experiences include:

• Phantom piano music from the Music Room
• Apparitions in period clothing throughout the hotel
• Unexplained cold spots and temperature fluctuations
• Electronic voice phenomena (EVP) captured in multiple rooms
• Objects moving or disappearing and reappearing
• The sound of a ball bouncing in empty hallways
• Guests being touched or having their hair pulled by unseen hands

The Stanley Hotel Today

The hotel embraces its haunted reputation and offers nightly ghost tours, including a specialized tour of the underground tunnel system and a "Spirited" tour focusing on the most active paranormal locations. The hotel also hosts an annual horror film festival and maintains a museum dedicated to Stephen King and The Shining.

Location: 333 E Wonderview Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517

The Stanley Hotel remains a fully operational luxury hotel, and guests can book overnight stays in the most haunted rooms—if they dare.

Have you stayed at The Stanley Hotel? Share your paranormal experiences with the Night Watch Archives community.

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