The Real "Overlook Hotel" from Stephen King's "The Shining"

Did you know that the seeds for "The Shining" were originally planted in Stephen King's imagination during a stay at the haunted Stanley Hotel in Colorado?

This famous building, pictured above, was built in the early 1900's by Freelan Oscar Stanley, founder of the Stanley Steamer Co.. Since that time, a variety of paranormal activity has been witnessed there, including some by Stepehn King while staying in room 217. Below is a list of some of the more infamous occurences:

•The ghosts of Freelan Stanley and his wife Flora have been seen dressed in formal attire on the main staircase and in other public areas, such as the lobby and the billiard room.

•Mr. Stanley has also been spotted in the administration offices, perhaps to keep an eye on the hotel's books. The Flora's piano playing occasionally echos in the ballroom.

•Disembodied voices and phantom footsteps have been heard in the hallways and rooms.

•Staff and visitors have reported unseen hands yanking at their clothing.

•More than one guest has said they have awakened to find their blankets taken from their beds and neatly folded.

•The Earl of Dunraven, who owned the land prior to the Stanleys, is said to haunt room 407, where the aroma of his cherry pipe tobacco still can be smelled. A ghostly face has also been reported peering out of the room's window when it was not occupied.

•Room 217, where Stephen King stayed, was the site of a tragic accident in 1911: housekeeper Elizabeth Wilson was nearly killed by a gas leak explosion. Since her death in the 1950s, strange, unexplained activity is said to take place in that room, including doors opening and closing, and lights switching on and off by themselves.

•Room 418 is the most haunted room, according to hotel staff, apparently by the ghosts of children. Guests who stay there say phantom children can be heard playing in the hallways at night. One couple complained that the noisy children kept them up all night, although there were no children staying at the hotel at the time. Impressions of bodies have been found on the bed when the room as been unoccupied.

•The ghost of a small child who calls out to his nanny has been spotted on several occasions on the second floor -- including by Stephen King.

Today, the beautiful Stanley Hotel is a popular resort for vacationers and ghost hunters alike, and even offers regular ghost tours to interested guests!

Pictures








References:
http://www.hauntedcolorado.net/GhostPics.html

http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/haunted/scariest/

http://paranormal.about.com/od/hauntedplaces/ig/World-s-Most-Haunted-Place/The-Stanley-Hotel.htm

WOW awesome read !!!

Very cool! I enjoyed reading that. Very creepy yet interesting place.

Thanks guys, the shining is my favorite Stephen King book, not so much a fan of the movie cause it left parts out and "Hollywood-ized" it, but the book is one of my faves so I love stuff about the Stanley.

Oh i always love to hear about this place especially after i saw the show when GHI..(ghost hunters international) visited that place.It really is freaking creepy there ...awesom read..

I grew up outside of Denver and used to visit Estes Park frequently as a child. This hotel sits on a small hill set back from the road. You can see it clearly as you drive up through the mountains. It is a breathtaking hotel. It is so beautiful it almost pulls you in....great article..thank you so much for sharing it.

Oh yeah?? I would love to see the real thing. I worked at this hotel / restaurant a couple years ago that looked just like it upstairs with the long hallway.....and felt like it too....super creepy!

I just stayed at the Stanley the day after Christmas. I took a few photos but didn't get much. If I can figure out how to add photos on here, I will add them.

You can use the "attach" section below the box you type in to post, or the tiny pic ap to the left. Here are the directions maybe that will help, I'd love to see some first hand pics....

directions:

https://charmed3.forumotion.net/t689-how-to-upload-an-image

This is a tunnel that they employees used to use in order to enter the hotel before their shift....kind of a crappy employee entrance if you ask me. ;-)



This is the piano that starts playing on its "own".



Grand stairway in the foyer.





Most of these pictures were taken during their Ghost Tour. I wanted to go out later that night and take more pictures, but unfortunately, I didn't get a chance. I also have a few more, but they have my neighbors in them and I don't want to post them without their permission. Cathy, if you want to take a look at them, I can send them directly to you.

A couple of facts about the Stanley. The movie Dumb & Dumber was filmed there. Jim Carey checked into the hotel but only stayed for 3 hours. He wouldn't even come back in to get his stuff. After he was done filming a scene, he would go outside and wait. He would never tell anyone why he left the hotel.

Wow! Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Love it!! Such a beautiful place..

YET another awsome read!!
Awsome pics!!
I think Jim Carey might have 2 make an appearance on celebrity ghost stories

Thanx 4 sharing

I'm thrilled. place very interesting and exciting. super great pictures.

Thanks Starshine, those are so much better than looking at the usual generic pics. I'm kind of skeptical on 'famous haunted places' sometimes because I feel like the hype doesn't always live up to my expectations....ya know like I pretty much want a ghost to tuck me in bed at night.....but I have to say that piano gives me "the feeling".

Thanks for sharing that about Jim Carrey.....that's so typical for a male it seems like it's so much harder for them to admit when they can sense stuff.....but I guess for a star too he wouldn't want that label attached to him of believing in ghosts. Personally it's a pain in the butt for me sometimes and I'm just a lowly little non celebrity LMAO.

You can send me the other pics if you like, I'd love to see them, maybe if you want I can go in and airbrush all of your faces out so nobody's showing, but that's up to you.

Thank you everyone.

And QOW, yes, I know exactly how you feel about the let down. I was expecting at some point to get a creepy feeling, or the hair to raise on the back of my neck or SOMETHING, even for a second....but I got nada. It is a very beautiful place though and it has a lot of great history.

I will send you the other pics. I will try and air brush the faces and post once I get a chance.