The Stanley Hotel
Estes Park, Colorado, United States
Hotel · established
The Story
Above Estes Park, the Stanley’s ghost stories often take the form of unfinished hospitality: clothes folded, luggage unpacked and shoes put in order. Room 217 anchors the tradition, while guided tours introduce a hotel whose history also helped inspire The Shining.
The Hauntings
The Stanley began as a mountain retreat with the comforts of a grand hotel. That combination remains central to its character: an imposing building, guest rooms filled with ordinary travel routines and a landscape that once drew its founders back each summer. Its best-known haunting fits that domestic world. Rather than a stranger appearing at a window, the story describes a former employee still attending to the people who stay. The hotel identifies the presence in Room 217 as Elizabeth Wilson, a former head housekeeper. In its telling, she survived a gas explosion in the room; the haunting belongs to the years after her later death, not to a fatal explosion. Guests’ belongings are said to be unpacked, garments folded and shoes neatly arranged. It is a story of someone continuing familiar work, told through small changes discovered in a private room. Elsewhere, the operator describes unexplained sounds and impressions of a lingering presence in its spirited suites. One quieter detail associated with Flora is the rustle of silk. These stories vary from room to room, so a reservation in one part of the estate should not be mistaken for access to every room named in the lore. The guided ghost tours follow their own authorized route.
The History
Freelan Oscar Stanley came to Estes Park in 1903 for his health and returned with his wife, Flora. Their wish for a more elaborate summer retreat led to the hotel that opened in 1909. Electric lighting, telephones and private bathrooms were among the modern comforts offered in a setting marketed for its mountain air and scenery. The hotel became part of the developing town rather than an isolated house in the wilderness. Stephen King’s stay later helped inspire The Shining, bringing a second, literary history to the property. The fictional Overlook is not a documentary portrait of the Stanley. The hotel’s own film-focused tour distinguishes the novel, Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film—which was not filmed here—and the 1997 television adaptation, which did use the Stanley. Its current historical interpretation follows both the founders’ resort and that later cultural afterlife.
A sense of place.
Visitor Experiences
Have you experienced something here?
This future chapter will bring together stories from the PHASM community. An unexpected encounter, a lingering feeling, or a quiet visit—your experience will be welcome.
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Sources & further reading.
- The Stanley Hotel History (history)
- The Stanley Hotel Tours (history)
- The Stanley Hotel — The Stanley — main building and Room 217 (reports)
- The Stanley Hotel — Spirited Rooms & Suites (reports)
- The Stanley Hotel Tours (reports)
- The Stanley Hotel — The Stanley — main building and Room 217 (visiting)
- The Stanley Hotel Tours (visiting)
Plan Your Visit
The Stanley welcomes day visitors for authorized tours, dining and events, as well as overnight guests. Reserve tours and accommodation through the official hotel site; a guest-room request depends on availability. Private rooms remain private, and a ghost-tour ticket does not authorize entry into them or independent access to closed areas. Check current tour policies and accessible options before booking.