The Stanley Hotel

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, is a world-renowned, allegedly haunted hotel that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining. Known for ghostly piano music, child laughter, and flickering lights, its most famous tales include housekeeper Elizabeth Wilson in Room 217 and owner Flora Stanley playing the piano in the concert hall.

• The Infamous Room 217: In 1911, housekeeper Elizabeth Wilson was caught in a gas explosion here. The legend claims her spirit remains, frequently unpacking, folding, and cleaning up for guests. Actor Jim Carrey reportedly had a terrifying experience in this room.
• The Fourth Floor & Children: The fourth floor is considered the most haunted area, with guests reporting the sounds of children running and playing in the hallways at night, even when no children are staying there.
• Flora Stanley’s Piano: Flora, wife of founder F.O. Stanley, is said to still play the piano in the music room, with many reporting ghostly, phantom melodies.
• The “Vortex” and Other Activity: The hotel is believed to sit on a geological anomaly of limestone and granite that conducts energy. Other, more sinister legends include the “Vortex” on the grand staircase, which some believe traps spirits, and the ghost of a former owner in room 407.
• Stephen King’s Inspiration: King stayed in Room 217 in 1974, and after dreaming of his son being chased by a fire hose, he was inspired to write The Shining. 

The hotel actively embraces its reputation, offering ghost tours and paranormal investigations.