Of all the places in the world rumored to be haunted, the most famous might be The Stanley Hotel. This hotel in Estes Park, Colorado has long been rumored to be haunted, and has frequently appeared on listings compiling the most haunted places in America. The hotel was rumored to be the inspiration for Stephen King’s best selling book The Shining, and was featured on an episode of the Sci-Fi Chanel show “Ghost Hunters.
The Stanley Hotel was built in 1908 by Freelan Stanley. Stanley gained fame as the owner of Stanley Steamer, and hoped to build a luxurious hotel in Colorado. Stanley wanted a hotel that catered to the rich and famous, and one that would make his wealthy friends feel welcome. He decided on Estes Park after spending time there the summer after he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He was given only six months to live, but far outlived that estimate. Stanley loved the area so much that he decided to built his lavish hotel there.
Earl Lord Dunraven of England was another man who had grand dreams of a lavish hotel in the Estes Park area of Colorado. On a hunting trip, Dunraven visited the area in 1872 and decided that he didn’t want to leave. He gathered 15,000 acres of land and built several buildings in the hopes of building a private hunting ground. Dunraven apparently bilked a number of locals out of their hard earned money, and was eventually forced to leave town. The area where he hoped to build his lavish hunting ground is where the Stanley Hotel currently sits.
Stanley began work on the hotel in 1906, using local products and labor. He designed the hotel as the perfect luxury resort for the rich and famous, and spared no expense. When the doors opened a few years later, visitors were treated to indoor plumbing, telephones, electric lights, and running water.
Almost from the time the Stanley Hotel opened, it has been plagued by rumors of ghosts. One of those ghosts is Freelan Stanley who has been spotted in some of his favorite places. Guests have sometimes seen the man standing in the Billiard Room, or in the lobby, while others have claimed to see him in the hotel bar. He tends to say nothing, and usually disappears when workers or guests try to talk to him.
Stanley’s wife Flora is another spirit associated with the hotel. Flora was a well known music lover, who delighted in playing the piano in the Music Room for hotel guests. During tours of the hotel, visitors and guides have been surprised to hear piano music coming from the Music Room. Visitors who open the door sometimes discover that the keys on the piano are moving, as if an unseen hand is pressing down on them. When they attempt to walk into the room, the music abruptly cuts off, and the keys stop moving.
The most famous haunting in the Stanley Hotel is that of Room 418. Stories of the room inspired Stephen King so much that he included a version of it in his novel The Shining, and it became a central plotline of the Stanley Kubrick film of the same name. The room is said to scare employees working in the hotel late at night because even unoccupied, strange noises come from the room. Some also claim to have seen the bed press down as if someone was sitting or laying on the bed, though no one is there. One guest even told employees of seeing a man with a mustache and a cowboy hat staring out of the window of Room 418, when no one was checked into the room.
Another common complaint of the Stanley Hotel is the sounds of children playing in the hallways. Visitors have sometimes called the front desk to complain, and employees are left to point out that no children are checked into the hotel, or staying on that floor. On other occasions employees have been sent upstairs to find the children, and found no one there. Others have reportedly complained to the staff the next day about the loud children on their floor.
The hotel has also been known to have unfriendly ghosts who do not respond well to practical jokes. On one occasion a woman left the word “redrum” on a bathroom mirror. The word was made popular by both the movie and book version of The Shining, and is murder spelled backwards. While moving down the stairs, something pushed her from behind and she fell down eight steps. A tour group in the area who saw the woman fall, as well as the woman herself, saw no one behind her and no one pushing her.
Directly across the hall from Room 408 sits Room 407, rumored to be haunted by Lord Dunraven. A face matching his description is sometimes seen looking out the window of the room. On other occasions guests have reported problems with the lights in their room, most particularly those near the bathroom. There are also stories of strange footsteps and an assortment of spirits seen throughout the hotel. A small boy has sometimes been spotted crying for his nanny on the second floor, and some claim Stephen King himself saw that spirit during a trip to the Stanley Hotel.
Whether the Stanley Hotel is haunted or not, visitors have the chance to see one of their own. The hotel has ghost tours available, even for travelers staying elsewhere. Its well worth checking out if you ever find yourself in Estes Park, Colorado.
Sources:
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/CP-EstesParkHaunting.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Hotel
http://www.stanleyhotel.com/
