Written by Stephen King, the 1980s film “The Shining” is one of the most famous classic horror movies, and many fans of the supernatural still enjoy watching it to this day. What many are unaware of, however, is that “The Shining” was based on a real location: the Stanley Hotel.

Located just a few miles away from Denver, by the opening of the Rocky Mountain National Park, the Stanley Hotel stands as one of the oldest hotels in the state. It was founded by Freelan Oscar Stanley, who traveled to the area in hopes of curing his tuberculosis. 

After a summer, he really was able to overcome his illness. Appreciative of the beautiful scenery and fresh air of the Rocky Mountain area, Stanley and his wife made plans to establish a hotel to share their admiration with others.

In 1909, the hotel finally opened for business. For years, many people viewed the hotel as a high-end location where people could rest and heal surrounded by nature. 

When the 1970s rolled around, however, the hotel was in shambles due to neglect and improper investment. The establishment was considered completely demolished, but when Stephen King experienced strange things during his stay in room 217, everything changed. 

In need of a getaway vacation from their kids, King and his wife booked a stay at the Stanley Hotel. It was the last day it was open for the season, and they thought it would be nice to relax as the only guests in the building. 

It was then that King had his famous nightmare. When he went to bed that night, he had a vivid nightmare of a huge, tangled firehose morphing to life to chase his son down the dark halls of the hotel as he watched, unable to do anything to help. The monstrous anomaly eventually caught up to his son and engulfed him. 

Awaking from his sleep, he contemplated his eerie dream of the death of his son. It was then that he conjured up the idea for a new book: The Shining. 

Even before his experience, however, many guests have reported paranormal activities. After Stanley died in 1940, many people believed that his ghost haunted the hotel. Some claim to have seen him by the bar and billiard room, and the apparition of his wife has been seen playing on the piano of the hotel. 

Many have also reported hearing whistling and child-like laughter outside their doors, and some have even gotten their hair pulled. A tour supervisor has even gotten mysteriously sick after stepping onto the first floor. 

To add to the creepiness of the hotel, there is also a set of underground caves below the building and a pet cemetery on the site. Stanley used to require workers to use the underground caves to serve the customers, and it is believed that some of their ghosts still linger down there.

It is not fully confirmed as to whether or not it truly is haunted, but with a sinister reputation and a plethora of strange stories, there is definitely something other-worldly going on in the Stanley Hotel.