Visit the ghosts of the Stanley Hotel
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park is a famous hotel rumored to be haunted by ghosts, and this small town can provide a Halloween-themed vacation for the weary college student looking for a mellow, yet scary weekend.
Only 45 minutes away from Boulder exists the “haunted hotel” that inspired Stephen King to write “The Shining.”
Despite popular legend, “The Shining” was not actually filmed at the Stanley Hotel, though King did lock himself in room 217 in order to begin writing the novel, according to the Stanley Hotel’s Web Site. But King’s work still attracts a large number of guests searching for a reason to scare themselves into staying in room 217.
According to Fodor’s, a travel website, the Stanley Hotel was the first hotel in the world to have electricity when it opened in 1909. The Stanley is located on 35 acres of land that was bought by Mr. F.O. Stanley (the inventor of the Stanley Steamer) from the previous owner, Lord Dunraven.
Eric Crawford, 23, employee at the Stanley Hotel, said Lord Dunraven is rumored to haunt the fourth floor of the hotel.
Crawford said various reports from guests over the years have noted that the ghost seems to lurk around the bathroom door in room 407, switching lights on and off. On the same floor, guests have heard ghost children giddily playing in the hallways.
“We have night auditors that are here that have heard it. I’ve never seen anything. I have seen a bunch of pictures though,” Crawford said.
Stanley’s ghost prefers to hang out in the Billiards Room, one of his favorite rooms from when he was alive. Late at night, there have been rumors that the eerie notes of a piano being played by the ghost of Flora Stanley can be heard downstairs. The piano is her original piano, over 100 years old.
To experience the ghosts for yourself, the hotel has ghost tours that can be reserved for $10 per person.
If you would rather go to a Halloween party than lurk around as a ghost hunter, the Stanley Hotel is hosting “The Shining Ball” on Oct. 27. Tickets are $85 for a night of dinner, dancing and prizes. In order to go, guests must be over 21 and fully costumed.
In downtown Estes Park, there is another ghost tour that takes people around historic buildings that have had ghost sightings. Tickets cost $20 per person.
“It’s gotten very popular. We run two rides every night starting Oct. 19 and 20, and then every weekend until Halloween,” said Julie Taylor, the tour’s marketing director.
To reserve a spot on the ghost tours in historic Estes Park, call (970)-577-6400.
For $150-$200 per night, guests can stay at the historically haunted Stanley Hotel and spend Halloween in Estes Park. Reservations can be made online.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Sarah Stern at sterns@colorado.edu.
