The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado

The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado

N 40° 22.972’  W 105° 31.154’

Today is Halloween!  What would Halloween be without a good ghost story? Or two?  Or three!  Let’s go 7500 feet up into the Rocky Mountains to Estes Park, Colorado, and pay a visit to The Stanley Hotel, home of many a ghost story - and maybe even a few ghosts!

A Stanley Steamer in the lobby
Photo: Wally Gobetz

The Stanley Hotel is a beautiful, old Georgian-revival hotel perched on an overlook with a spectacular view of the surrounding Rockies.  The 138-room hotel was built by F. O. Stanley, co-inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile.  Stanley and his wife, Flora, came to Estes Park in 1903 to provide Stanley some relief from tuberculosis.  The clean, crisp air and high altitude must have done him good because Stanley made a miraculous recovery.  A few years later, Stanley purchased 160 acres of land from the Earl of Dunraven and began construction of a grand hotel.  Its ultra-modern amenities included running water, electricity, and telephones.  The hotel did not have heating back then because it was built for summer use only.  In 1909, the Stanley Hotel opened for business as an elite destination for the rich and famous.  Congress passed the Rocky Mountain National Park act in 1915 and soon tourists were braving the high altitude to take in the beauty and serenity of this special place.  F. O. built a road from Lyons and had guests ferried to and from the hotel in Stanley Steamers.  Famous guests include John Phillip Sousa, “unsinkable” Molly Brown, Teddy Roosevelt, Billy Graham, Bob Dillon, and Johnny Cash.      

As the decades passed, employees and guests witnessed strange happenings around the old hotel.  Music was often heard coming from Flora’s piano in the Music Room - but on investigation, no one was at the keyboard.  Loud parties were heard in the MacGregor Room – without a soul in sight.  Mr. Stanley has been seen passing through the lobby and in the billiard room on other occasions.  The fourth floor is particularly prone to paranormal activity with sounds of children playing in the halls and a man who hides in the closet of Room 401.  Lord Dunraven himself is said to prefer Room 407.  The ghost of maid (and gas explosion survivor) Elizabeth Wilson neatens up Room 217, sometimes even unpacking guests’ luggage while they’re out. 

All work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy.

In 1974, horror writer Stephen King and his wife stayed in Room 217 near the end of the season when the hotel was virtually empty.  King reported seeing a young lad calling out of a second floor window to his nanny even though there were no children staying at the hotel at the time.  His stay at The Stanley inspired his novel The Shining.  Today, hotel guests can watch Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining on a continuous loop on Channel 42 of their room’s TV.

Adding fuel to the fire, The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) visited The Stanley twice in 2006 for the SyFy program Ghost Hunters.   Jason stayed in Room 401 and claimed the bed moved, a water glass broke, and the closet door opened and closed.  Grant, Dave and Lisa were startled when a table suddenly flew in the air.  Jason and Grant heard a spooky ‘Hello’ from the end of a servant’s tunnel.

Needless to say, ghosts are now a major attraction at The Stanley Hotel.  The Ghost and History Tour ($15 for adults, advanced reservation required!) take visitors through the hotel to see the most haunted rooms.  They climb into Room 401’s closet in hopes of being touched by its ghostly inhabitant.  If they are lucky, they will witness a ghost named Matthew tugging on the skirt of the tour guide.  The Concert Hall Tour ($7 a person, no children allowed) goes to the most haunted building at the Stanley to visit Lucy, a transient who froze to death years ago.  Lucy may close the door to her room when encouraged by the visitors.  The ghost of Paul the maintenance man lurks in the shadows of his room but can’t hide his temperature profile.  For visitors who just can’t get enough of this stuff, there is the $50, five-hour monthly Ghost Hunt where visitors seek out paranormal activity.  The Stanley must deliver on all this ghost watching because the Internet is loaded with eerie images taken in its hallways and guest rooms.  My favorites are the ones with mysterious globes hanging in air…or maybe they’re just lens flares.

Happy Halloween!