10 Facts About the Real-Life Hotel That Inspired The Shining

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Did The Shining scar you for life the first time you saw it? Yeah, same. The classic horror movie has everything that could possibly creep you out and force you to run under your covers with no intention of ever resurfacing: supernatural forces, the slow-burning insanity of main character Jack Torrance, and, most importantly, an isolated hotel in the mountains as the backdrop for the terror that ensues. If only you could visit the Overlook Hotel and feel the bone-chilling energy of the movie for yourself . . . oh wait, you can!

While the Overlook Hotel from the movie doesn’t actually exist, it is based on The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO: a 142-room colonial revival hotel nestled in the Rocky Mountains. Although parts of its interior have been renovated, the hotel still gives off a turn-of-the-century, ghostly energy that attracts tons of horror-movie fans every year. Constructed in 1909 as a resort for the upper-class society of the Northeast, the hotel has retained its historic facade and even offers “spirited” rooms with high paranormal activity for lovers of ghosts and everything occult. Ready to learn more about the hotel that inspired the classic film that gave basically everyone nightmares for life? Read on . . . if you dare.

Related: You Can Stay Overnight at One of the US's Most Notorious Murder Houses, and the Photos Will Give You Chills

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