by Denise Calaman

Created on: October 06, 2010   Last Updated: October 07, 2010

The beautiful Colorado town of Estes Park is home to the Stanley Hotel, the beautiful, large hotel that gave novelist Steven King his inspiration to write one of his most famous novels, “The Shining”.  The inspiration came to King after he and his wife Tabitha stayed at the Stanley, alone, after it was closed for the season.    Although King’s story is just a novel and the haunting of the fictitious Overlook Hotel is just a part of Stephen King’s great literary imagination, the Stanley Hotel is reported to be a paranormal hotbed of ghostly activity. The Stanley Hotel gives ghost tours daily but tourists beware you don't have to look very far to find ghosts at the Stanley.

First time visitors to the hotel are often awestruck by its beauty.  The hotel sits overlooking Estes Park, located just a few miles from majestic Rocky Mountain National Park.  Built in 1909 by Freelan O. Stanley it was a popular hotel for the east coast, wealthy elite looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the east. 

Freelan and his wife Flora owned the Stanley for many years until their deaths.  They are only two of the many spirits believed to linger inside the Stanley.  It is reported that Flora likes to haunt the hotel’s ballroom and to play its piano.  

In July of 2009 my family and I found ourselves vacationing near Estes Park and decided to visit the Stanley and to take a ghost tour of the legendary hotel.  The tour was fascinating and very educational.  Our tour guide gave us a lot of background information about the history of the hotel but then as we headed upstairs the story of the Stanley turned more gruesome. And I would like to take the time to state that I am not a believer.  I don’t believe in ghosts.  But I will admit that there are things that happened at the Stanley that I can’t explain. 

Stephen and Tabitha King stayed in room 217 during their stay at the Stanley.  This room is said to be the most haunted room in the hotel although when we were there the room was occupied so we weren’t allowed to see inside the room.  But beside room 217 is a staircase leading to the third floor of the hotel. 

Our tour guide told us that ghosts at the Stanley like to hang out on the stairs.  After he said that tourist’s flashbulbs were going off from every direction.  The tour guide said to us, “Don’t

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