Get to know the true story of “The Shining”, one of the most memorable horror movies of all times.
It all started with a dream … during a Halloween night in 1974, Stephen King dreamed his son was screaming, with a deep horror on his face as he was chased by a fire hose, along the hall of a hotel.
When Stephen King woke up, he went to the window of the hotel where he was staying and began to admire the rocky mountains that adjoined a black sky, and this was the moment where he was inspired to write one of the greatest horror stories: “The Shining”.
The hotel where this crucial episode happened in the life of Stephen King and many of us, horror fans, is the Stanley Hotel, located in Colorado, United States, where not only King had a dream, but he experienced paranormal events with his wife.
The hotel is known for being one of the most haunted in North America; This place was another element that inspired the writer to create his creepy novel.
During the stay of King and his wife, who accompanied him, they slept in room 217, and although it seems difficult to believe, they were the only guests inside the sinister hotel, since the tourist complex only opened its doors a few months in the year, and closed shortly before winter came, by October 30 when the couple arrived, it was already the end of the season.
The first mysterious event that the couple lived, was when they returned to the room shortly after dinner in the desolate dining room, because upon entering, all their belongings were messy, as if someone had shaken their bags, but not someone human, because the employees said that nobody entered.
Another paranormal incident happened during the morning when King walked by himself along the corridors of the hotel, he saw how the carpet moved as if by it was being controlled with magic.
This is the information that Stephen King shared with the media, however, the dark legend tells that he also had an encounter with ghost children wandering in the hotel, in addition to attending a party, where the other guests were spirits from beyond.
And although Stephen King’s story ends here and his visit to the haunted place, it´s not where the hotel’s story ends with respect to the paranormal, as both hotel employees and guests, they report having witnessed spooky manifestations. Children’s spirits living inside the hotel, silhouettes of children crossing the walls, the voices and laughter of little ones rumbling between the rooms and the long corridors of the hotel.
Another type of manifestations is that the belongings of the guests are inexplicably moved from the place, noises of invisible presences emanate inside the rooms, the lights blink sinisterly and the sink taps open themselves.
But without a doubt, the paranormal focus of the hotel is room 418, currently closed, because there lives an evil ghost that in the past frightened guests during the early morning to leave, always appearing furious in the corner of the room.
Despite the fact this hotel remains haunted, it is still quite popular and you can even take a tour, if you gather enough bravery to do it.
Daily tours are incredibly popular, four different types of historical and haunted tours throughout the year. The Historic Stanley Night Tour takes you on a haunting evening through different dark spaces from the hotel, it introduces you to the active phenomena and spirit folklore that embraces this 100+-year-old hotel.
There is also another, more friendly tour: The Historic Stanley Family Friends Tour with a more fun approach, it is an interactive tour in which kids can participate in very special I-spy games and other activities.
A third type of tour with a more historical approach is the day tour, where you will be able to explore the hotel while learning about its background story and also its impact on pop culture.
Due to its high ghostly activity, paranormal tours are held at the hotel, would you dare to go?