Watching The Shining in one go was a horrifying experience for me, I am not gonna lie! It has all the elements for the creepiest horror movie you can imagine, the kind that gives you endless chills. But what if I told you that the backstory is creepier? The original hotel on which The Overlook Hotel in the movie was based on has actually seen some really freaky things. From dark past events to paranormal activities, the hotel attracts tons of horror-movie fans each year. It’s called The Stanley Hotel and is a 142-4oom colonial revival hotel.
And The Stanley Hotel has a lot of creepy facts that not many people know of. So, if you’d like to know more about it and be freaked out, then scroll down.
1. Inspired By A Nightmare At The Hotel
It was in September of 1974 when Stephen King spent a night at The Stanley Hotel with his wife Tabby. They were put up in room 217 and were in fact, the only guests on the entire property. The same night, Stephen had a bad dream about his young three-year-old son being chased by a firehose while screaming and running through the corridors in the hotel. Stephen then woke up sweating profusely, within an inch of falling out of bed. And he had already mapped the entire premise of his book, The Shining, in his mind by the time he got up and finished a cigarette.
2. The Hotel Has Witnessed A Gas Explosion Earlier
The Stanley Hotel actually opened in 1909 and it was famous for being one of the only few hotels in the world that were completely powered by modern electricity. But on the other hand, it was located at such an isolated place, they had to set up an auxiliary gas lighting system and that’s what exploded a couple of years later. The result of the explosion was a part of the hotel being wrecked, eight people being injured and Ms. Elizabeth Wilson, the hotel maid, being hurled from the second to the first floor. She broke both of her ankles in this accident.
3. Paranormal Activities Start After The Explosion
Reports of paranormal activities at the hotel started coming in right after the gas explosion that happened in 1911. But during his stay, Stephen did not encounter any paranormal experiences. But the creepy fact is, Stephen and Tabby stayed in the exact same room (room 219), the room where Ms. Elizabeth was hurled down during the explosion from.
4. Ghost Sightings Reported
Freelan Oscar Stanley and his wife, Flora, were the hotel Founders. They both died in 1939 and 1940, respectively. But several people who visited the hotel reported they had seen Mr. Stanley’s ghost hovering behind employees at the reception. And that’s not all! Flora, too, can be heard playing the piano in the hotel’s music room.
Well, that’s one hotel I’d definitely stay away from, thanks to The Shining. Would you visit The Stanley Hotel? Let us know in the comments below.
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