Filed under: Famous Homes, Cool Homes
Set amid the Colorado Rockies, this historic hotel inspired Stephen King's "The Shining" -- but that's just one of its many ghost stories.THE STYLE: Built in 1909 by F.O. Stanley, inventor of the Stanley Steamer, the hotel is a sprawling turn-of-the-century estate set within Estes Park. It's a grand example of Georgian Revival architecture -- particularly in its bell tower, which offers a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. Inside, the grand staircase has four different types of spindles, each symbolizing one of the four seasons.
THE GHOSTS: King stayed once in room 217 -- one of the most famous rooms in the hotel -- and encountered ghosts during his visit, including a pair of "spirit children" in a hallway on the fourth floor. The estate's Concert Hall is believed home to two spirits: Lucy, the ghost of a homeless woman who moved into the hotel after arguing with her parents; and Paul, a maintenance man who had a heart attack in 2005 while shoveling snow. Room 401 -- the former nanny's lounge -- is believed haunted by a man who sometimes appears, then opens and closes the doors. Guests have heard Flora Stanley's piano mysteriously playing and sometimes music inexplicably drifts from the MacGregor Ballroom.