The Historic Stanley Hotel Holds Otis Relics and Haunted Stories

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, is widely considered to be one of the most “haunted” hotels in the U.S., yet its white buildings with rust-red roofs hold a piece of elevator history. The hotel was built by Freelan Oscar Stanley in 1909, the same year one of the earliest, supposedly 16th, Otis elevators was installed. The Otis elevator has been modernized over its 100 years of continuous service yet still retains the look and feel of early 20th century design. While the manually opened doors were modified to conform to today’s automatic door standards, the original hand crank mechanism, sans crank, can still be found on the elevator’s wall. However, the historic Otis elevator is not the main draw for tourists to the Stanley Hotel.

The hotel, located in a picturesque valley, is approaching its 116th anniversary, and with 116 years of history comes secrets, haunts and the conception of one of the most famous horror novels of all time. While the hotel was said to be haunted before Stephen King ever stepped foot in room 217, King brought a new level of horror to the Stanley Hotel. In 1974, King was traveling through Estes Park with his wife. Due to a snowed-in road, they became unscheduled visitors of the Stanley for a night during its off season. With no choice but to walk the empty halls of the hotel where visitors have reported accounts of doors slamming, beds shaking and lights flickering across the property, King found his inspiration for The Shining. King even claims he was “haunted” by a possessed fire hose during his stay. While the film adaptation of the book (not filmed at the Stanley) includes famous imagery of a blood-filled elevator — which has also become a piece of elevator history, for better or worse — the Stanley has the hauntingly beautiful early Otis elevator on display instead.