10 Film and Television Filming Locations Open to the Public

10. The Stanley Hotel - Where Horror Comes to Life

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, stands as one of the most famous horror filming locations in cinematic history, serving as the inspiration for Stephen King's "The Shining" and the primary filming location for the 1997 television miniseries adaptation. This grand colonial revival hotel, opened in 1909 by inventor F.O. Stanley, provided King with the atmospheric inspiration for the fictional Overlook Hotel during his stay in room 217, where he experienced the isolation and eerie ambiance that would become central to his terrifying novel. While Stanley Kubrick's iconic 1980 film adaptation used exterior shots of the Timberline Lodge in Oregon and interior sets built in England, the Stanley Hotel embraced its connection to the story and now offers specialized tours that explore both the real history of the hotel and its fictional legacy. Visitors can stay in the same room where King conceived his masterpiece, explore the hotel's allegedly haunted fourth floor, and participate in ghost tours that blend the hotel's genuine paranormal reputation with its literary and cinematic significance. The hotel's grand ballroom, elegant dining rooms, and sprawling corridors provide the same sense of isolated grandeur that made it perfect for horror storytelling, while its location in the Colorado Rockies creates the same sense of winter isolation that drives the narrative tension in King's novel. The Stanley has fully embraced its horror heritage, hosting film festivals, paranormal investigations, and special events that celebrate both classic and contemporary horror cinema, while maintaining its function as a luxury mountain resort that attracts visitors for reasons beyond its spooky reputation.