The Stanley Hotel facts for kids
The Stanley Hotel is a famous hotel with 142 rooms in Estes Park, Colorado, United States. It is built in a style called Colonial Revival, which means it looks like grand old houses from early American history. The hotel is located close to the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park, a beautiful place to visit.
The hotel first opened its doors on July 4, 1909. It was built by a man named Freelan Oscar Stanley, who was well-known for creating the Stanley Steamer cars. He wanted to build a special place for wealthy guests to relax and enjoy the fresh mountain air. It also served as a place where people with illnesses like tuberculosis could come to rest and recover.
Today, the Stanley Hotel and the buildings around it are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites that are protected.
The Stanley Hotel is also famous because it inspired the scary Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's popular 1977 novel, The Shining. Later, the hotel was also used as a filming location for the 1997 TV miniseries based on King's book.
Contents
Welcome to The Stanley Hotel
The Stanley Hotel is a grand and historic building in the mountains of Colorado. It has many rooms and a unique style that makes it stand out. People from all over the world come to visit this special place. It's known for its beautiful views and its interesting past.
A Look Back: How It Started
The hotel was built by Freelan Oscar Stanley, a very clever inventor. He was famous for making cars that ran on steam, called Stanley Steamers. Mr. Stanley wanted to create a fancy resort where people could escape the heat of the city. He also believed the clean mountain air would be good for people's health. So, he built the hotel as a place for people to get better if they were sick. It opened its doors over 100 years ago, on a summer day in 1909.
The Shining Connection
One of the most exciting things about the Stanley Hotel is its link to a famous scary story. The author Stephen King stayed at the hotel once. He was so inspired by his visit that he wrote his bestselling novel, The Shining. In the book, the hotel is called the Overlook Hotel, and it's a very spooky place. Even though the book is fiction, the Stanley Hotel's look and feel helped King imagine his story. Later, a TV show based on The Shining was actually filmed at the Stanley Hotel, making it even more famous!
Images for kids
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The Lodge at the Stanley Hotel
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June 2008
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February 2011
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South elevation
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Lobby looking east
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Music room looking south
