The Overlook Hotel Deception: Was 'The Shining' Really Filmed At The Stanley Hotel?

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, is arguably the most famous haunted hotel in America, perpetually linked to the chilling tale of the Overlook Hotel. For decades, a persistent myth has circulated among horror fans and casual movie-goers alike: that this grand, historic establishment served as the primary filming location for Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 cinematic masterpiece, The Shining. This belief, while understandable given the hotel's deep connection to the source material, is factually incorrect.

As of December 2025, the definitive and most current answer is that the iconic Stanley Kubrick film was not filmed at the Stanley Hotel. The hotel’s true role is much more profound—it is the direct, terrifying muse for Stephen King’s 1977 novel. The actual filming locations for the 1980 movie were split between a majestic lodge in Oregon for the exterior shots and a massive, custom-built soundstage in England for the interiors, a choice that speaks volumes about Kubrick’s meticulous vision.

The True Origin Story: Stephen King and Room 217

To understand the Stanley Hotel's connection to *The Shining*, one must first turn to the author, Stephen King. In October 1974, King and his wife, Tabitha King, checked into the Stanley Hotel on the very last night of the season before it closed for the winter. They were the only guests in the entire 140-room hotel.

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This eerie isolation, combined with the hotel's historic grandeur and secluded mountain location in Estes Park, Colorado, provided the perfect psychological backdrop for a horror story.

The Infamous Room 217

The Kings were given what was considered the best suite at the time: Room 217. It was here that King experienced a nightmare so vivid it directly inspired the novel's central conflict. He dreamt of his three-year-old son, Joe King, being chased through the hotel’s long corridors by a fire hose that came to life.

The hotel already had a reputation for paranormal activity. Room 217, in particular, was rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a former housekeeper, Elizabeth Wilson, who was injured in an explosion there in 1911. This real-life haunted history, coupled with King's terrifying dream, was the catalyst for creating the fictional Overlook Hotel and the tormented character of Jack Torrance. The room number was changed to Room 237 in the 1980 film at the request of the Timberline Lodge, the exterior location, because they did not want to discourage guests from booking their own Room 217.

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Where Stanley Kubrick's 1980 Film Was Actually Shot

Despite the Stanley Hotel's profound influence on the narrative, director Stanley Kubrick made the decisive choice to film his adaptation entirely elsewhere. Kubrick, known for his obsession with control and detail, opted for a combination of a real-life exterior location and a massive, controlled studio environment.

The Exterior: Timberline Lodge, Oregon

The sweeping, establishing shots of the Overlook Hotel, showcasing its isolated majesty against a snow-capped mountain, are not the Stanley Hotel. The exterior used for the film was the Timberline Lodge, a historic National Historic Landmark located on the south side of Mount Hood in Oregon.

A key difference to note is the sign. Kubrick's film features a sign for the "Overlook Hotel," but the actual building is the Timberline Lodge. Furthermore, the hedge maze, a crucial element in the film's climax, does not exist at the Timberline Lodge; it was built on a soundstage for the movie. The lodge requested that Kubrick change the famously haunted room number from 217 (as in the book) to 237, as the Timberline Lodge actually has a Room 217 and feared guests would refuse to stay there.

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The Interiors: Elstree Studios, England

The vast majority of the film’s chilling interior scenes—including the iconic Gold Room ballroom, the spacious lobby, the unsettling red bathroom, and the long, geometrically patterned corridors where Danny Torrance rides his tricycle—were all filmed on massive soundstages at EMI Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, England.

Kubrick’s decision to use a studio set, rather than a real hotel, was strategic. It allowed him to:

• Control Spatial Geography: Kubrick could design a hotel layout that was intentionally confusing and labyrinthine, creating a sense of unease and wrongness that wouldn't be possible in a real, functioning hotel.
• Manage Lighting and Snow: Filming in a controlled environment allowed for consistent lighting and the creation of the massive snow and exterior sets necessary for the winter scenes, which would have been logistically impossible in a remote location like the Stanley Hotel or Timberline Lodge.
• Achieve Architectural Grandeur: The interior design drew inspiration from several American hotels, including the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park and the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, not the Stanley Hotel.

The Stanley Hotel's Redemption: The 1997 Miniseries

While Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film is the most famous adaptation, it is not the only one. Stephen King was famously dissatisfied with Kubrick’s version, feeling it strayed too far from his novel’s core themes of domestic violence and alcoholism.

King took matters into his own hands and produced a television miniseries in 1997, directed by Mick Garris. This version was a much more faithful adaptation of the novel and, crucially, was filmed almost entirely at the actual Stanley Hotel.

The miniseries, starring Steven Weber as Jack Torrance, utilized the real Stanley Hotel as the Overlook Hotel, fulfilling King’s original vision. King even had a hand in designing some of the interior sets to better match his textual descriptions, cementing the Stanley Hotel's status as the true physical embodiment of the Overlook Hotel.

This dual history—the novel's inspiration and the miniseries' filming location—is why the confusion persists. The Stanley Hotel is not just a landmark; it is a vital entity in the lore of *The Shining*, offering popular ghost tours, a hedge maze of its own (added after the film), and a constant stream of visitors eager to stay in the haunted Room 401 or the infamous Room 217.

Key Entities and Locations in The Shining Universe

The complex history of *The Shining* involves a rich tapestry of real and fictional locations and people, all contributing to its enduring legacy in horror literature and film. Key entities include:

• People: Stephen King, Stanley Kubrick, Jack Torrance, Wendy Torrance, Danny Torrance, Tabitha King, Joe King, Shelley Duvall, Jack Nicholson, Steven Weber, Mick Garris.
• Fictional Locations: The Overlook Hotel, Room 237, The Gold Room, The Red Bathroom.
• Real Locations: The Stanley Hotel (Estes Park, Colorado), Timberline Lodge (Mount Hood, Oregon), Elstree Studios (Borehamwood, England), Ahwahnee Hotel, Arizona Biltmore Hotel.
• Related Works: *The Shining* (Novel, 1977), *The Shining* (Film, 1980), *The Shining* (Miniseries, 1997), *Doctor Sleep* (Novel and Film Sequel).