F. (Feelan) O. Stanley and his twin brother, Francis sold their photo plate business to Eastman Kodak to venture into the auto industry.  The inventors of the Stanley Steamer Automobile produced their first car in 1897.  They were the first to drive a car to the top of the 7.6 mile Mt. Washington in New Hampshire.

They sold this design and formed the Stanley Motor Carriage Company in 1902.

Freelan suffered from TB which prompted his moved from New England to Colorado where he built his pride and joy, The Stanley Hotel, deep in the Rocky Mountains off Steamer Drive in Estes Park, Colorado in 1909, 9 years before selling off his automobile company.  He was also responsible for establishing the Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park Fairgrounds and Stanley Park.  He perished of a heart attack in 1940 and is buried at a family plot in Newton, Massachusetts.  It is said that you can find him roaming the halls and the lobby of the hotel, making sure that everything is running properly and spending time with his wife.

One year prior to F.O.’s death, his wife, Flora had a stroke in the lobby of the hotel.  Having been a very accomplished piano player, it is said that she will still have a seat there in the lobby area and play a piece on the piano for her guests.  This reportedly started immediately after her death.

The hotel had to be pretty creepy in order to inspire Stephen King’s, “The Shining” after his stay in room 217 in 1973.  He had arrived just before the hotel was ready to close for the winter and, after roaming the halls and getting lost, he must have stumbled upon the ghosts of the children on the 4th floor who play in the halls.

Jim Carey was at the hotel for the filming of, “Dumb and Dumber.”  If you ever run into him, you should ask him why he packed his belongings and left the hotel without a word as to why, after spending only 2 short hours in room 217.

Hundreds of ghosts who checked in to this hotel have apparently never checked out.  The activity is so frequent that the main topic during breakfast each morning is “who experienced what the night before!”  There has been reported activity from ever room and even from the employee access tunnel under the main building.

Take a few minutes and view this video below from “The Most Terrifying Places,” to hear from the caretaker and get a quick feel of what the hotel looks like as he talks about the different paranormal guests who frequent this magnificent hotel.

Elizabeth Wilson, a housekeeper at the hotel is said to haunt room 217.  Many guests since the 1950’s have reported that they’ve received extra housekeeping in that room, such as their clothes being unpacked and put away.  You can hear more of her story in the short tour video below.

For those of you who would like a little tour of the place, press play for a guided tour with more fascinating information.

If you are short on witnesses for your marriage, you can get married here and I’m sure one of the ghosts will stand up for you.

I even checked the packages for you.  The Stanley Hotel offers a “Ghost Adventure Package,” which includes “a guaranteed 4th floor room, a K-2 meter per reservation, a glow in the dark Stanley Hotel squishy ghost per person, and one REDRUM mug per person.”  Save yourself some money and book 30 days in advance for 20% off your booking cost.

I was very excited to see that they have a “ghost laundromat!!”  That is, until I put my glasses on.  Sorry.  It’s just a “guest laundromat.”  I was going to book just so one of the ghosts would do my laundry!

Stay if you will, but remember, you may check in alone, but at this hotel, you are NEVER alone!!

If you have enjoyed this post, follow me on Facebook at Where The Ghosts Live – The Haunted United States. You can also read posts of other haunted locations by checking out the categories section in the side bar to the left.

I have another blog site that is geared toward helping people reduce stress and increase peace and happiness in your life.  I hope you will visit me there as well at The Peace and Happiness Project ~ Missy Bell.

SOURCES:

• The Stanley Hotel (Most Terrifying Places in America) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM4AKi09DYU

• The Stanley Grand Heritage Main Site ! Haunted Hotel and Haunted History Section
• Stanley Hotel Ghost Tour – Room 217 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8V56yqHc1c
• Website, “Wikipedia,” Picture of Autos and misc information about F.O. Stanley – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Motor_Carriage_Company
• Website, “Find a Grave,” Freelan Oscar Stanley – http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10840959