There are affiliate links in here.  I get a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you.

For Halloween, I decided to share a post all about my spooky Stanley Hotel Ghost Tour.  I mean, what better time for this?  The first time I visited Estes Park we stopped in to see the Stanley Hotel but that was it.  Then, knowing we were going to be close for a couple nights, I decided to check and see if they did ghost tours.  They did and happened to have one ticket left for the next day so of course, I booked it.

I had no idea what to really expect, but I was very excited.  Like, I mentioned how excited I was at least once an hour.  You can choose from day and night tours.  From the descriptions, they sound pretty similar, one is just at night.  If you want a spookier tour, I’d go with a night one.

One thing to keep in mind, I don’t think this is officially a ghost tour of the Stanley Hotel.  It’s a historic night tour, but they will tell ghost stories and kind of tailor the talking topics to what the group is interested in, like ghost stories, Stephen King and The Shining, or history.  Or a combination of that.

I really want to stay here someday, but it wasn’t quite in the budget this time.  You can stay here though, and you can even stay in room 217, one of the most haunted rooms in the hotel.  They have The Lodge, The Stanley Hotel, Aspire, and Residences at The Stanley.  If you want one of the more haunted rooms, you’ll want to look for the “Spirited” rooms, but plan to spend more on those.  That will be room 217, 401, 407, and 428.  You can book rooms here.

Now to the tour!  My guide was Frankie and she new to tours, but awesome.  We got really lucky on our tour because all the rooms they usually take you into on the main floor were occupied for events so we got to go see the outside of 217 and the fourth floor, some of the most haunted areas of the hotel!  Definitely don’t expect this, though, because it’s not the norm.

We got to learn all about the history of the Stanley family, which, if you ask me, is quite impressive, how The Shining (book and movies) came about, and some of the stories behind the ghosts.  You’ll have to go on the tour yourself to hear the stories in part because I think it’s an awesome tour and I can’t actually share the stories here because copyright and I’m not interested in getting anyone in trouble.

While we didn’t experience any obvious ghostly activity (except a sticky door) I’m so glad that I did this.  I knew if I skipped it I would have kicked myself and wished that I had gone.  Now I just need to stay there.  I would also absolutely to another ghost tour at the Stanley Hotel so I could see thee rooms on the main floor that they usually go to and hear those stories.

Overall, I would definitely recommend a Stanley Hotel ghost tour to anyone that likes ghost tours, haunted experiences, or The Shining.  If you’re spending a day or two in Estes Park, this is a great way to end the day after hiking around Rocky Mountain National Park or wandering around the Estes Park shops.

We stayed in Longmont, which was just under an hour drive from Estes Park, and I thought that was a good option that was a little more budget-friendly.

Tips for doing a Stanley Hotel ghost tour:

• You’ll meet for the tour in the basement.  When we pulled in there was a sign that told tours where to go.
• While you can’t do any recordings, you can take pictures, so make sure to bring your camera, or at least your phone.
• It is $28 for non-guests and $25 for hotel guests for a night tour.  Children must be over 8 to go on a night tour.
• For a day tour, non-guests will pay $23 and hotel guests will pay $17.  Children must be over 8 for this tour as well.
• They do offer a family history tour if you’ve got younger kids.
• All tours are 75 minutes, except for the family tour, which is 50-60 minutes.
• Tours may go outside so if it’s cold, prepare for that.  The route will depend on the time of year and events currently happening at the hotel.
• Tours never go into guest rooms and night tours don’t go onto guest floors.  If you want to see the rooms, you’ll have to book one yourself and you can book rooms here.  Just remember, if you want a spooky room, go for one that is “Spirited.”
• This is the perfect spooky end to a day spent in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park.

Have you ever done a Stanley Hotel ghost tour?  What about a different ghost tour?  Would you ever stay at the Stanley Hotel?  How about in room 217?

Want more spooky inspiration?  Follow along!