1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,100 Up in the rocky mountains where the peaks seem to touch the heavens sits the Stanley 2 00:00:05,100 --> 00:00:12,680 Hotel, a place where history and haunting intertwine. Perched on the edge of Estes Park, 3 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:17,920 this grand old resort isn't just known for its luxury, but for the ghostly tales that 4 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:25,400 echo through its halls. Built by Freeland Oscar Stanley, the man behind the Stanley 5 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:32,000 Hammer, the hotel later inspired Stephen King's The Shining, and became a haven for paranormal 6 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:33,920 activity. 7 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:40,320 From the eerie happenings in Room Tune 17 to ghostly piano tunes in The Dead of Night, 8 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:46,440 the Stanley's reputation for the unexplained is as strong as its history. Whether it's 9 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:52,240 ghost hunters exploring the haunted tunnels or visitors drawn by the view, the Stanley 10 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:58,860 Hotel remains a place where past and present collide. And the supernatural waits just 11 00:00:58,860 --> 00:01:01,680 out of sight. 12 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:08,360 Welcome to Kentucky Melodies America's scariest stories, where we bring you ghostly legends, 13 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:14,840 spooky haunts, and bone-chilling tales from all over this great land. These stories will 14 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:20,960 have you looking over your shoulder all night, so pull up a chair, dim them lights, and let's 15 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:25,400 dive into the eerie and unexplained. 16 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:32,040 Now let me tell y'all about a man who weren't content to just sit back and let life happen, 17 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:38,960 Freeland Oscar Stanley. This feller wasn't just any old dreamer, he was the kind who 18 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:46,720 turned his visions into real, touchable things. Known far and wide for co-creating the Stanley 19 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:53,600 steamer automobile, Stanley had a knack for taking ideas and making them roar to life. 20 00:01:53,600 --> 00:02:02,200 But back in 1903, his path took a sharp, dark turn. He came down with tuberculosis, a disease 21 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:07,480 that was mighty often a death sentence in those days. Doctors told him, playing his 22 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:12,400 day that if he wanted to keep breathing, he best head to the mountains where the air was 23 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,720 crisp and clean. 24 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:21,040 Stanley made his way to Estes Park, Colorado, a place that weren't nothing more than a 25 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:27,760 patch of wild wilderness at the time. The valley was rugged and untamed, with jagged 26 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:34,840 peaks rising up like guardians watching over the land. For most folks, it was a land too 27 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:42,160 harsh to settle, but for Stanley, it was a breath of fresh air in more ways than one. 28 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:48,600 That mountain air seemed to work miracles, pulling him back from the brink of death. 29 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:55,520 Within just a few months he weren't just surviving, he was thriving. But Stanley wasn't the kind 30 00:02:55,520 --> 00:03:02,280 to just sit still, no sir. He started looking round and seeing something nobody else seemed 31 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,640 to, potential. 32 00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:13,160 Where others saw isolation, Stanley saw opportunity. He imagined a place where folks could escape 33 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:20,680 the chaos of city life, breathe deep of that mountain air, and experience something grand. 34 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:27,520 His mind was alight with the idea of transforming Estes Park into a world-class destination. 35 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:32,200 He weren't just dreaming, he was planning. 36 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:38,320 Stanley poured his fortune and know-how into building what had become the Stanley Hotel. 37 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:43,960 By 1909, that dream was a reality. 38 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:49,720 Standin' tall, with its colonial revival design, the hotel gleamed like a jewel against the 39 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:56,800 rugged backdrop of the Rockies. It weren't just pretty, neither, it was modern. 40 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:02,680 Stanley brought in electricity, telephones, and every luxury a city slicker could want. 41 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:07,360 And get this, he even had a fleet of his Stanley steamer cars ready to whisk guests 42 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:15,400 up the mountain roads, showing off not just his resort, but his pride and joy on wheels. 43 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:21,800 What Stanley built wasn't just a hotel, it was a marvel, an oasis of refinement in a 44 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,960 place where nature still reigned supreme. 45 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:31,000 Those who stayed there felt like they were stepping into another world, one where elegance 46 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:37,720 and the wild existed side by side. And it was all thanks to the vision and grit of one 47 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:43,280 man who refused to give up, even when life tried to take him down. 48 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:49,480 Now, let me take y'all back to the roots of Estes Valley, a place steeped in history 49 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:55,800 as much as it's bathed in natural beauty. This here stretch of Colorado land, where 50 00:04:55,800 --> 00:05:03,040 the Stanley Hotel now stands, owes its name to a man named Joel Estes. He weren't no 51 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:08,840 stranger to taking risks or setting out on bold adventures. 52 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:14,040 Originally from Kentucky, Estes was the kind of feller who looked at the wild frontier 53 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:23,200 and saw promise, not peril. In 1859, Joel packed up his kin and headed west, drawn to 54 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:28,680 this rugged valley by the lure of its fertile meadows and the abundance of game Roman the 55 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:35,960 land. To a cattleman like him, it must have looked like paradise, a place where a man 56 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:42,120 could carve out a life with his own two hands. He built a homestead smack dab in the heart 57 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:48,440 of the valley, planting roots in a land that was as wild as it was beautiful. The Estes 58 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:53,960 family quickly grew attached to the place, their days filled with the kind of hard work 59 00:05:53,960 --> 00:06:01,720 and simple pleasures that define a life close to nature. But life out there wasn't easy, 60 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:09,160 and Joel Estes eventually decided to move on. Even so, his name stayed behind, etched 61 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:15,720 into the land he'd come to love. As more folks made their way to this part of Colorado, 62 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:21,160 drawn by the same beauty that had captured Joel's heart, they started calling it Estes 63 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:29,960 Park. Over time, the name stuck, and the valley began to take on a reputation of its own. 64 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:37,520 By the late 1800s, Estes Valley was no longer just a rugged frontier. It had become a sanctuary 65 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:44,800 for those seeking the healing powers of nature. Word spread about the clean mountain air, a 66 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:50,240 stunning vistas, and the sense of peace that seemed to settle over anyone lucky enough 67 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:57,320 to set foot there. Travelers, health seekers, and dreamers alike made their way to the valley, 68 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:03,480 paving the way for the grandeur that Freeland Oscar Stanley would later envision. 69 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:12,040 So when Stanley arrived with his big dreams and grand plans, the stage was already set. 70 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:18,760 This valley, named for a Kentucky cattleman with a pioneer spirit, had grown into a gateway 71 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:24,560 to the Rockies, a place where the rugged met the refined, and where folks could find not 72 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:32,360 just beauty, but also sense of wonder. Now, for all its splendor and fine trimmings, the 73 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:39,320 Stanley Hotel has always had a shadow hanging over it, a darker side that made folks shiver, 74 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:45,240 even as they marveled at its grandeur. It didn't take long for tales of ghostly goings 75 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:51,880 on to take root, and as the years passed, them whispers grew louder. Before long, the 76 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:58,440 Stanley had earned itself a reputation as one of the most haunted places in America. 77 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:05,760 Let's start with Room 217. Now, this ain't just any old room, it's a suite steeped in 78 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:13,080 mystery. Back in 1911, a housekeeper by the name of Elizabeth Wilson was lighten lamps 79 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:19,640 when a gas leak caused a powerful explosion. She survived, thank the heavens, but folks 80 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:27,280 say her spirit never truly left. Guests staying in Room 217 have shared all manner of strange 81 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:33,400 stories, lights flickering, their luggage mysteriously unpacked and even feeling a gentle tug on 82 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:39,560 the bed covers like someone was tucking them in. Some reckon it's Elizabeth herself still 83 00:08:39,560 --> 00:08:45,520 tending to the room as if it were her duty in life and beyond. 84 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:52,280 Then there's the Concert Hall, Freeland Stanley's gift to his beloved wife, Flora. She was a 85 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:58,800 pianist, a real talent on the ivory keys, and her love for music seemed to echo far beyond 86 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:04,880 her lifetime. Guests and staff alike have reported here in the soft melodic notes of 87 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:11,960 a piano drifting through the air late at night, but when they peek inside, the halls empty, 88 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:18,600 nothing but moonlight and silence. It's as if Flora's spirit keeps playing, her music 89 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:23,760 refusing to fade away even in the stillness of eternity. 90 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:30,520 Let me tell you about the grand staircase. It's a sight to behold, an elegant sweep of 91 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:37,720 polished wood that seems to invite you to linger. But there's something else about it, 92 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:43,680 something eerie. Shadowy figures have been spotted near the steps, just standing there 93 00:09:43,680 --> 00:09:50,320 before disappearing into thin air. Folks who've snapped photos near the staircase sometimes 94 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:56,680 find strange lights or ghostly faces captured in the background. It's like the past is 95 00:09:56,680 --> 00:10:04,000 just waiting, hovering there in the shadows, ready to make itself known. 96 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:09,760 Now if you've got the gumption to wander up to the fourth floor, you might hear something 97 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:15,600 that'll send a chill straight down to your boots. That part of the hotel used to be a 98 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:22,080 dormitory for children and their caretakers, and it seems the echoes of those days ain't 99 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:30,440 quite faded. Laughter, soft, playful, but unmistakably otherworldly, can be heard floating through 100 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:36,640 the halls. Some guests have claimed to hear the thud of a ball bouncing, or the patter 101 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:43,520 of little feet running down the corridor. The strange part? When they peek out to see what's 102 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:51,280 going on, there's nothing there but the quiet hum of the old hotel. The Stanley ain't just 103 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:57,960 a place to lay your head. It's a portal to the past, a home to memories and spirits that 104 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:04,400 refuse to be forgotten. Every creak of the floorboards, every shadow that flickers in 105 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:09,920 the corner of your eye, feels like a whisper from something just beyond the veil, reminding 106 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:17,840 you that at the Stanley Hotel, history is alive, and sometimes it might even say hello. 107 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:24,240 The Stanley Hotel's ghostly reputation truly stepped into the spotlight after a spine-chillin' 108 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:32,320 visit from the one and only Stephen King back in 1974. Now, at the time, King was already 109 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:37,840 a name in the literary world, but he was hunting for something fresh, something that had sent 110 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:46,280 shivers down spines and lodged itself deep in folks' minds. He and his wife, Tabitha, 111 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:51,960 landed at the Stanley on the last day of the season, when the hotel was all but deserted. 112 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:58,440 Imagine it, this grand, sprawling place, empty but for the kings and the faint echoes of 113 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:05,160 its past. King himself later admitted there was something eerie about the place, something 114 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:11,400 that seemed to seep into every corner. The emptiness magnified the creaks and whispers 115 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:18,320 of the old hotel make an every shadow seem alive. That night, the couple stayed in Room 116 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:26,640 217. Yes, the Room 217, already steeped in its own legends of spectral housekeepers and 117 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:33,600 mysterious happenings. As King drifted off to sleep, the quiet turned into something 118 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:39,280 darker. He had a vivid, terrifying dream. His young son was running through the hotel's 119 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:45,480 endless corridors pursued by a malevolent force that seemed to seep from the very walls. 120 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:52,120 The vision was so real, so horrifying that it jolted King awake. He later described 121 00:12:52,120 --> 00:13:00,400 sitting, bolt upright in bed, his heart hammering, and knowing he couldn't shake what he'd seen. 122 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:07,560 Rather than trying to sleep again, he sat at the desk in Room 217, his mind racing. 123 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:12,280 By the time dawn broke, he'd sketched out the bones of a story that had become one 124 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:19,600 of the most iconic works in horror literature, The Shining. The Stanley, with its haunting 125 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:25,400 mix of elegance and foreboding, transformed into the Overlook Hotel, a place where the 126 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:34,000 walls themselves seemed to hold dark secrets. Now, while Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film adaptation 127 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:41,400 of The Shining was filmed elsewhere, the Stanley Hotel didn't shy away from its newfound fame. 128 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:47,480 In fact, it embraced its connection to King's chillin' tale, becoming a beacon for fans 129 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:54,080 of the book and movie alike. Visitors flocked to the Stanley, not just to soak in its beauty, 130 00:13:54,080 --> 00:14:00,200 but to walk the halls that inspired a master of horror. Some say the hotel even seems to 131 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:05,560 hum with a certain energy, as if it remembers the night that Stephen King turned its ghostly 132 00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:12,240 whispers into a story that would haunt readers for generations. Years after Stephen King's 133 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:18,200 eerie stay put the Stanley Hotel on the map, another brush with the paranormal added to 134 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:24,640 its mystique. This time it was Hollywood's turn to encounter the unexplained. In the 135 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:31,160 early 1990s, none other than Jim Carrey, a man known for his larger-than-life humor, 136 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:37,480 found himself at the center of a chillin' tale while filmin' dumb and dumber. Carrey, 137 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:44,440 with his trademark curiosity, requested to stay in the infamous Room 217, already legendary 138 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:50,680 for its ghostly activity. Perhaps he thought the stories were just part of the hotel's 139 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:57,880 charm, a bit of spooky folklore to laugh off. But what unfolded that night would leave 140 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:05,560 even the fearless comedian shaken to his core. In the dead of night, something happened. 141 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:12,240 What it was, Carrey has never fully revealed. All that's known is that he fled the room 142 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:17,720 abruptly, leavin' behind his belongings and bolting down the dimly-lit halls of the 143 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:24,040 Stanley. He checked into another hotel and refused to return to the property, adamantly 144 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:33,200 avoiding Room 217, or any mention of it thereafter. The actor's refusal to discuss the incident 145 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:40,000 has only deepened the mystery. What could unnerve someone as bold and vibrant as Jim 146 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:48,680 Carrey to such an extent? Was it the legendary Elizabeth Wilson tidying up one last time, 147 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:55,240 or was it something darker, something that defied explanation? To this day, Carrey's 148 00:15:55,240 --> 00:16:00,960 unexplained flight adds another chapter to the Stanley Hotel's haunted lore, leavin' 149 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:06,600 fans and ghost hunters alike to speculate on what really happened in Room 217 on that 150 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:13,480 fateful night. The Stanley Hotel still holds its place as a beacon for those seeking encounters 151 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:20,880 with the unexplained. Paranormal enthusiasts armed with every gadget under the sun, cameras 152 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:28,200 that see in the dark, recorders that pick up whispers from the beyond and fancy heat-detectin' 153 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:35,480 gadgets, flock to its grand halls. And it ain't just for show. Many of them leave claimin' 154 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:42,040 they've captured something real. Unsettlin' sounds caught on tape, figures flickering 155 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:47,120 at the edge of their vision, or sudden chills that make the hair on your arms stand up like 156 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:53,480 they're listenin' for somethin'. Guests ain't shy about sharin' their own bone-chillin' 157 00:16:53,480 --> 00:17:02,360 experiences either. Beds shakin' as if somethin' unseen is tryin' to rouse you from your sleep. 158 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:08,280 And whispers that seem to call your name from just over your shoulder. Shadows that move 159 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:14,840 where no shadows ought to be. Disappearin' the moment you turn to catch em'. 160 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:21,360 For them brave enough to look the supernatural in the eye, the Stanley offers ghost tours 161 00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:27,520 that take folks right into the thick of its haunted history. Guides spin tales of the 162 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:33,400 unexplainable while leadin' visitors through the most active spots in the hotel. Every 163 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:39,080 creek of the floorboards, every flicker of light, feels like it could be somethin', or 164 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:47,680 someone reachin' out from the past. Beneath the hotel lies a network of tunnels, carved 165 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:53,920 into the rock back when the Stanley was first built. They were meant to let the staff move 166 00:17:53,920 --> 00:18:01,160 about unseen, maintainin' the illusion of effortless luxury. But nowadays them tunnels 167 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:07,640 have a reputation all their own. Visitors speak of feelin' a nicey chill as they walk 168 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:15,040 through, hearin' faint ghostly noises that can't be explained. Some even swear they feel 169 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:20,080 eyes watchin' em' from the shadows, as if the tunnels themselves are alive with the 170 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:27,120 secrets of those who passed through long ago. The Stanley ain't just a place to rest your 171 00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:34,080 head. It's a doorway to a world where the past refuses to let go, lingering in the cracks 172 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:41,760 and corners, waitin' to remind you it's still there. If you've got the nerve, step inside. 173 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:48,960 But don't say you weren't warned. The Stanley Hotel rises high in the Rocky Mountains, a 174 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:55,840 testament to vision, craftsmanship, and the tantalizing pull of the unknown. Its grand 175 00:18:55,840 --> 00:19:02,760 halls breathe with stories, its walls hum with whispers of days gone by, and its rooms 176 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:10,040 carry the weight of countless memories. Some full of wonder, others chilled with fear. 177 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:16,520 Here, history and mystery weave together like the twistin' trails through the mountains, 178 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:22,840 in a place where the veil between the past and present feels mighty thin. Whether it's 179 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:28,120 the jaw-droppin' views that steal your breath, the rich legacy of a man's ambition that 180 00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:35,240 sparks your imagination, or the thrill of searchin' for what can't quite be explained, 181 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:40,440 the Stanley Hotel invites you into a world where every moment is touched by something 182 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:48,160 unforgettable. So what do y'all think about the Stanley Hotel and its bone-chillin' 183 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:54,280 history? Do you reckon there's truth to all them ghostly tales, or is it just folks' 184 00:19:54,280 --> 00:20:01,200 imaginations run wild? And what about Stephen King's inspiration for The Shinin'? Have 185 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:06,920 you ever watched the movie or read the book? If you have, what gave you the biggest goose 186 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:14,600 bumps? We'd love to hear your thoughts, theories, and even your own spooky stories. So don't 187 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:19,560 be shy, drop a comment below and join the conversation. 188 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:25,320 Now if you're cravin' more tales that'll send shivers down your spine, we've got plenty 189 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:32,760 more where this came from. There's no tellin' what shadows will uncover next. Go on, hit 190 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:38,760 that subscribe button and be sure to come back soon. Just remember, when the light's 191 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:46,640 dim and the air turns cold, you'll know it's time for another story. We'll be waitin' 192 00:20:46,640 --> 00:21:03,680 if you're brave enough to return.