Ghost tourism remains big business across the United States. Historic hotels, old prisons, and former homes tied to violent or mysterious pasts continue to attract travelers looking for more than a standard sightseeing stop.
What sets these places apart is not just the stories. Each one is a real destination with public access, organized tours, or overnight stays, making them part travel stop, part history lesson, and part test of nerves.
The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado
The Stanley Hotel opened in 1909 and is one of the most famous so-called haunted hotels in the country. Built by Freelan Oscar Stanley, the Colonial Revival property sits near Rocky Mountain National Park and has long marketed both its history and its ghost lore to visitors. Its reputation grew even more after it inspired Stephen King’s 1977 novel “The Shining,” though the 1980 film adaptation was not shot there.
Hotel staff have for years pointed guests toward Room 217, one of the rooms most often linked to unusual reports. According to the hotel’s own historical account, a gas explosion in 1911 injured housekeeper Elizabeth Wilson, and many visitors later claimed to feel her presence. Guests have also reported hearing piano music in the empty ballroom and footsteps in the halls late at night…