15 Spine-Chilling Destinations Every Stephen King Fan Must Visit

Stephen King is the undisputed master of horror, crafting stories that haunt our nightmares—but did you know that many of the eerie locations in his films and TV adaptations are real places? Whether it's a creepy hotel in Colorado or a misty New England town, King’s fictional worlds are often brought to life in real-life locations you can visit. From iconic horror film landmarks to hidden gems used in lesser-known adaptations, these 12 real locations have been featured in Stephen King movies and TV shows, making them must-visit destinations for any fan of the King of Horror.

1. The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado

While Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of The Shining famously used Oregon’s Timberline Lodge for exterior shots, the true inspiration for the Overlook Hotel came from the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. In the 1970s, Stephen King and his wife, Tabitha, checked into Room 217 while the hotel was eerily empty at the end of the season. That night, King had a terrifying nightmare about his young son being chased through the halls by a possessed fire hose. He woke up in a cold sweat, stepped onto the balcony, lit a cigarette, and within minutes, the idea for The Shining was fully formed. Though Kubrick didn’t use the Stanley Hotel for filming, the 1997 ABC miniseries adaptation of The Shining did. Today, the hotel embraces its horror legacy, offering nightly ghost tours, paranormal investigations, and even screening The Shining on a continuous loop in guest rooms. Featured In: The Shining (1997 TV Miniseries)