Summary

• The Stanley Hotel is said to be one of the most haunted places in America.
• Oddly though, the hotel connects Stephen King's The Shining to another unexpected film: Dumb and Dumber.
• Jim Carrey stayed in Room 217 at the hotel during the filming of Dumb and Dumber, an experience he has yet to reveal the details of to the public.

Jim Carrey's roles helped to define comedy in the 1990s in a way that is still felt today. While he's famous for his comedic works, the actor has also dabbled in more dramatic, and weirder, roles than he's known for. That said, even with his sprawling resume, no one could have guessed his career would tie Dumb and Dumber to one of the most famous Stephen King films, The Shining, and its real-life location, The Stanley Hotel.

The Shining follows Jack Torrance, a writer suffering from writer's block, who is hired as winter caretaker of the remote Overlook Hotel while he writes his book. Taking his wife and son to the secluded location in the Rocky Mountains, they stay at the hotel as a snowstorm barrels through. But the longer they remain, the more supernatural events occur that turn their family upside down and, eventually, pit Jack against the people he loves most. From its visuals to its performances, The Shining is a bona fide classic and even draws inspiration from one of King's own experiences while staying at The Stanley Hotel, in Estes Park, Colorado, the inspiration for The Overlook.

Updated on October 12, 2023 by Katie Doll: The Stanley Hotel is one of the most famous haunted sites in America, which in turn has made it one of the biggest tourist attractions. Stephen King and Jim Carrey's stays have greatly influenced the hotel's reputation among the public, which other people have sought to uncover in recent years.

How Does The Shining Connect to Dumb and Dumber?

Referred to as Room 237 in The Shining, The Stanley Hotel's Room 217 was where King and his wife stayed while he wrote his next book. It's been reported that, in 1911, an explosion rocked the room after a maid named Mrs. Wilson lit gas lanterns. Although she survived, the explosion took the floor out from under her, and she landed in the MacGregor Dining Room, breaking both her ankles. Since then, her spirit is said to have remained and is reported to move items and unpack luggage. She also isn't a fan of unmarried couples sharing a bed and will make the space between them cold and even pack up the man's luggage in the morning.

The Stanley Hotel was also the location for the hotel in the 1994 screwball comedy Dumb and Dumber. The film follows two friends, Lloyd and Harry (Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, respectively), as they travel cross-country to deliver luggage to a woman Lloyd met during his limousine driver job. Once in Aspen, the two live a lavish life after finding out the luggage contained thousands of dollars. During filming, Carrey stayed at The Stanley Hotel in Room 217. However, it's been reported that he only stayed for a few hours and left, totally spooked by the events that happened inside.

Jim Carrey Hasn't Explained What Happened in Room 217

Unlike most who experience paranormal activity, Carrey has yet to talk about what he experienced while in the room. But his experience has added to the legend and pushed even more guests to experience the room for themselves. To bring the entire experience full circle, a fan even made a deepfake with Carrey in the role of Jack Torrance from The Shining. Ironically, the video ties the films together and also turns Carrey into the next Jack, making his real-life experience even eerier and pushing his life closer to The Shining.

In the end, the world is filled with coincidences and moments that defy explanation. That said, there's no denying that something may be going on in Room 217 of The Stanley Hotel. Perhaps the supernatural stigma surrounding the room is also what brought Stephen King, the hotel and Jim Carrey together at three different points in time. Whatever the truth may be, it adds to the excitement that fans get while uncovering the unexplained and the fun of combining a film like Dumb and Dumber with The Shining.

The Haunted History of the Stanley Hotel

Before the incident of 1911, The Stanley Hotel was actually a pretty standard vacation spot. The hotel was founded by steam-powered car inventor Freelan Oscar Stanley in the early 1900s, not long before the explosion. Stanley was diagnosed with tuberculosis and, on the recommendation of the doctors, spent his summer in the Rocky Mountains where it was dry and much sunlight. His health improved so much that he returned every year until he recovered in 1907, when he decided to turn Este Park into a resort town with a hotel and concert hall. It also has a pet cemetery to bury loved ones' animals to rest, which may or may not have something to do with a film of a similar name.

Today, anyone can visit the hotel, which has become a tourist attraction thanks to the 1911 explosion and Stephen King's interest in the paranormal. So it's not surprising that a few more haunted stories arise from the hotel following his visit. In fact, some people don't even consider Room 217 the creepiest room. Room 401 is said to be haunted by a male ghost that inappropriately touches women in the room's closet. In Room 428, guests have claimed they've seen a vision of a cowboy, and furniture being moved above the room -- despite it being the top floor. Other odd, unexplainable occurrences include a presence sitting on the edge of a bed, jewelry being moved on its own and a pastry chef ghost haunting the network of caves below the hotel.

These encounters have largely attracted the interest of television producers and YouTube personalities over the years, who film their experiences in the hotel and Room 217. Paranormal shows Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters have featured the hotel on their programs, and YouTubers Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej investigated the hotel on Buzzfeed Unsolved's channel in 2019. As attractive The Stanley Hotel has gotten in recent years, there is suspicion if some of these stories are fabricated to get a rouse out of eager paranormal enthusiasts. Some of them may have spawned to bring in more tourists, but the haunting of Room 217 undeniably spooked both Stephen King and Jim Carrey, so that much may be true.