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We have all heard the ghost stories and seen the movie… but do the legends surrounding Estes Park’s infamous Stanley Hotel have any truth to them? You tell us…

Last week, 9News viewer Henry Yau uploaded a picture to the network’s Facebook page, showing what seems to be a ghostly figure standing at the top of the stairs… Do you see it?

Does the photo show a mere, explainable shadow, or is the Stanley Hotel indeed vacated by ghoulish spirits? Last year, we spoke with Denver Ghost Hunter’s Founder and Director, Stephanie (Johnson) Smith, who had a few things to say about the historic hotel:

I think (the Stanley) is really hyped up. Have I had experiences there? Yes, but with all the media and money they are trying to make, its overblown. There are far better haunted locations in Colorado that are far more active. However, there is a room there that I stayed in where we had a pillow fly across the room, and we had activity on camera and I heard voices and clinking hangers in the closet. But that was many years ago. Since then, we have not had any measurable activity. I do get the shadow man pictures in the main lobby, but that is usually after 1 a.m. when everyone else is asleep. It’s a fun place, but all the marketing makes me sad.

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Opened in 1909, the historic Stanley Hotel is a beautiful 140-room Colonial Revival hotel that has hosted a number of elite, well-known guests for the past century. In 1974, novelist Stephen King stayed in Room 217 of the hotel, which served as the inspiration for the fictional Overlook Hotel in his iconic thriller, The Shining. Since then, the Stanley Hotel has gained notoriety as one of the most haunted hotels in the country.

What do you think: Was the shadow in the picture really a ghost? Or is there no such thing?

(A HUGE thank you to Stephanie for giving us her take on the Stanley Hotel! For more information about Stephanie and Denver Ghost Hunters, check out their website.)

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