Stanley Hotel Breaks Ground on $60 Million Film Center and Blumhouse Horror Exhibit
Governor Jared Polis joined Estes Park officials and film industry leaders September 25 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Stanley Event Center and Blumhouse Space, a $60 million arts and culture destination that will transform the historic Stanley Hotel into a year-round hub for horror film enthusiasts and the broader film industry.
The project represents the first phase of a three-year effort to preserve, expand, and improve the iconic Stanley Hotel campus, which served as Stephen King's inspiration for The Shining. The new facility will feature more than 10,000 square feet of exhibit space dedicated to horror films, art, and community programming.
The state is contributing $46 million toward construction through the Regional Tourism Act, a financing mechanism that captures increased state sales tax revenue generated by tourism projects. According to the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the Economic Development Commission approved the Stanley Film Center as an RTA project in 2015, recognizing its potential to attract out-of-state visitors to Colorado.
"Colorado's artistic culture, strong workforce, rich history, and breathtaking landscapes are skyrocketing us to the best state to work in the film industry," Polis said during the groundbreaking ceremony. "This new space will continue to drive horror film buffs from across the world to the Stanley Hotel and Estes Park, supporting our growing film workforce and economy."
The Regional Tourism Act, established in 2009, provides state-level tax increment financing for large-scale tourism projects designed to attract out-of-state visitors. According to Colorado General Assembly documents, only five projects statewide were approved between 2009 and 2016, when the program was closed to new applicants. The Stanley Film Center represents the first major RTA-funded project in Northern Colorado, with total RTA funding awarded statewide reaching approximately $445 million since the program's inception.
Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, will curate exhibits featuring content from the company's extensive catalog of horror franchises including Halloween, The Black Phone, Five Nights at Freddy's, Get Out, and Paranormal Activity.
"Horror fans are the best fans in the world, and they deserve a world-class, must-visit destination," Blum said. "We plan to celebrate the art and icons of horror, including key filmmakers, stars and the amazing cinematic villains who've terrified us over the years. And there's no better place to do it than the iconic Stanley Hotel."
The project builds on Colorado's expanded support for the film industry, including the Film Incentive Tax Credit established in 2024 with $5 million per year in funding for five years. The state legislature also approved legislation supporting film festivals, including measures expected to benefit the Sundance Film Festival and existing Colorado film festivals.
Eve Lieberman, executive director of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, said the state has provided critical support for the project over the past decade. "We are thrilled to celebrate today's groundbreaking, an exciting milestone that brings this extraordinary project one step closer to completion and amplifies Colorado's reputation as a place where film and the arts are celebrated," she said.
The Stanley Hotel, opened in 1909 by F.O. Stanley, has served as a cornerstone of Estes Park's tourism economy for more than a century. The hotel was among the first luxury mountain resorts and featured advanced amenities for its time, including being the first all-electric hotel in the world at its opening, according to Visit Estes Park. The facility helped establish Estes Park as a destination for wealthy tourists from across the United States and laid the groundwork for the town's economic dependency on tourism.
Estes Park, anchored by the Stanley Hotel and Rocky Mountain National Park, attracts over 4.5 million visitors annually, according to tourism data. The Stanley's unique history, architectural heritage, and cultural significance through its association with The Shining distinguish it as one of Larimer County's premier tourism attractions.
The Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority and the Stanley Partnership for Art Culture and Education are partnering on the project, which represents the first phase of broader campus improvements planned over the next three years.