Is the maze from The Shining real?
Mia Kelly
Published Jan 20, 2026
After an international search for the best design, Colorado's Stanley Hotel is building the real-life version of the hedge maze from Stanley Kubrick's iconic horror flick, The Shining.
Is the hedge maze real in The Shining?
Filming Locations
The maze was filmed on the backlot of MGM Borehamwood Studios in England. The overhead shot of the maze was filmed in the parking lot of the Canterbury Building in Borehamwood, England, with a matte painting added. The maze at night was filmed on Stage 1 at Elstree Studios.
Where is the hedge maze from The Shining located?
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado knows how to appeal to its fan base.
Is there really a maze at the Overlook Hotel?
According to the New York Times, the hotel hosted a competition and chose a layout designed by New York architect Mairim Dallaryan Standing. Planted in June, the juniper maze is now three feet tall, so children can play without getting irretrievably lost.
Was there a hedge maze in The Shining book?
The Hedge Maze Is Not In The Book
This maze isn't in the book. The maze in movie replaces the garden in the book, which is made up of varies plants and topiaries that animate and come to life, so to speak, terrifying John and pushing him closer to the edge.
18 related questions foundWhy did he say here's Johnny?
From here: Jack Nicholson ad-libbed the line "Here's Johnny!" in imitation of announcer Ed McMahon's famous introduction of Johnny Carson on U.S. network NBC-TV's long-running late night television program The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Did Stephen King like The Shining film?
Despite the fact that the film is widely considered one of the great horror films of all time, King didn't like it. While he had many reasons for this, what he hated the most about it was the depiction of the character Wendy.
Is The Shining a true story?
The Shining was a fictional tale but the setting was inspired by the true hauntings within Colorado's Stanley Hotel. Stephen King's The Shining book was the basis for Stanley Kubrick's 1980 masterpiece film.
Is there a hedge maze at Timberline Lodge?
There is no hedge maze (and hardly any level ground) at the Timberline Lodge. All interior scenes were shot at Elstree Studios as well, and not at Timberline Lodge. Kubrick was asked not to depict Room 217 (featured in the book) in The Shining, because future guests at the Lodge might be afraid to stay there.
What does the maze represent in The Shining?
Now mazes are something you'll find in famous art all the way back to the Ancient Greeks. But in this case, the maze is an especially good symbol for Jack Torrance's descent into madness. His is a winding, twisting path towards absolutely insanity… that eventually leads him to his death in the middle of the hedge maze.
What is the name of the hotel where The Shining was filmed?
The Stanley Hotel - Historic Stanley Estes Park Hotel.
Was The Shining filmed in Estes Park?
Most of The Shining was shot on a film set
Despite the story being inspired by a real-life hotel — Stephen King was partially inspired by a stay at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado — most of "The Shining" was ultimately not filmed at a real hotel location, as reported by MovieLocations.com.
Was the snow real in The Shining?
The snow was very fake
The scene at the end of the movie where Jack Torrance pursues Danny through the snowy maze used a staggering 900 tonnes of salt and Styrofoam to make a horrific winter wonderland. The hedge maze itself replaces the giant topiary animals that come to life in Stephen King's book.
Is Timberline Lodge privately owned?
Publicly owned and privately operated, Timberline Lodge is a popular tourist attraction that draws two million visitors annually. It is notable in film for serving as the exterior of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining (1980).
What does the Timberline logo mean?
The combined graphic elements and colors pay homage to the historic landmark and the people who built it. The white background represents the eternal snows that blanket the ground and surround the Lodge each winter. In the center the black iron snow goose weather vane is the enduring symbol of Timberline.
Can you stay in Room 237?
Can You Stay In Room 237 At The Overlook Hotel? Accommodations in Room 237 are included in the promotion, for $237 per night. The Overlook Hotel's Room 237 is where all of the terror occurs in the story.
What is Room 237 in The Shining?
Jack Torrance then entered 237, in search of what his son claimed to have confronted. He instead encountered a young naked woman in the bathroom, having a bath who came out and kissed him. That woman then became a rather ugly, rotting old woman who chased Jack out, cackling at his infidelity.
Where is the real Overlook Hotel?
While the Overlook Hotel from the movie doesn't actually exist, it is based on The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO: a 142-room colonial revival hotel nestled in the Rocky Mountains.
How do you do the Kubrick stare?
Give the Kubrick stare a shot. Have your actor tilt their head down slightly and stare forward. This style of shot composition derives its name from director Stanley Kubrick who used the technique in a number of films, including 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971) and The Shining (1980).
Who hurt Danny in The Shining?
AND IT WAS THREE GODDAMN YEARS AGO!!!” This huge mismatch of time is very difficult to pass off as a script error. Combine this with the revelation that it was Jack who strangled Danny in the Overlook and a simple truth is revealed … Jack Torrance was and still is a violently abusive father.
Why does King hate The Shining?
As audiences journey through the Overlook on Danny's Big Wheel or follow Jack as he hunts his son in the hedge maze, it builds fantastic suspense. But in the end, King felt the film lacked warmth, describing it as "a beautiful car that has no engine in it."
What does the ending of shining mean?
Although this fits the haunting vibe of the film, Kubrick himself explained that the photo actually suggests that Jack was a reincarnation of an earlier official at the hotel, which makes sense when going back to his conversation with Grady in the bathroom, where the butler tells Jack that he has “always been the ...
Are there any inappropriate scenes in The Shining?
There's occasional profanity, including a scene in which the cook of the hotel is called the "N" word and a use of "f--k." Frequent horror imagery. Full-frontal nudity -- an attractive young woman turns into an elderly woman with rotting skin. Implied oral sex in a sequence of nightmarish imagery.
Did Kubrick use salt in The Shining?
Jan Harlan, executive producer on The Shining said: “Part of the hotel front was re-built on the lot at Elstree Studios on scaffold; for the winter-scene a huge amount of artificial snow was added using formaldehyde based foam, which hardens when in contact with air, and was then covered with salt in order to obtain a ...