Where Was The Shining Actually Filmed?

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. Instead, a set was built at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England to create all of the interiors of the Overlook Hotel. Further, according to the Guardian, many scenes taking place outside were filmed in the backlot of Elstree Studios.

When looking for inspiration for the interiors, Kubrick and the creative team turned to Ahwahnee Hotel, which is in Yosemite National Park in California. However, for the exterior shots of the Overlook Hotel itself, a real hotel was in fact used. They used the Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon for all of the exterior shots that show the Overlook.

Between inspirations and actual shooting locations, quite a few moving parts went into creating the disturbing and haunting Overlook Hotel — and there's no doubt that everyone involved nailed the creepy aesthetic and made the film all the better for it.