Among the many American writers who continue their creative work, the most significant contribution to the development of literature was made by Stephen King. He became famous for his horror novels, succeeded in the science fiction genre, and wrote over two hundred short stories. Each of his books instantly became a bestseller and a ready-made plot for a Hollywood film. The writer’s enormous popularity and the uniqueness of his talent led to the appearance of the nickname “King of Horror”, which Stephen King regularly proves with his new literary masterpieces. To experience the atmosphere of his books, many fans travel across America in search of the places described in his various works. Most of these locations seem to them to be something otherworldly and descended from the pages of some novel. However, many of these places exist in the real world and, being near them, Stephen King fans feel like one of the heroes of the famous books. It is these locations that will be discussed in this article.
Bangor (Maine)
An unremarkable town in Maine, with approximately 30,000 residents, is a favorite destination for fans of Stephen King’s work. It is here that the famous writer spends most of his life and draws inspiration. Additionally, this city is often the setting for the main events in many of the King of Horror’s books. “It”, “11/22/63”, “The Institute”, and “Roadwork” are among the most famous. In some cases, the name Bangor changes to Derry, but the description of the surrounding environment makes it clear where the main characters of the books live and face various troubles. The city itself is pretty gloomy. Frequent fogs, Gothic architecture, quiet streets, and abandoned buildings are its main features. All of them are described by King in various novels, so even in such an unpleasant atmosphere, fans of the writer who visit Bangor feel happy. Especially for them, the city even conducts a walking tour of the most recognizable places in the horror-filled town of Derry. It leads many people to believe that the events described in the books can occur in reality.
Stephen King’s House (Bangor, Maine)
47 West Broadway – this address is familiar to everyone who considers Stephen King their idol. It is assigned to a beautiful and majestic mansion, where the writer spends a great deal of time. This building was built in the 19th century. After King acquired it, the appearance was changed and brought into line with the image of the King of Horror. Of course, there are no bright patterns on the walls, luxurious flower beds, guards with clip-on night-vision systems, and gazebos. But there is a high spire, spiders and bats on the gates, surrounding dense vegetation, where, it seems, one of King’s villains can hide. Seeing all this and standing next to such a building, every fan of the great writer’s work experiences special feelings and enjoys the unique atmosphere. The enormous popularity of this building made it an unofficial symbol of Bangor, attracting thousands of tourists to the city. All of them are happy to spend a few hours near the house and dream of meeting one of the heroes of their favorite books.
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The Stanley Hotel (Estes Park, Colorado)
In 1974, Stephen King and his wife Tabitha stayed at the luxurious Stanley Hotel. At that time, there were only a few days left before the building closed for the winter, so the couple was the only guests in the vast, empty building. In such an environment, King had a dream at night, which later became the basis for the plot of “The Shining”. In it, he described the Stanley Hotel in detail, referring to it only as “Overlook.» The writer also wrote down his feelings from staying in an empty huge building, which he used in the famous novel. The success of “The Shining” and the story of its writing, as told by King, automatically made the Stanley Hotel a place of pilgrimage for fans of the King of Horror. All of them sought to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of this building and find out what the Torrance family (the main characters of the novel) felt while living in it for many days. Today, the hotel’s owners organize special tours for travelers on the floor and in the room that the writer and his wife rented, and also show everyone the locations described in the book. Other weekly events allow King fans to feel like they are the heroes of the famous novel.
Ohio State Reformatory (Mansfield, Ohio)
In 1982, Stephen King wrote a short story called “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”. Although readers liked it, it still did not stand out from other similar works. However, in 1994, based on King’s book, a film called “The Shawshank Redemption” was shot, which received 7 Oscar nominations and became a true classic of world cinema. Most of the filming took place at the Ohio State Reformatory, which closely resembled the prison described in the book. Darkness, high ceilings, iron bars, endless corridors and extreme cold – all this made people believe that they were looking at the real Shawshank. After the success of the film, the Ohio State Reformatory turned into one of the best places to feel the atmosphere of the King of Horror’s books. Here, they managed to preserve everything precisely as it was during filming, ensuring that fans of Stephen King would experience unforgettable emotions upon visiting this location. Today, the Ohio State Reformatory offers a variety of tours and special overnight excursions that allow you to feel even more like the hero of the famous story.
Kenduskeag Stream (Bangor, Maine)
Many experts and ordinary fans of Stephen King’s work often consider the novel “It” to be the best work of the American writer. Therefore, it is not surprising that many of the locations described in it attract the special attention of people from all over the world. One of such locations is Kenduskeag Stream. This stream crosses Bangor and flows into the Penobscot River. Flowing through the city, it becomes the main natural attraction and a favorite spot for locals to take walks. However, in “It,” Kenduskeag Stream is an ominous location where many key events unfold. To feel the atmosphere of the King of Horrors’ books, many fans of the writer come to Maine and go to the banks of the stream. There, they spend much time and even launch paper boats, expecting that, like Georgie Denbrough, they will be able to meet the dancing clown Pennywise. Of course, in reality, they do not meet him. However, when standing near Kenduskeag Stream, watching the eddies and dense vegetation on the opposite bank, and stepping on the stone bridges described in the book, people find themselves in another world, where they feel like witnesses to the events of King’s novel.
Stephen King is a literary genius who went from being a simple student writing articles for a university newspaper to one of the most outstanding writers. His work has inspired several generations of people and turned unknown cities and landmarks into the most recognizable places in the United States. Today, traveling through the locations described in the books, everyone feels the unique atmosphere of the King of Horrors’ books and imagines themselves in the place of one of the famous heroes.
