Stephen Kings Home in Maine Is Being Turned Into a Museum

Table Of Content

• Why I Left My Dream Job at WBZ Morning News
• When Did Stephen King Start Writing?
• The history of the blood-red manor and how it became home to one of the greatest writers alive
• Stephen King’s Victorian-style Mansion to Become an Archive and Writer’s Retreat
• Is Stephen King’s house open to the public for tours?

Bangor, and in particular, its sewer system, even served as the inspiration for King’s novel IT, in which it’s fictionalized as Derry, Maine. You might not think that planting a killer clown in his novel’s proxy for the town would be a compliment, but King insists that IT is meant to pay tribute to a city he loves. The iconic red Victorian mansion is located in Bangor, Maine, and many fans enjoy taking photos and admiring it from the exterior. Ultimately, Stephen King’s house remains a source of inspiration and fascination for readers and fans alike. Its appeal lies not only in the horror stories written within its walls but also in the man who created them. As King once said, “The most important things lie close to wherever your heart happens to be.” For many, that place is within the pages of a Stephen King novel or inside the walls of his remarkable home.

Why I Left My Dream Job at WBZ Morning News

Stephen King Doesn't Live at His Famous Bangor, Maine, Home Anymore? Here's Where He Now Lives - 92moose.fm

Stephen King Doesn't Live at His Famous Bangor, Maine, Home Anymore? Here's Where He Now Lives.

Posted: Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Stephen King’s house is not just a house; it’s a character in its own stories, and its iconic settings will continue to thrill and fascinate readers for years to come. Stephen King’s writing rituals and creative process are as legendary as his iconic horror stories. His dedication to the craft and the routines that fuel his imagination have been the subject of fascination for decades. Stephen King’s house is a gothic-style mansion located in Bangor, Maine, which served as the inspiration for many of his famous horror stories.

When Did Stephen King Start Writing?

On the 3-hour tour, you will see between 20 and 30 different Stephen King literary and movie locations. Additionally, Tinker highlights the King family history, their attachment to Bangor, and the many generous philanthropic endeavors the Kings undertake. I was fortunate to be a guest of Jamie Tinker, owner of SK Tours, for a Bangor Stephen King Tour. The tour takes you to places where the lines between real life and the fictional town of Derry blur. The timeline for the conversion of the house into the museum and retreat has not yet been announced. To stay updated on any future plans for Stephen King’s house, you can follow the official Stephen King website, social media pages, and news outlets that cover the author’s work and events related to his legacy.

The history of the blood-red manor and how it became home to one of the greatest writers alive

If you’re a big Stephen King fan, you may already know that Maine serves as a source of much inspiration and setting for the king of horror himself. In fact, Stephen King actually spends much of his time at his home in Maine and was born and grew up in Maine. King describes in this beautiful and harrowing essay why Bangor, of all places, was chosen as home. The architectural details and unique elements of Stephen King’s home highlight its significance as a creative haven. Visitors can learn about King’s writing rituals and creative process, explore the iconic settings of his stories, and see firsthand how his legacy has shaped literature and popular culture.

Misery introduces readers to the claustrophobic world of acclaimed author Paul Sheldon, who finds himself at the mercy of his self-proclaimed number-one fan, Annie Wilkes, after a car accident. Trapped in Annie’s secluded home, Paul is subjected to Annie’s sadistic measures, all while she demands that he resurrect her most beloved fictional character, Misery Chastain. Annie, who is a former nurse, uses her knowledge as a former medical professional to carry out this sadism.

University of Maine, Orono

From the moment you drive into Bangor, you feel like you’ve been transported in one of King’s novels, and it’s easy to see why. UnusualPlaces.org is your guide to quirky, weird, and beautiful places to visit around the world. Besides highlighting these unique destinations, we also delve into offbeat travel experiences and provide insightful travel tips. Our content extends to featuring unusual hotels and restaurants, ensuring you have a comprehensive guide for your adventurous travels.

YouTube star FaZe Rug lives in a lavish $4.4M mansion in Poway, CA

How a Maine blacksmith ended up creating the iconic gates at Stephen King's house - Bangor Daily News

How a Maine blacksmith ended up creating the iconic gates at Stephen King's house.

Posted: Sun, 28 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

As an unsuspecting tourist, you can drive around Bangor and, perhaps, never even notice that you are passing by sites that every Stephen King fan is dying to visit. Steel went on to design and build iron gates for large churches in Washington, D.C., and Dallas, Texas, as well as for the Church of the Redeemer in Sorrento, and outside of One City Center in downtown Portland. The King house gates, completed a little more than 40 years ago, are still his largest and most well-known creation.

For those less familiar with “The Shining,” there’s actually a scene in the story where the book’s youngest character, Danny Torrance, believes he’s being chased by a fire-hose. No, Stephen King had no actual part in the development of the Netflix series Stranger Things, though his work is clearly an inspiration. Brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, AKA the creators of Stranger Things, have made it abundantly clear over the years that King was an inspiration. Stephen King has penned and published a whopping 65+ novels and novellas in the span of his successful career.

Horror author Stephen King was born in Maine and has used the state as the setting for many of his stories. Despite his fame and wealth, he still lives in his home state, in a rather distinctive mansion just outside of downtown Bangor. Stephen King has written about plenty of nightmarish characters including an evil clown, a demonic dog, and a murderous hotel caretaker. Stephen King has made it very clear that one of his worst nightmares is the interior of his beloved home morphing into a tacky tourist destination. Onlookers are welcome to quietly admire King’s ominous house from a distance. The sleepy tree-lined streets that surround Stephen King’s house feature plenty of menacing shadows that will surely give you the shivers.

During their stay in room 217, King had a strange dream that his youngest son was running down one of the empty corridors in a panic while being chased by a fire-hose. Upon waking in a sweat, King recalls lighting up a cigarette and by the time he had taken his last drag, he had already built the foundation for his iconic novel. As for its literary inspiration, King actually used the real-life Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado as the backdrop for his novel. Since the hotel was about to close up for the winter season, Stephen and Tabitha were actually the only guests in the 420-room hotel at the time.

It was initially meant to be a second house for the family, but it eventually became their primary residence. The Kings and their three children moved to Bangor after living in Boulder, Colorado for a year, where King wrote The Shining (inspired by the real-life Stanley Hotel). All the mansions on West Broadway, including King’s, are easily accessible and close to the main street, which is wide and protected by tall, lush trees. Although sightings of King outside his house were notoriously rare, his presence is definitely felt here.

But that was before the crowds became too large and tour buses started arriving with greater numbers of camera-toting visitors. Under the proposal from the couple, the archives formerly held at the University of Maine, the Kings' alma mater, would be moved along with the foundation's offices to the 3.27 acre property. Scholars and others could request to see the materials, which would be available by appointment.

Visitors can view a number of King’s personal artifacts and items such as his desk, typewriter, and various memorabilia scattered throughout the house. The furniture is a mix of antique and vintage pieces that add to the overall creepy atmosphere of the house. King’s family moved frequently during his childhood, living in several different states before finally settling back in Maine when King was eleven years old. The move had a profound impact on the young writer, who found solace in reading and writing to cope with the upheaval. The King manor lies on roughly 2 acres of land and was built in an Italianate Villa style. Hayford Park is right in the family’s backyard, while the property is surrounded by lush trees, offering plenty of privacy.

King added that another reason they moved to the area was because of its proximity fo Fairmount School, where his children walked to. Nestled among the serene landscapes and charming architecture, Stephen King’s residence is a beacon of eerie delight. Though he and his family moved into the 19th century mansion in 1980, they no longer live there. For their privacy, they spend most of their time in one of their other homes, located on the barrier island of Casey Key in Florida.

People from all across the country, sometimes even from across the ocean, flock to this otherwise unassuming town, to get a glimpse into the author’s life and his home on West Broadway. If you were hoping to tour Stephen King’s house and see the archives, there’s bad news. The Stephen King archive will not be open to the public, and accessing the archives will be by appointment only. The author has said one of his worst nightmares is the interior of his Bangor home will become a tourist destination. Stephen King’s house also held his archives, known as the Stephen King Archives. Tabitha King, who is also an author, said she was inspired to transform the ash tree into a sculpture that would reflect “the wealth of life” inside a dead tree.

The very home where Stephen King wrote the famous tale of It (and the home where he and his wife, Tabitha King, also raised their children) will now officially be made into a museum honoring the author and his work. It will also be used as a writers' retreat, so aspiring horror novelists can soak in all the spooky vibes of the mansion in Bangor, Maine. The collectibles and memorabilia that showcase King’s influence on popular culture serve as a testament to the enduring impact of his work. The current status and future plans for the house further underscore its importance as a literary landmark and a destination for fans of Stephen King. King’s short stories and novels have been adapted for film and television, making an indelible mark on the entertainment industry.