Scary Mary
Scary Mary, the Stanley Hotel's legendary tour guide, joins The 108 Effect to reveal the true stories behind Room 217, a Hollywood star's haunted night, and more.
Show Notes
For over a decade, Mary Orton walked guests through the halls of The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado — the hotel that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining — and earned the nickname “Scary Mary” along the way. In Part 2 of a conversation around The Stanley Hotel and its strange attraction, Mary joins hosts Dawn, Tina, and Laura of The 108 Effect to share the real history behind Room 217’s 1911 gas explosion, her bond with a spirit child she calls Matthew, why she refuses to allow Ouija boards on tours, and the true account of a big-name star’s night in the hotel’s most infamous room while filming a popular comedy. The episode opens with Laura’s own story of reading a stranger’s aura during a Caribbean cruise — and the message she felt physically unable to keep to herself.
Whether you’re drawn in by ghost stories, true haunted-hotel history, or the psychic and intuitive side of the paranormal, this episode covers it all.
Have a story of your own? Submit it at the108effect.com — no judgment, just camaraderie.
| Timestamp | Chapter |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | Cold open & welcome back for Part 2 |
| 00:09 | Laura’s cruise ship aura-reading story begins |
| 04:14 | ”I’m getting something about your mother…“ |
| 05:39 | ”You have been spot on” |
| 08:55 | Introducing Scary Mary — 10 years at the Stanley |
| 09:37 | Mary’s background: Cheyenne, Wyoming & childhood seances |
| 10:31 | Family history and the Stanley’s early days |
| 14:58 | Birth of the official Stanley tour office (2008–2009) |
| 17:08 | How the “Scary Mary” nickname was born |
| 19:00 | The Tootsie Roll & Dum Dum lollipop experiments |
| 21:07 | Matthew, the spirit child, and the Smithsonian-winning photo |
| 23:04 | The Lorelai ghost in the concert hall |
| 25:34 | Fan story: the tunnel rocks that keep getting mailed back |
| 28:32 | The true story of the Room 217 explosion (June 25, 1911) |
| 31:34 | A big-name star’s haunted night during a popular comedy shoot |
| 32:44 | Mary’s husband’s paranormal experiences at home |
| 37:02 | Why Mary warns against Ouija boards |
| 38:14 | ”Who the hell has an iguana?” — the pet ghost story |
| 52:18 | Mary’s stroke recovery & the little boy in the lobby |
| 55:33 | Closing thanks & goodbyes |