'The Shining' hotel wants you to design a hedge maze for it

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo., is a popular place for visitors due in part to its reputation for inspiring Stephen King to write "The Shining," a celebrated creepy horror novel that was turned into a celebrated creepy Stanley Kubrick horror film starring Jack Nicholson.

Fans can bask in the hotel's fascinating (and allegedly haunted) history starting at around $200 per night. The Stanley itself wasn't used as a filming location for the movie (though it played a role in a 1997 television miniseries), but it has embraced its place in the King/Kubrick universe.

There is one thing the hotel is lacking: the hedge maze made famous in the 1980 film adaptation. Fans who want to come reenact (minus the ax and Nicholson-popsicle) the harrowing outdoor scenes are out of luck at the moment, but it won't be for long. The Stanley has put out a public call for hedge maze designs in the form of a contest.

The call for entries requests designs for a 10,100-square-foot hedge maze inspired by the film. The hedge will be planted using 1,600 to 2,000 Alpine Currant hedge bushes in a location on the hotel's front lawn. The contest winner's name will go on a placard on-site. Both amateurs and professionals are invited to enter.

Other than size and location restrictions, would-be maze designers have a fair amount of room for creativity. Perhaps someone will design a maze in the shape of Nicholson's famous "Here's Johnny!" face. The deadline for submissions is January 31. The hotel plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the maze on April 30, just in time for the Stanley Film Festival, which showcases independent horror movies.

(Via Nerd Approved)