THE STANLEY FILM CENTER

The Stanley Film Center is a 68,000 SF cultural and event facility located on the historic Stanley Hotel campus. Partially set into the hillside, the three-story building preserves the scale and character of the Stanley Historic District while providing flexible, state-of-the-art spaces for film screenings, live performances, exhibitions, and community gatherings. The Film Center includes a 600-seat auditorium expandable to 1,200 standing, VIP and event support spaces, multi-level lobbies, galleries, archives, two bars serving the auditorium, and a Speakeasy, as well as a world-class film museum curated by Blumhouse.

THE INSPIRATION

F.O. Stanley, the visionary founder of the Stanley Hotel, was an inventor and entrepreneur known for co-developing the Stanley Steamer automobile. He purchased the Estes Park property in the early 1900s and imagined an Arts District on the hotel campus that would blend natural beauty, hospitality, and cultural experiences. The Stanley Film Center fulfills that vision by creating a sense of place rooted in the history and architecture of the Stanley Historic District. MOA ARCHITECTURE drew inspiration from the campus’s defining elements, including red roofs, white clapboard siding, symmetrical composition, and human-scaled fenestration. The design emphasizes continuity over time, harmonizing with existing historic structures while providing modern functionality and immersive visitor experiences.

THE IMPACT

The Stanley Film Center strengthens the Stanley campus as a destination for arts, film, and community engagement. It provides a world-class venue for performances, exhibitions, and educational experiences while preserving and enhancing the historic character of the site. Through sensitive design, innovative problem-solving, and close collaboration with the Owner, consultants, and Saunders Construction as part of a design-build partnership, the project delivers a cultural landmark that honors the past, serves the present, and inspires future generations.