Was The Shining filmed in Glacier?

The Shining was partially filmed in Glacier National Park for its iconic opening aerial sequence, but the vast majority of the film was not filmed there. Stanley Kubrick's 1980 psychological horror masterpiece starring Jack Nicholson opens with breathtaking aerial shots of a small yellow Volkswagen Beetle driving along winding mountain roads surrounded by forests, lakes, and snow-capped peaks on its way to the isolated Overlook Hotel. Those aerial shots were filmed by a second unit crew along Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, Montana, specifically around Saint Mary Lake and the surrounding alpine scenery, chosen for its dramatic and isolated beauty. However, the exterior of the Overlook Hotel shown in the film is actually Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon, not a hotel in Glacier. The hedge maze, the lobby, the hallways, Room 237, and all interior sets were built and filmed at EMI Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, England, where Kubrick filmed most of his movies. Kubrick himself never went to Glacier National Park, he directed the second unit remotely. So while Glacier National Park does appear in the first three minutes of The Shining, the film is not primarily a Glacier movie. If you visit Glacier, you can drive the same Going-to-the-Sun Road seen in the opening, which is a popular film trivia spot.

The Shining was partially filmed in Glacier National Park in the sense that its famous opening aerial shots were filmed on Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, Montana, but the majority of the film was not filmed there. Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror classic The Shining starring Jack Nicholson is famous for its opening sequence where Jack Torrance's yellow Volkswagen Beetle drives through winding mountain roads to the isolated Overlook Hotel, with sweeping aerial footage of mountains, forests, and lakes. Those aerial driving shots were filmed by second unit cinematographers in Glacier National Park in Montana, specifically along Going-to-the-Sun Road and around Saint Mary Lake, chosen for its dramatic alpine scenery. However, the exterior of the Overlook Hotel was actually Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon, and the iconic hedge maze was a set built at EMI Elstree Studios in England, where all interior scenes including the lobby, hallways, and the famous Room 237 were filmed on soundstages. Kubrick never visited Glacier National Park himself, the second unit filmed the plates. So while Glacier National Park appears in the opening three minutes of The Shining, the film was not primarily filmed in Glacier. Most of the movie was filmed in England. So the answer is yes for the opening aerials, no for the hotel and interiors.