The ‘It’ factor: Author Stephen King enriches Bangor’s literary history
No1: Here is the iconic William Arnold House on West Broadway Street in Bangor. Stephen King and his wife, Tabitha, moved into the Victorian mansion in 1980 after a stint in Colorado and England. The house is still owned by King; however, he spends most of the year in Florida. Although it is not open to tourists, visitors can often be found taking a selfie from the sidewalk. (Photo provided by SK-Tours of Maine) 
No2: The Mt. Hope Cemetery is where part of the movie “Pet Sematary” was filmed, featuring a cameo of Stephen King himself. Visitors to the famed location can find the graves that inspired two of King’s greatest characters: Carrie, a bullied telekinetic teen, and Georgie, who had an unfortunate encounter with Pennywise the clown in a storm drain. (Photo provided by SK-Tours of Maine) 
No3: Set in the fictional town of Derry, Maine, Stephen King’s “It” features a Paul Bunyan statue that becomes possessed and attacks an unsuspecting character. Located in Bass Park in Bangor, Maine, the larger-than-life lumberjack has never been accused of foul play. (Photo provided by SK-Tours of Maine)
It is the city that inspired the fictional town of Derry, Maine, where a possessed Paul Bunyan comes to life and attacks Richie Tozier. It is the place where Stan Uris encounters something so terrifyingly horrible at the local standpipe that he would rather die than come face-to-face with it again. And of course, it is the place where Georgie Denbrough chases his paper boat into a storm drain and succumbs to Pennywise the clown.
Established in the mid-19th century and anchored by the lumber and shipbuilding industries, the queen city of Bangor, Maine, may be the state’s third most popular community – it has 31,753 residents – but it ranks No. 1 with horror readers everywhere, thanks to the work of renown author Stephen King.
A local legend
Born in Portland, Maine, on Sept. 21, 1947, King was already a well-established writer when he and his wife, Tabitha, moved to Bangor in 1980 after stints in Boulder, Colo.; Auburn, Maine; and England. He had published “Carrie” in 1974, “Salem’s Lot”in 1975, “The Shining” in 1977 and “The Stand” in 1978, among other novels and short stories.
After settling into the William Arnold House, a red Victorian mansion on West Broadway Street, he found the perfect place to pen a story he’d been carrying around in his head for five years. He told reporters that it would be set in Bangor and would include a number of local haunts. Released in 1986, “It”would make a splash, selling over 2.5 million copies and becoming one of King’s most successful works.
The local connections were not limited to “It,”so it didn’t take long for folks to descend on Bangor in search of anything related to Stephen King.
In 2012, Stu Tinker saw an opportunity and capitalized on it. He created SK-Tours to help King fans find the places they had read about in King’s books. The tours initially operated as a caravan with approximately 200 guests taking part the first season. However, thanks to coverage on A&E channel’s “Biography,” “City Confidential,” and in national publications, word spread. When Stu retired, he sold the business to his son, Jamie, and his daughter-in-law, Jennifer Millar. Both are long-time King fans and kept the tours going.
“We only run tours from mid-March to mid-November, but this year, we estimate that we will serve 4,000 guests both on our tours and in our shop,” Jennifer said.
The narrated tours include at least a dozen locations that are relevant to King’s life and career in Bangor. Millar said the most popular stop is King’s former home on West Broadway Street. Although the author still owns that house and it remains a private residence, it is not open to the public. However, SK Tours does stop to allow guests to take pictures and selfies from the sidewalk.
Other popular landmarks include the Paul Bunyan statue in Bass Park, the storm drain at the corner of Jackson and Union Streets and Mt. Hope Cemetery, where a portion of the movie “Pet Sematary” was filmed. Jamie and Jennifer note that in that King gave a cameo in that film as a preacher.
A collaborative initiative
While SK Tours makes four stops on the public tours so that guests can take photos, they also offer private tours that can be customized depending on level of interest. These tours often include additional stops as well as information regarding “Insomnia,” “The Langoliers,” “Dream Catcher,” “11/22/63,” “The Stand” and “Bag of Bones.”
“We often get referrals from the chamber of commerce and the Downtown Bangor Partnership. We have collaborated with the Downtown Partnership and historical society for Facebook Live events showcasing the city and its rich history,” Millar said. “This year alone, we have already had guests from all 50 states, including Washington D.C., and 25 different countries.”
Stephanie Crynes took an SK Tour on June 12 and found Tinker and Millar delightful and gregarious.
“Even the gift shop and home base, before the tour, were exciting and full of surprises,” she said in a Facebook review. “On the tour, we learned about filming sites, story inspiration, the King family history, King family philanthropy and Bangor History. The guide, Jamie, said no tears, so I had to hold back during a couple stories that tugged on my heartstrings: But mostly it was laughs and ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs.’ I’d recommend this tour to anyone!”
Naomi Bradshaw of Hinkley, U.K, said her experience touring Stephen King’s Bangor was amazing. Not only was the tour interesting and immersive, but it was the highlight of her trip to New England.
“We honestly did not want this tour to end,” she said in an online review.
No matter if a person is a fan of Stephen King or looking for a little Bangor lore, the tour offers the best of both worlds and will provide memories to remember – especially during the Halloween season.
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