This Big Bear cabin has an axe-shaped hole in the bathroom door and a locked cabinet guests are invited to crack
A four-guest cabin in Big Bear Lake, California recreates The Shining's bathroom with an axe-shaped hole in the door, runs ghostly effects on a random timer and hides a locked cabinet guests are invited to crack — 4.98 stars from 117 reviews, around $300 a night.
The bathroom door at this cabin in Big Bear Lake has an axe-shaped hole cut through it, and REDRUM is scrawled across the panels underneath. A mirror hangs beside it, so you can watch yourself put your head through the gap. The cabin is bookable on Airbnb for up to four guests, and 117 reviews average 4.98 out of 5. 1
Two things come with the booking. Special effects flicker the lights and play ghostly sounds at random. A cabinet with a combination lock holds a code word that guests are invited to work out. 1
A stack of horror films, a popcorn maker, horror trivia and an Ouija board all come with the booking. 1
The stay at a glance
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Stay | Horror-Themed Cabin! Retro & Scary Movie Inspired: a 1970s cabin with a replica movie bathroom, ghostly effects and an escape-room puzzle. 1 |
| Location | Big Bear Lake, California: the Sugarloaf neighbourhood, across the street from a park and walking track, a short drive from the lake itself. 1 |
| Capacity | Four guests: a queen bed in the bedroom, a queen pullout in the living room, one bathroom. 1 |
| Guest signal | 4.98 out of 5 from 117 reviews, a Guest Favourite, and ranked in Airbnb's top 1% of eligible listings; 98% of reviews are five stars. 1 |
| Price | Around $300 a night, the figure Creepy Catalog published on 16 October 2026; Airbnb quotes your own dates. 2 |
| Book it | Open the Airbnb listing |
What the cabin actually is
Underneath the props it is an ordinary mountain cabin with wood panelling, a brick fireplace and a tiny kitchen. The theming sits on top, and most of it is built to be operated by hand. 1
The listing calls the bathroom a replica and says it comes with an axe in the door, so guests can stick their head through and recreate the film still. The room still works as a bathroom, with a hot shower, shampoo and a hair dryer. 1
The living room runs the haunting. Lights flicker, the vintage television turns to static and ghostly sounds start up, all on a random timer. 1 One switch in the hallway turns the effects off, and the hosts ask guests with sensory sensitivities to tell them before arriving. 2
The bedroom holds the collection, with easter eggs hidden behind doors and inside drawers. The hosts also wrote a history for the place: Aunt Gladys inherited the cabin in 1972, decorated it to her taste for the macabre, and disappeared one night with her son Zachary. 1
Clues lead to a code word, the code word opens the cabinet, and the cabinet is supposed to explain what happened to them. 1
What guests say
Airbnb splits the score into subscores: accuracy, check-in, communication and location all sit at 5.0, cleanliness and value at 4.9, and 2% of the 117 reviews give four stars. 1
Frank, who came from Burbank for a weekend, wrote a week ago that the decor "made us feel we were in a classic slasher film", and that "the Shining bathroom was incredible". 1 The hosts had hung a Happy Anniversary banner over the fireplace and left Halloween cookies. He and his wife extended their stay. 1
Scott booked it two weeks ago as a birthday surprise for his wife. "The music and effects throughout the cabin were top notch," he wrote, and the hosts recommended a local bakery to make her a cake. 1
Cayla stayed in August with children and reported that her son "loved it and we loved solving the puzzle together". 1
Josh came in July with his family and wrote that they wanted more time in the cabin than out of it. "Big Bear is a fun area with lots to do and eat, but my family wanted less time out and more time experiencing the cabin," he wrote. 1
What it costs, and the rules that come with it
Creepy Catalog put the cabin at around $300 a night when it published on 16 October 2026. 2 Airbnb quotes by date, so treat that as a starting point and let the listing price your own nights. 1
Four guests, two vehicles, check-in after 3 p.m. and checkout before 11 a.m. 1 There are exterior security cameras on the property, a carbon monoxide alarm, and a warning that guests may encounter a potentially dangerous animal. 1
Sugarloaf is a residential neighbourhood on the mountain, so the lake is a drive rather than a walk, and weather can take the power out; the hosts keep flashlights and a gas heater for that. 1 The listing carries short-term rental registration number CESTRP-2023-01774. 1
If you want a night that begins with a face through a door and ends with a locked cabinet, start with the listing. 1
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