Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. A reversal of air currents through the mine spread the fire and smoke faster than they could escape. The Mine was planning an extension of their operation and wanted to prevent the cemetery property from expanding. The Clown Motel is in the town of Tonopah, 200 miles northwest of Las Vegas and not too far above the also-infamous Area 51. One thing’s for certain, Tonopah will never run out of terrifying attractions, those of which have been drawing visitors in for years. The world famous Clown Motel in Tonopah, NV is dedicating a suite to the King of Clowns! The fire was noted around 5:50 am and after about an hour of searching, miners noticed a fire burning some timber that was piled near the bottom of the shaft. Myth #2:     A lot of the people buried in the cemetery died due to a “mysterious plaque”, also known as the “Tonopah plague”, that occurred in 1902. A clown is a perfect addition to any birthday party or community event that needs some goofy giggles. Among those buried buried are victims of the 1905 "Tonopah Plague" as well as the 1911 Belmont Mine Fire and Sheriff Thomas Logan who was shot while trying to save others in a local brothel. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Fact:           The old cemetery closed as the tailings of the Tonopah Extension Mine kept washing over the graves, destroying headstones. Some visitors report nothing, saying that while the motel is creepy, it isn’t haunted. Even the motel’s owner, Hame Anand, with his love for clowns, tells that he hears footsteps and knocking from unoccupied rooms. Our motel offers a little bit of something for everyone. A lit candle was thought to be to blame. According to USA Today’s Readers’ Choice Awards, the Mizpah is considered the nation’s number one haunted hotel. Myth #1:     The old cemetery closed due to being overcrowded. The Mizpah Hotel is home to the elusive ‘Lady in Red,’ who was strangled to death in the hotel by her jealous ex-lover between rooms 502 and 504. It was named “America’s Scariest Motel” due to its clown theme and proximity to the Old Tonopah Cemetery. It’s almost as if the watchful peepers of these circus creepers serve as a warning rather than a draw to come inside. Almost like a possession. Site by. Cue Tonopah Cemetery in Tonopah, Nevada. The rock turned out to be from the second richest silver strike in Nevada’s history. A clown-themed motel is for sale in rural Nevada, with the owner insisting the 600 clown figurines, mannequins and paintings, and his employees, get to stay. Named ‘America’s Scariest Motel,’ The Clown Motel sits right next door to the Tonopah Cemetery plot in ghost town Tonopah, Nevada. Entrepreneur with roots in Tonopah restoring historic Belvada, © Copyright 2021 - Tonopah, Nevada All rights reserved. How about all three… at once. By continuing to use the site, you agree to our cookie policy. Fact:           The cause of death was added in recent decades based on historic research conducted by historian Allen Metscher of the Central Nevada Historical Society. It closed only ten years after opening when the increasing number of dead outnumbered the plots the cemetery … Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Both large and small, the Motel is littered with everything from tiny clown statues to life sized dolls. The men were scattered, untrained, and did not obey orders properly, resulting in many of them being trapped in the mine with the smoke and flames. In 2004, a circus performer whose speciality was twirling on scarves 30 feet above the arena floor fell to her death … 1. ABOUT. He already bought new furniture, painted several rooms and brought new clowns. There is nothing mysterious about the pneumonia cases in 1901/1902 or 1905 as they were well documented in the local newspaper. The town of Tonopah came together then, as it does now, to take care of the family left behind. This website is sponsored in part by a grant from the Nevada Commission on Tourism, The Tonopah Community Endowment Fund Scholarship is a one-time award of $1,000.00 for students graduating from Tonopah High School (THS) in 2021 and continuing their education at an accredited college […], We use cookies to help us improve, promote, and protect our services. Big clowns, small clowns, happy clowns, creepy clowns. The Mizpah Hotel is home to the elusive ‘Lady in Red,’ who was strangled to death in the hotel by her jealous ex-lover between rooms 502 and 504. Even more, clowns have been seen leaving the cemetery as well, balloons and all. When one of the previous owners of the motel attempted to make contact with the wayward spirit, he froze and promptly disappeared. https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH19050420.2.8&e=——-en–20–1–txt-txIN——–1, https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/belmont_mine.htm, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/clown-motel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh5j77jXIFo, https://www.rgj.com/story/life/2018/10/12/mizpah-hotel-tonopah-makes-most-haunted-list/1618660002/, https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a33408401/haunted-clown-motel-nevada/. Apparitions have been seen coming from the graveyard, and EVP or electronic voice phenomena has been captured with voices stating, ‘we mined’ and ‘we died that day, 17 men.’ Even if you go back far enough in history, the Pueblo Native American tribes used to dress up in clown-like attire, releasing their own personalities and welcoming possessions by spirits nearby them. Some of the more remarkable of these are those that involve some element of the paranormal or supernatural, lending the case an air of ominous intrigue. The what…? It started out as a mining town back in the earliest of 1900s, and these days maintains a population of about 2,500 thanks to a nearby bomb testing range and, I assume, such treasures as a clown-themed motel. It is simply an acute pneumonia of a very severe type. Voices are heard throughout the night, and scratches on walls have even been reported. The corrals located at the rodeo ground on U.S. Highway 6 are available for use by individuals traveling through the area for a fee of $5.00 per head per night. But Anand said he wants to bring more attention to the Clown Motel. A once-booming mining town, Tonopah has died down due to the typical booms and disasters that most mining towns encounter, to a small desert town of only 1200 residents, not all of them living. We may request cookies to be set on your device. From the moment you step foot into the motel, you’re greeted with hundreds of clowns of all sizes. 13,648 were here. With a population of just 2,346 (2019), this town is considered one of the best locations in the United States for star-gazing, is known for its vast mining history, and is home to America’s scariest motel, also known as the Clown Motel. Midway between Vegas and Reno, the sleepy little town sits comfortably on routes 6 and 95. TOWN OF TONOPAH Some of them life-size, some miniature, all creepy as heck! Perhaps it’s the miners that make this area so active. 140 S Main Street, Tonopah, NV 89049 She is said to haunt the 5 th floor and well as the elevator. Big Bill Murphy – our local hero, who was killed in the Belmont Mine Fire of 1911 while rescuing others. Fact:           The “plague” was a huge number of deaths in 1905, not 1902, due to pneumonia and assumed to be a result of a lack of sanitation, especially close to the slaughterhouses. P.O. Maybe clowns, with their identities ever-changing, allow for portals into the spirit world. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. The cemetery holds just over 300 plots and includes the grave marker of Sheriff Thomas Logan who was killed in a shoot-out in a town bordello. Right next to it, however, is a very old cemetery which is 100+ years old. tourism@tonopahnevada.com, MAILING ADDRESS: Among the individuals buried there are victims of the Tonopah-Belmont Mine fire which took place on February 23, 1911. The Clown Motel was also profiled by many national media outlets when Perchetti put it up for sale in 2018. Click on the different category headings to find out more. Many people are terrified of the Clown Motel. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, you cannot refuse them without impacting how our site functions. The tragedy happened on February 23rd, 1911, and killed 17 miners in the process. She currently haunts the Visitor’s Center at the Tonopah Historic Mining Park. “Clown Motel – 2 Death Do Us Part” picks up six months after the events of Clown Motel, with the search for Brooke (Elinor Price) in full swing, when Brooke’s fiance Sergeant Kelly (Joseph Kelly) gets new Intel on her possible whereabouts. Some of our clowns even know a few magic tricks! But the Tonopah Cemetery and Clown Motel aren’t the only haunted locations in the town. While they're investigating the motel and cemetery for paranormal activity they start to lose track of one another. It seems as if Tonopah is steeped in paranormal history. A group of ghost hunters, The Paranormal Searchers Squad, travel to the Clown Motel to see for themselves if the legend of William McReady, a murderous motel owner with a clown fetish, is true. As the motel’s clown collection continues to grow (people literally “send in the clowns” from all over the world), Hame plans to get creative with displaying his clown collection. ... following a sharp increase in the number of Covid deaths. But the cemetery isn’t the only place where ghosts have been spotted, the motel itself is host to a couple of spirits as well. The disease, strangely enough, only attacks grown men.”. He faces his intense fear of clowns as he investigates the Clown Motel, while Aaron & Jay explore an abandoned high school. The Marojevich Brothers – both killed in a mine accident at the Belmont Mine. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Make sure to let us know if you find an interesting story of your own! … You may visit anytime during the day or night, and you are welcome to park in the Clown Motel parking lot. Many people are terrified of the Clown Motel. Americans are more afraid of clowns than climate change, terrorism, and death. The Clown Motel literally sits adjacent to a cemetery that stopped operating in 1911. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please note the pictures have been compressed from 4k to 1080p for screening purposes and do not reflect the actual film. Write down the name and date of death, then go to https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov to search some of the old newspapers online. For six years, Gacy kidnapped, raped, and murdered upwards of 30 boys under the guise of a performing clown named "Pogo." The town of Tonopah came together then, as it does now, to take care of the family left behind. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Many of the graves were marked by Metscher using dousing rods, an old technique employed to locate ground water or other disturbances in the ground such as gravesites. The Clown Motel will not be held liable for any bodily injury, damage to personal property, emotional distress, death or other harm caused by the aforementioned. Others disagree, stating they hear knocks on their doors only to check and see nothing around. Not because of any accommodation shortcomings, but because it's full of clowns. The Mizpah Hotel is home to the elusive ‘Lady in Red,’ who was strangled to death in the hotel by her jealous ex-lover between rooms 502 and 504. Or could it be the clowns… with their painted faces and larger than life smiles? Read their stories and use the historic map to find their graves, or just explore the over 300 graves found there. Most of the men protested, but being Slavic immigrants, the threat of being fired was enough to push them into the mines. 521 N. Main Street, Tonopah NV , 89049 +1 775 624-9098 ©2020 by The Clown Motel, Tonopah. With Angela Nordeng, Ryan Izay, Tasha Tacosa, Jessie Lee Pauli. The animal found shelter under a rock outcropping, where Butler picked up a rock, noticing it was extremely heavy for its size. “The Clown Motel on Main Street(U.S. Route 6 and 95) in Tonopah, Nevada” via Wikimedia Sibling owners Leona and LeRoy David established The Clown Motel in … It's different. Download a Walking Tour map, or pick one up at one of our hotels, museums, or the Tonopah Town Office. When he was finally caught, 29 bodies were found under his house. He wants to add more rooms to accommodate more customers who come here from all over the world. The Clown Motel boasts a “Friday the 13th” room, “Halloween” room, “Exorcist” room, and, naturally, an “It” room. But the horrors didn’t start with the cemetery. You can block or delete them by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. Visitors to the Clown Motel swear it is haunted. 1 Background 2 Notable Accounts 3 Trivia 4 Gallery 4.1 Photo Gallery Once a booming, goldmining hotspot with a population of over 50,000, Tonopah now houses just around 2,500 people, most of whom work for the local military test range. Unarmed and wearing only his nightclothes, he was killed by an assailant outside a brothel in Manhattan, Nevada. It all started in 1985 when Leona and Leroy David built this motel in memory of their father Clarence David who died in the Belmont Mine Fire and is buried at the Old Tonopah Cemetery right next door. Enjoy exploring our amazing cemetery! As a Vegas local who has taken to trying out some of the highlighted sights, I decided to check out the bizarrely fascinating Clown Motel. 56 people died between January and April, according to the Secretary State Board of Health in his report to Governor John Sparks. There are clowns on the doors, shelves of clown dolls and collectibles in the lobby, clown paintings on the walls of the rooms. Other patrons have reported seeing a 7-foot-tall clown standing at the foot of their bed while they wake up in a cold sweat. All rights reserved. Thats right, room 222 will now officially be the Clownvis Suite! Visitors to room 108, which has a life-size mural of Pennywise the clown on the wall, experience strange encounters, disembodied voices, their belongings moving around the room, things going missing… all thanks to a spirit known as ‘The Trickster.’ This spirit is said to come from the cemetery, taking the form of a clown to joke around with visitors. He was known for being a joker and a prankster, and is rumored to still be playing pranks at the Tonopah Liquor Company. I didn't get the impression the Clown Motel was haunted. Tom Logan – Tonopah’s Sheriff, a very popular man with a reputation for being honest and fair. You can also head to the Central Nevada Museum here in Tonopah and use their fantastic research library. Many fascinating people are buried in the Old Tonopah Cemetery, and they have some incredible stories. Collecting EVPs at the cemetery, and seeing shadow figures outside of their motel rooms in the dead of night, this area continues to be rich with history and seeping with spirits. With Mindy Robinson, Laurene Landon, Angie Stevenson, Elissa Dowling. If you do not want that we track your visist to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps and external Video providers. There’s even a giant clown on the front of the hotel. When the fire was first discovered, the superintendent that day told everyone to go to work, since the fire was in a totally separate area. She is said to haunt the 5 th floor and well as the elevator. Apparitions of a man have been seen leaving the cemetery and walking around the area at all hours of the day. Remember to keep your Ham away from Hammy! 132 reviews of Clown Motel "I've taken to reading "Weird Las Vegas and Nevada", a book that covers all of the tourist and roadside oddities of the Silver State. There are countless cases of mysterious deaths out there, which have gone on to become imbued with unexplained mysteries and unanswered questions. Spirits of several others have also been reported in the hotel, from children on the 3rd floor to murdered miners in the basement. Truly, it must be because the motel is akin to an oasis, but why else would a creepy clown motel stay in business for so long? Box 151, Tonopah, NV 89049. Directed by Tom Newth. A signed Script and Poster from Rellick, WillyVodka and the Director, along with and a "Clown Motel 2" Digital Download package including the extended cut of "Clown Motel - 2 Death Do Us Part" PLUS receive a custom Video shoutout on set from the clowns and Receive all of Joseph Kelly's Past Films on DVD 1) Community Service 2) Bloody Island Clown Motel, Tonopah: See 150 traveler reviews, 219 candid photos, and great deals for Clown Motel, ranked #1 of 3 B&Bs / inns in Tonopah and rated 3.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. "Clown Motel - 2 Death Do Us Part" picks up six months after the events of Clown Motel, with the search for Brooke (Elinor Price) in full swing, when Brooke's fiance Sergeant Kelly (Joseph Kelly) gets new Intel on her possible whereabouts. The Merten Brothers – Three brothers that died within 2 years of each other. Directed by Joseph Kelly, Joe Lujan. Three hundred people are buried there, including a handful of Tonopah’s original residents. The curse of the town started with the Tonopah-Belmont Mine Fire. Take a peek next door of the Tonopah Cemetery, and you’re met with one of the most unexpected and obscure sights in the west…. The Clown Motel has a battalion of glassy-eyed circus dolls, its owners swear it’s a fun and safe place to sleep. Due … So naturally, there is a Clown Motel. The unassuming central Nevada desert town is home to tragedy, obscure history, and death. Apparently there's a clown serial killer out there, sort of the opposite of John Wayne Gacy: a person who actually targets clowns. As a Vegas local who has taken to trying out some of the highlighted sights, I decided to check out the bizarrely fascinating Clown Motel. But the Tonopah Cemetery and Clown Motel aren’t the only haunted locations in the town. It started out as a mining town back in the earliest of 1900s, and these days maintains a population of about 2,500 thanks to a nearby bomb testing range and, I assume, such treasures as a clown-themed motel. What’s on your top 10 creepiest list – clowns, ghosts, or cemeteries? So, you may be asking, what does any of this have to do with clowns? The Clown Motel has become quite the Tonopah landmark! hello@theclownmotelusa.com. TONOPAH, Nev. (AP) — A clown-themed motel is for sale in rural Nevada, with the owner insisting the 600 clown figurines, mannequins and paintings, and his employees, get to stay. Our friendly birthday clowns love to play games and make the kiddos laugh! These 10 circus performers can't say the same. She is said to haunt the 5th floor and well as the elevator. Its name was changed to "Stay on Main" in an effort to distance the hotel from its tragic past. Their father who was a clown lover left a collection of 150 clowns in his home which they decided to use as the theme and focal point of their motel in memory of their father. The Clown Motel, located next to the Tonopah Cemetery, is a popular place to stay because of all the reports of being haunted by 'ghost clowns' and miners who were killed in the Belmont Mine Fire. Myth #3:     The headstones have always listed the cause of death. The sickness is believed to be due to the lack of sanitary conditions. Soon to be filled with Clownvis fan art and item's from the King's personal archives! Enjoy exploring our amazing cemetery! (Who pays for damage done to rooms by ghosts?). Who knows what you might find! Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. The first film stills for "Clown Motel - 2 Death Do Us Part". These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. You can also change some of your preferences. The Clown Motel is located in Tonopah, Nevada, better known as the middle of nowhere. Whoops, you're not connected to Mailchimp. Soon after, he began mining the area. Fourteen of those men that perished that fateful day are now buried at the Tonopah Cemetery. Only about 30% of headstones are original. After a while, when the superintendent noticed the flames spreading, men were told to withdraw everyone from the mine except for those actively fighting the fire. “The Clown Motel on Main Street(U.S. Route 6 and 95) in Tonopah, Nevada” via Wikimedia Sibling owners Leona and LeRoy David established The Clown Motel in … you may notice an arch hanging over the Tonopah Cemetery entrance. Tonopah owes its existence to a donkey – yes, you read that right – a wayward donkey that wandered off during the night, leading prospector Jim Butler to search for it. town@tonopahnevada.com, TOURISM & EVENTS COORDINATOR The cause of death was not listed on the original headstones. Unarmed and wearing only his nightclothes, he was killed by an assailant outside a brothel in Manhattan, Nevada. © 2021 Copyright Vegas Ghost Tours. Many paranormal research teams have visited the cemetery as well as the Clown Motel, finding themselves in a strange and almost otherworldly environment. What else would you build next to a cemetery filled with bodies of tragedies past? Find a grave you are interested in learning more about? The Clown Motel is in the town of Tonopah, 200 miles northwest of Las Vegas and not too far above the also-infamous Area 51. Privacy Policy. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. It was named “America’s Scariest Motel” due to its clown theme and proximity to the Old Tonopah Cemetery. A cheerful clown of course! As the motel’s clown collection continues to grow (people literally “send in the clowns” from all over the world), Hame plans to get creative with displaying his clown collection. The Clown Motel in Tonopah, Nevada features over 800 terrifying clowns. The Merten Brothers – Three brothers that died within 2 years of each other. Just beyond that is a century-old miner’s graveyard, made up of stone and wooden markers. After an article in the San Francisco Call about the pneumonia scourge in Tonopah in 1901/1902, the Tonopah Daily Bonanza replied with a correction, arguing that they find the 27 deaths due to pneumonia between May 1901 and January 1902 in relation to a population of 1,500 not a heavy mortuary rate. Some of the murals in the rooms are sure to give guests nightmares. Bina Verrault, an incredible woman running from the law in New York City who ended up dying in Tonopah. Legend states that the clown statues give the miners, some of which cannot accept their death, a vessel to travel the earthly plane. This is a list of deaths, violence and other suspicious activity associated with the Cecil Hotel.The Cecil Hotel is a budget hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, opened in 1927.Since 1931, it has gained a reputation for suicides and other violent deaths. You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. They can lead silly songs and dances, and may even whip up a balloon animal or two. But the Tonopah Cemetery and Clown Motel aren’t the only haunted locations in the town. 132 reviews of Clown Motel "I've taken to reading "Weird Las Vegas and Nevada", a book that covers all of the tourist and roadside oddities of the Silver State. Site-2170 is publicly known as the Clown Motel, staffed by Foundation personnel for the purpose of memetic inoculation to prepare researchers and agents for SCP-2170 exposure. Many headstones were rebuilt by the Tonopah Conservation Crew, under the guidance of Metscher, with old material, giving them an original look. They donated the property of the “new” cemetery that is still in use today.