There's seemingly no end to 'scary' places throughout the U.S. and when it comes to hotels that have a reputation, there are a few that come to mind. One is the hotel that inspired The Shining, The Stanely, in Estes Park. Another is the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, which has an unusually eerie reputation for obvious reasons. However, there is another that many people forget about when it comes to places they'd rather not spend the night: the Clown Motel.
This motel is located in Tonopah, Nevada, and it's garnered quite a reputation due to its, er, 'unique' decor. Not only is the entire motel clown-themed but it's also full of clown dolls and figures, which automatically makes it ten times creepier than necessary. But is this motel really that scary, or does it just play on the figments of guests' imaginations?
What It's Like Spending The Night At The Clown Motel
The Clown Motel probably wouldn't have as scary a reputation were it not for the fact that the entire motel is outfitted with clowns, both scary and silly. Even more, is that each room also sports a unique clown or horror movie tribute in the form of a wall mural which doesn't exactly help to soothe guests to sleep. However, there's more to this hotel's hauntings than just the things one can see.
The hotel is directly next door to the Old Tonopah Cemetery, which is where many miners who lost their lives during the Tonopah-Belmont Fire of 1911 are buried. Those buried in the cemetery were laid to rest between 1901 and 1911, as indicated on its sign, and it was closed shortly after due to overcrowding. The cemetery is protected by wrought-iron gates that surround it, with graves marked by rusted iron markings and dilapidated old headstones. This, in itself, is enough to conjure up nightmare images for anyone who leaves the motel grounds.
Upon walking up to the motel, guests are already face-to-face with several clowns and a large wooden cutout of one at its entrance. Whether these clowns are harmlessly jousting or smiling about a fate that has yet to be known by the guests is unknown, but one thing is for sure: it's unnerving. After walking through the entrance, guests will then be greeted by a combination lobby/museum.
Dedicated to all things clowns (of course) along with some horror movie tropes in there, it's definitely one of the most unique lobbies one is likely to ever see in their lifetime. This is where souvenirs can be purchased, as well, should any guests wish to actually remember their time spent at the Clown Motel. For $25, according to Pacific San Diego, guests can purchase an EMF detector in order to take part in their very own ghost hunts.
The Rooms At The Clown Motel
There are some mixed reviews when it comes to the Clown Motel. Regardless of personal opinion, there's no denying that the rooms at the Clown Motel are decorated with an aim to please - and utterly spook - whoever happens to be spending the night in them. Of the most 'haunted' rooms, the motel gives these graphic descriptions:
- Room 108, the 'It' Room: This room is distinctly decorated with a life-sized mural of Pennywise from It on the wall, luring innocent Georgie in with a red balloon. Supposedly, one of the motel's front desk managers - a terminally ill elderly man - was staying in this room. One night he fell ill and all attempts to call 911 - or anyone else - were unsuccessful, and many attribute this to something interfering with the room's phone.
- Room 111: Yet another room that was rented by a terminally ill elderly man, it's said that the man wished to live out his last days in this motel room in order to avoid becoming a burden to his family. After many days of hoping and wishing for death to come, it did not - thus, the man took his own life in the parking lot.
- Room 210: In a different twist, this room was rented by a man who suffered from an undiagnosed chronic back condition, which gave him tremendous pain. After staying in this room, his back pain was seemingly cured and he refused to go anywhere else - he eventually died in this same room after six years.
- Room 214: A man by the name of Howard Hughes once stayed in this room, and was known for being a billionaire during the 1970s. It's said that after three years, the spirits haunting this room took a keen liking to him. Now, guests who stay in this same room report various paranormal phenomena, likely due to the frustration on the part of the spirits who are unable to find their 'friend.'
Although the hotel was only built in 1985, it feels as though it has been a fixture in Tonopah for centuries. Time has seemingly stopped since Leona and Leroy David built the motel in memory of their father who was, of course, a true lover of clowns. The motel is home to more than 2,000 clowns now, as well as 31 rooms - each featuring custom paintings depicting some type of clown art painting.