Clowns are funny things. People tend to either love them, or be absolutely terrified of them. Watching IT when we were way too young probably didn’t help, and watching Terrifier later also didn’t…so it’s justified. But, no matter what, you cannot visit America’s scariest motel and not feel some sort of way: scared, impressed, intrigued, or all at once.
Location, location, location…
The Clown Motel is in the small town of Tonopah. On the grounds it’s built on, you’ll also find a cemetery, where people from around have been buried for only 10 years, between 1901 and 1911. If you think not much could’ve happened in 10 years, think again. Here, you’ll find those who died during the Tonopah Plague, miners who died in a tragic fire, the first African American man to live there – and was shot by his wife after years of abuse -, and a widow that, together with a friend, collected goods to today’s value of $2.5 million from men they’d seduced. Yep.
From way back then to today
More fires followed in Tonopah. Clarence David was one of the people who tragically during a Belmont Fire in 1942. Fun fact about him…he had a clown collection! After his death, his children opened the motel we’re referencing here, which displayed 150 items of their father’s clown collection.
Later on, in 1995, Bob and Deborah Perchetti bought The Clown Motel. During his time, an episode of Ghost Adventures was filmed here, and things really took off. Other short films followed, so the place became more and more popular.
In 2019, the Mehar family of Las Vegas took over, and they still own it today. Same as previous owners, they’re passionate preserving the iconic collection. You can rest assured that if you visit today…you’ll get the full experience.
America’s scariest motel
So, why would you visit The Clown Hotel? Well, to begin, it’s definitely an experience unlike any other. The impressive collection – which includes a clown museum, of course – features 5000 clowns, and represents the largest private collection of clown figurines and memorabilia in the world. Rumors say, one of the clowns moves at night…yikes.
If that’s not creepy enough for you, request a stay in rooms 108, 111, 210, and 214. Hang around, and find out…