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There is nothing scarier than clowns, and the creepiest hotel in Nevada proves it. Pennywise, Zeebo, Twisty, Killer Klowns from Outer Space…seriously, clowns are terrifying –  and what’s even scarier? A clown-themed motel which is easily one of the scariest places in the US.

Tonopah is a small town that's known for its silver mining history. Lovers of old west history flock to its Central Nevada Museum which chronicles the rise of the state in its many excellent exhibits.
Tonopah
cmgray80/Flickr
One of Tonopah's most ominous attractions is the Clown Motel, an actual operating motel.
Clown Motel
Wayne Stadler/Flickr
If you find clowns disturbing (and frankly, why shouldn't you?) then you'll be fascinated by this creepy establishment.
Clown Motel
Jon/Flickr
The motel was even featured on the Travel Channel show "Ghost Adventures" and recently in a small indie horror flick called "Clown Motel." (2016)
Clown Motel
Bethany/Flickr
Step inside the lobby and gasp! You'll be accosted by the sight of thousands of clowns! (Well, maybe not thousands, but definitely quite a bit of clowns in one small space for any sane person to handle!)
Clown Motel
Hannah H./Yelp
The original owner of the motel, Leroy David, owned a collection of clowns that he combined with his motel business. The motel was later sold to a man named Bob Perchetti, the latest owner.

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Visitors who come to the hotel bring all kinds of clowns with them to "donate" to the motel's sinister decor. It's truly the deepest, darkest nightmare of the coulrophobic.
Clown Motel
Bethany/Flickr
You are even greeted by the horror of clowns as you come to the door of your motel room! Luckily the staff of the hotel have a reputation for being incredibly friendly and helpful.
Clown Motel
J M/Flickr
Even the motel rooms have clown artwork in them! Gah! For an extra scary visit, ask for a second floor room to get a view of the startling surprise next door...
Clown Motel
Will Keightley/Flickr
The rooms themselves are clean and well maintained and the motel actually gets high marks regularly in online reviews. It's so popular it books well in advance. You have to call to make reservations as there's no online booking system.
If the motel itself isn't disquieting enough, it's directly adjacent to an old cemetery. Zoinks!
Tonopah Cemetary
Will Keightley/Flickr
The cemetery is creepy yet oddly picturesque, especially against the backdrop of the mountains.
The Tonopah Cemetary was established in 1901 and the tombstones are most definitely old fashioned. Many of them are formed from wood, and the descriptions are either carved into the wood or into tin plates.
Tonopah Cemetary
Bethany/Flickr
The cemetery houses around 300 prior town residents from its earliest days, many of whom died of a strange plague that hit the town in 1902. It is also the final resting place of 14 miners who died in the Tonopah-Belmont fire in 1911. The cemetery became too small to hold more graves in 1911 and a new site opened up nearby.
Tonopah Cemetary
Bethany/Flickr
The Clown Motel is located at 521 North Main Street in Tonopah (with the Tonopah Cemetery directly adjacent). If you're driving up from the north or south, you can reach Tonopah via the US-95 which passes right through it. Distancewise, it's about half way between Reno and Las Vegas.

To learn more about this creepy hotel, visit the Clown Motel website or Clown Motel Facebook page.

Would YOU stay the night at the creepiest hotel in Nevada? Share your thoughts with us in the comments! For a decidedly less creepy attraction in Tonopah, check out our previous article to learn about the Tonopah Stargazing Park. Here, you can see up to 7,000 stars in the night sky (as opposed to a mere 25-50 in most cities). If you know of any other scariest places in Nevada that are worthy of a feature, tell us about them via our nomination page. You just might see your suggestion(s) in an upcoming article!

Another of the scariest places in the US is the abandoned mining town of Rhyolite, located about 1.5 hours from Tonopah. See for yourself in this YouTube video by us at OnlyInYourState:

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More to Explore

Scariest Places In Nevada & Related Info

Katie Lawrence | May 16, 2023

What are some more of the scariest places in Nevada?

Besides The Clown Motel, some of the scariest places in Nevada include:

One of the largest petroglyph sites in America, Grimes Point is allegedly haunted by several different apparitions (but only on moonless nights).

Visitors to the Silver Terrace Cemeteries have reported seeing everything from glowing gravestones to full-blown apparitions standing beside the burial sites.

This park is allegedly haunted by the ghost of a young boy who was hit and killed by an intoxicated driver. He can be seen swinging in the playground after midnight - but if you get too close, he transforms into a demon.

Are there any haunted hotels in Nevada?

The Silver State has several overnight accommodations that are supposedly crawling with ghosts. Some of the most haunted hotels in Nevada are:

Opened in 1876, the Silver Queen Hotel is heaven for ghost hunting enthusiasts. Rooms 11 and 13 are especially haunted!

Guests here have made numerous reports of haunted happenings, including being grabbed by unseen hands.

Also in Virginia City, the historic Gold Hill Hotel is rife with paranormal activity - probably because in 1869, a fire killed dozens of miners in the Yellow Jacket Mine, which was right underneath the hotel. I love ghost hunting, so I'm itching to book this place as soon as possible!

 

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The World Famous Clown Motel, 521 N Main St, Tonopah, NV 89049, USA