May 26, 2025
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Part 1
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A Little History
The World-Famous Clown Motel opened in Tonopah, Nevada, in 1985, but the history of the town and the land surrounding it reaches back much further.
Long before European-American settlement, the area around Tonopah Springs was used by Indigenous peoples, particularly the Western Shoshone Tribe, who had lived throughout the Great Basin for centuries. The name Tonopah is generally associated with Native terminology referring to the area’s springs and vegetation, although the exact linguistic origin and translation have been interpreted in different ways.
Tonopah’s modern history began in May 1900, when prospector Jim Butler discovered silver ore near Tonopah Springs. His discovery sparked a major mining boom, transforming Tonopah into a thriving mining community. The town’s mining district reached its peak during the early 1910s, producing significant amounts of silver and gold and attracting miners, prospectors, businesses, and families from across the region.
It was in this historic mining town that the motel that would eventually become known around the world as the World-Famous Clown Motel was established.
The Birth of the Clown Motel
The motel was originally opened by Leona and Leroy David next to the Tonopah Cemetery, where their father was buried alongside many of the miners and residents who had been part of Tonopah’s silver-mining era.
Originally known as the David Motel, the property began as a family memorial and a relatively ordinary roadside motel. Its unusual identity developed from their father’s collection of clown figures and artwork. Over time, the collection became an important part of the motel’s character and eventually helped create the distinctive attraction visitors know today.
In 1995, Bob and Deborah Perchetti purchased the motel. They embraced its unusual reputation and continued expanding its collection of clown memorabilia while promoting the property as a destination for those fascinated by the strange, unusual, and paranormal.
Its location directly beside the historic Tonopah Cemetery naturally added to the motel’s eerie atmosphere and contributed to the many stories of paranormal activity associated with the property.
The motel’s reputation grew even further after the Ghost Adventures television series investigated the location in 2015, bringing increased attention to the property among paranormal enthusiasts.
In 2019, the property was purchased by Vijay Mehar, with Hame Anand becoming heavily involved in its operation and redevelopment. Today, the motel embraces its reputation as “America’s Scariest Motel.”
With its location beside the Old Tonopah Cemetery, enormous collection of clown figures, unusual guest experiences, and association with paranormal television, the motel has developed a unique identity that blends Tonopah’s mining history, family history, roadside Americana, horror culture, and decades of paranormal folklore.
Staying at the Clown Motel
For visitors looking for something beyond the typical hotel experience, the World-Famous Clown Motel offers a variety of uniquely themed rooms.
Guests can choose from rooms decorated with creepy clown artwork or accommodations inspired by popular horror films including Friday the 13th, Chucky, IT, The Exorcist, and Halloween.
For horror fans, staying surrounded by these characters and decorations can be both creepy and entertaining. The motel also offers quieter accommodations, family-friendly options, and pet-friendly rooms, making it possible for a variety of visitors to experience this unusual destination.
Our Experience
Our journey to Tonopah began in Las Vegas, and for anyone with an interest in the paranormal, strange roadside attractions, and forgotten pieces of Nevada history, we highly recommend making the drive.
Once you leave Las Vegas, the landscape begins to change dramatically. The farther we traveled, the more it felt as though we were leaving the modern world behind and entering another era.
Along the way, we passed through several fascinating towns, including Beatty and Goldfield, each offering its own glimpse into Nevada’s mining-town past.
Beatty, Nevada
Entering Beatty felt like stepping into another time period. During our drive through town, we even encountered a man whose old-fashioned clothing and suspenders made him look as though he had stepped straight out of Nevada’s mining days. For a moment, it was almost surreal.
Beatty is also known for the wild burros that roam throughout the area. We didn’t stop to see them during our first trip through town, but we made sure to visit them on our way back to Las Vegas.
The burros were incredibly friendly and clearly accustomed to visitors. They were more than happy to accept a snack!
Goldfield, Nevada
Our drive also took us through Goldfield, another historic Nevada mining community. The old buildings and remnants of the town’s early-20th-century history make it fascinating to drive through, especially when you consider how different these communities must have looked during their mining-boom years.
And eventually, we arrived at our destination:
Tonopah, Nevada—and the World-Famous Clown Motel.
Our Arrival at the World-Famous Clown Motel
When we arrived at the World-Famous Clown Motel, one of the first things that caught our attention was the enormous collection of clown memorabilia. It was definitely a sight to see. But what surprised us most was the atmosphere of the motel itself.
We had expected something much darker and perhaps even intimidating because of its reputation as a paranormal destination. Instead, we found the property to have a surprisingly warm and welcoming atmosphere.
We had the opportunity to meet members of the family involved with the motel, and our experience was much more personal than we anticipated. Rather than feeling like we were simply visiting a famous paranormal location, it felt like we were being welcomed into a small, family-oriented motel with a great deal of personality.
One of the family members, who was still very young, was also an artist. Some of her artwork was displayed in the clown museum, and we had the opportunity to speak with her about the pieces she had created. It was an unexpected and genuinely enjoyable part of our visit.
The Old Tonopah Cemetery Tour
When we booked our room online, we also had the opportunity to book a tour of the Old Tonopah Cemetery, which is located immediately beside the motel.
Our cemetery tour was led by an employee of the World-Famous Clown Motel who had worked there for more than 20 years and lived on the property. Her knowledge and stories added another layer to our experience.
What made the tour even more memorable was that we were the only guests participating at the time. Having a private tour created an intimate, small-town atmosphere that we hadn’t expected.
Considering the motel’s reputation as a paranormal destination, we were pleasantly surprised by how comfortable and welcoming the entire experience felt.
The cemetery itself deserves a story of its own, so we will be creating a separate post dedicated specifically to the history and stories of the Old Tonopah Cemetery.
The In-Room Investigation
For our investigation, we stayed in Room 107, the Fear Unlimited room.
The room immediately caught our attention because of its creepy artwork and unusual atmosphere.
We were told that Room 107 had been closed for a significant period of time and had eventually been used as a storage room. According to stories associated with the room, several deaths had occurred there over the years. We attempted to research these reports but found it difficult to locate reliable documentation confirming the details.
We were also told that guests staying in neighboring Room 108 had reported hearing sounds coming from Room 107 while the room was closed. Eventually, according to the stories we heard, these reports contributed to the decision to reopen the room.
Whether or not all of the stories surrounding Room 107 can be independently verified, its history and reputation certainly made it an intriguing location for an investigation.
For us, it was the perfect room to spend the night.
Our Investigation Equipment
During our investigation, we used several pieces of equipment, including:
- Two portable audio recorders
- A body camera
- A K2 meter, an electromagnetic-field detector that uses colored LED lights to indicate changes in electromagnetic readings
- An ITC word-generator application on a mobile phone.
In this particular investigation, however, the ITC application produced several words that caught our attention.
The Word “Parker”
One of the first significant words generated by the application was:
“Parker.”
This caught our attention because, during our research into the Old Tonopah Cemetery, we came across the name Frederick B. Parker, who is associated with the history of the 1905 Tonopah pneumonia outbreak, sometimes referred to as the “Tonopah Plague.”
The outbreak was a serious event in the early history of the mining community and resulted in numerous deaths.
Finding the name Parker in our research after receiving the same word during our investigation was certainly intriguing to us. However, we cannot determine whether the generated word had any actual connection to Frederick B. Parker or to anyone associated with the motel.
For those interested in learning more about the people buried in the Old Tonopah Cemetery visit www. oldtonopahcemetery.com
The Word “Kennedy”
Another word generated by the application was:
“Kennedy.”
At first, we assumed this might simply be another person’s last name.
During our research, however, we discovered references to the Kennedy mining project in Nevada, which was a contemporary mining development being discussed around the time of our 2025 visit.
We have no evidence connecting this modern mining project to our investigation, and the word could certainly have been nothing more than a coincidence. Still, discovering the connection after hearing the word was an interesting part of our research.
It is these kinds of unexpected connections that make paranormal investigations so fascinating for us.
The Word “Knife”
One of the most interesting moments of the investigation involved the word:
“Knife.”
The ITC application generated the word, and around the same general period, we also captured what sounded to us like the word “knife” on one of our audio recordings.
Because Room 107 has stories associated with deaths occurring there, the coincidence immediately caught our attention.
However, we were unable to independently verify that any death associated with the room involved a knife. Therefore, we consider this an interesting piece of evidence and a coincidence worth documenting.
EVP Evidence
During our investigation, we also captured several recordings that we believe contain possible EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomena).
Some of these recordings were particularly clear and interesting to us, and we will include them below so you can listen and decide for yourself what you hear.
One recording seemed to contain what sounded like a male voice saying:
“Summer Cat.”
We researched the phrase but were unable to find a clear historical or cultural connection to the motel, Tonopah, or the surrounding area.
What the phrase means—or whether we are actually hearing those words at all—remains unknown.
And sometimes, that’s part of the mystery.
“Too Bad” / “So Sad”
Our favorite piece of evidence from the investigation was also one of the most unexpected.
During the investigation, we temporarily misplaced one of our phones. While we were searching for it, we captured what sounded like a female voice saying:
“Too bad.”
Immediately afterward, we heard what sounded like a male voice saying:
“So sad.”
The timing made the recording especially interesting to us. This recording made us laugh and it became our favorite piece of evidence from the entire investigation.
There was something almost perfectly fitting about it happening inside the World-Famous Clown Motel. Whether paranormal or simply an amazing coincidence, the timing felt like a little joke at our expense.
And honestly, it made the trip for us.
Portable Audio Recorder Evidence
Below is a selection of recordings captured with our portable audio recorders during our investigation.
These are some of the clearest and most compelling recordings we captured during our stay. As with all paranormal evidence, we encourage you to listen carefully and make your own judgment about what you hear.
We highly recommend using headphones for the best listening experience.
Turn up the volume, listen closely, and let us know what you hear.
Was it paranormal? Was it coincidence? Or something we simply can’t explain?
That’s for you to decide.
Portable Audio Recorder*:
Audio 1 – The ITC application generated the word “Knife” and around the same general period, we also captured what sounded to us like the word “knife” on our audio recorder. (0.3)
Audio 2 – “Summer Cat” We researched the phrase but were unable to find a clear historical or cultural connection to the motel, Tonopah, or the surrounding area. (0.4)
Audio 3 – “Too Bad” / “So Sad” During the investigation, we temporarily misplaced one of our phones. While we were searching for it, we captured this. (0.2 – 0.3)
The World-Famous Clown Motel Pictures*: We were not able to find any anomalies.
Friendly Donkey in Beatty, NV
World Famous Clown Motel
Clown Museum
Fear Unlimited Room 107
