The Clowns Motel, in the former mining town of Tonopah, Nevada, is arguably the creepiest roadside hotel in the United States. According to urban legend, this motel, located between Las Vegas and Reno, is inhabited by the spirits of people who died over a century ago as a result of a mysterious epidemic. But this place has another frightening feature.
The hotel has at least a thousand clown dolls. Toys adorn the reception area, bathrooms, corridors and rooms, invariably attracting tourists from all over the world. Clowns are even hung over the beds, and many guests have to cover them with towels and sheets so as not to experience nightmares and sleep peacefully. They say that ominous dolls rotate their eyes at night, turn their heads and even spontaneously move around the building.
The old cemetery is just around the corner from the Motel of Clowns. The bodies of dozens of miners and their relatives, who died in 1901-1902 as a result of the so-called "Tonop plague", are buried here. An unknown disease then destroyed more than half of the city's inhabitants. And in 1911 there was a major fire here, which also claimed the lives of many people. If you believe the urban legend, it is the spirits of these people who infiltrate the dolls and frighten the guests (or just play with them).
The Clowns Motel was opened in 1997 and has since become a very popular attraction. Now, two decades later, its owner Bob Perchetti has decided to part with his brainchild. The hotel was recently put up for sale, but you can buy it with only one condition: the mystical dolls from the Motel of Clowns will not go anywhere. However, it is unlikely that the new owner of the motel would refuse such a means of attracting customers, so the condition in this case plays a purely formal role.
