At the edge of the desert, just 80 miles north of Death Valley National Park, lies the town of Tonopah, Nevada. With a population of just 2,346 (2019), this town is considered one of the best locations in the United States for star-gazing, is known for its vast mining history, and is home to America’s scariest motel, also known as the Clown Motel.
For many, clowns are nothing more than outlandish makeup and slapstick comedy. For about 12% of Americans, clowns are something to be feared. These people suffer from coulrophobia, a fear derived from the result of not knowing who lies behind the excessive makeup, red nose, and hair color. Feeding on this fear, you have the Clown Motel.
The clown motel was founded by LeRoy and Leona David, in memoriam of their late father. Together, they gathered his collection of about 150 clowns, and “put them to work” at the motel. Rooms adorned with brown carpet, beds with floral sheets, and clown portraits hung over the beds caught the eyes of both clown lovers, and those simply intrigued by the motel’s theme.
In 1994, it was sold to Bob Perchetti, who saw potential in the charismatic motel. He made it his mission to discover what sort of people were brave enough to stay in such a creepy place. It didn’t hurt that the motel had been built right next to the Old Tonopah Cemetery. A cemetery populated by the bodies of those killed in a mysterious plague in 1902, in addition to 14 miners that had been killed in a mine fire in 1911.
Bob brought in more clowns, porcelain, stuffed, glass, and even an oversized Ronald McDonald. He turned the motel into a must-see destination for adventure seekers, thrillists, and even ghost hunters. “I tell people the cemetery is haunted,” he has said. “If you take a flashlight and go out there at midnight, you might hear or see something,” reveling in the fact that his motel was built next to the cemetery.
In 2017, the time had come for Bob Perchetti to sell the motel. Choosing the right owner was a responsibility he didn’t take lightly. “Whoever bought it had to keep it as the Clown Motel. That was really important for me.” He had succeeded in making the motel a popular spot for travelers, “People fly into Vegas, rent a car, and drive to Tonopah just to take a picture with the clowns and then head back.” That success could only be built upon, with the right owner.
The right owner was found in 2019.
Hame Anand fell in love with clowns at the age of 14, when he and a friend attended a circus in his native India. A clown appeared before the audience, who erupted in laughter. “I fell in love with that character. From that day on, I started collecting clowns.”
Anand moved to Las Vegas in 2017, where his family happened to own two motels. He worked hard, working at Amazon, and helped with the marketing of his family’s motels. He was so successful that his brother offered to buy him his own motel. His collection of and love for clowns led him straight to the Clown Motel.
While he entertained the thought of changing the name of the motel, he realized he couldn’t do it. Instead, he worked to remodel each of the rooms, and gave the exterior a fresh coat of paint. Instead of taking away from its creepy image, he chose to add to it, planning a clown museum with a souvenir shop, and even a themed coffee shop, a place he deemed necessary for guests, who would undoubtedly have a rough night’s sleep courtesy of the clowns (whom many have claimed to have seen move), and ghosts.
Even Anand believed there were paranormal factors at play. He often hears footsteps, knocking, and even voices coming from unoccupied rooms. There was only one explanation, ghosts from the graveyard coupled with the numerous (over 2,000) clowns on site.
In 2015, Zak Bagans and the Ghost Adventures team paid a visit to the Clown Motel. While the cemetery was just another paranormal hot spot, it was the clowns that posed the greatest threat. Spirit box voices and the appearance of a darkly silhouetted figure sent Zak’s coulrophobia into high gear.
Is the infamous Clown Motel just another fun tourist destination, or is it indeed haunted? If you take Celia Ramos’ encounter as evidence, you may find yourself in a paranormal hot spot. “These are spirits that are trying to reach out to people. They literally touch people, pull the covers off, pranksters.” She even recalls an event from 2017, “we caught the clown moving his hand. He has a life-sized clown sitting in the office.”
Clowns are truly creepy. If you disagree – check out this story about a killer clown.
