The legend of Room 108 at Clown Motel tells of a story of an elderly man who happened to be the motel’s front desk manager. One night, the elderly man decided to spend the night at the hotel, leaving his colleague to take the overnight shift at the front desk. However, he became severely sick and reportedly tried to call the front desk for help. With no one picking up the phone, the elderly man called his sister who immediately paged for an ambulance to the Clown Motel.
Unfortunately, the elderly man died on his way to Nye Regional Medical Center located 100 miles away. Surveillance footage soon revealed that the phone on the front desk never rang for the entire night. Room 108 have since been renovated as the ‘IT’ room, seemingly to acknowledge the presence of a mischievous spirit who may have caused the death of the elderly man.
Booking.comHistory of Clown Motel
Opened in 1985 by Leory and Leona David, the 31-bed Clown Motel was built by the brother and sister duo in honor of their late father Clarence David. An avid clown memorabilia collector, Mr Clarence David amassed a collection of over 150 clown statues. After David’s death, Leory and Leona David decided to construct the hotel right beside century-old Tonopah Cemetery where their father was buried.
Over the years, Clown Motel gained a reputation for being one of the most notorious and haunted attraction along U.S. Route 95.
In 1995, the David brothers sold the motel to Nevada resident Bob Perchetti. Perchetti continued the David family’s legacy, growing the number of clown statues to over 600. The property changed hands once again in 2017 when it was sold to Hame Anand and his brother Vijay Mehar for a reported price of $900,000.
The hotel’s infamous theme and creepy collection have also led to its appearance in several films and TV shows. In particular, the 2019 movie Clown Motel: Spirit Arise centers around a group of ghost hunters who stumbled across the “Clown Motel” located in the middle of nowhere. The indie horror film’s sequel “Clown Motel 2 – 2 Death Do Us Part” is expected to be released by the end of 2021.
The property was also featured on the 10th season of the popular American paranormal and reality television series Ghost Adventures
While there have been no official records of any deaths on the property, many—including both past and current owners— have claimed that the Clown Motel is haunted. From knocks on the door in the middle of the night to sounds of footsteps in vacant rooms, the motel have attracted and frightened many who have come to this remote part of the world for a glimpse of this one-of-a-kind attraction.
Mischievous Spirit at Room 214
Room 214 is said to be haunted by mischievous spirit who took a liking to Melvin Dummar, a meat seller that travels to the remote towns and ranches across rural Nevada. Dummar was said to be a regular guest at Clown Motel where he would get a special rate of $25 per night; he was also allowed to run an extension cord from to his truck to keep the freezer running and the meat chilled. The discounted rate was reportedly due to the fact that he stayed in the haunted Room 214.
After the death of Dummar, the spirit is said to have gone mischievous, often taunting guests staying in Room 214. Many who have spent the night in the room claimed that the lights would go on and off by itself in the middle of the night. Some have also reported that their personal belongings would get misplaced or rummaged through as if someone had ransacked the room.
Apart from room 108 and 214, paranormal activities are said to be frequent in room 111, 210 and 215. These include voice whispers, bathroom doors opening and closing on its own, and disembodied laughters in the middle of the night. In one incident, a group of four women in room 215 claimed to have seen the ghost of a clown standing along the corridor.
Is the Clown Motel Still Open?
As of October 2021, the Clown Motel is open for bookings. The property was last transacted in 2019 when it was purchased by the Mehar family. The Mehar family have sought to carry on the David’s family legacy and make Clown Motel a world renown landmark. Since their purchase, they renamed the motel to “The World Famous Clown Motel” and have grew the collection 2,000 pieces of clown figurines. Several rooms have been redesigned based on popular horror movies; these include the ‘Halloween’ room, the ‘Friday the 13th room’, and the ‘IT’ room.
To visit Clown Motel, drive half a mile northwest bound along N Main Street (U.S. Route 95) from the Mizpah Hotel. Look out for the ‘Clown Motel’ sign on the left and turn in to the carpark.
