The History of Nevada’s World Famous Clown Motel - AFAR

"A roadside motel marked by a candy-striped neon sign and 19-foot clown cutouts, it houses a startling collection of more than 3,000 clown dolls, ceramics, posters, prints, and other clown-related artifacts that range from dubiously friendly to grotesque and antique. The property began in 1985 when the children of Clarence David—whose large clown collection and 1942 burial in the adjacent cemetery inspired the concept—opened a motel next to the graveyard; it has since become a local icon through webcomics, indie films, and a featured episode of Ghost Adventures. Under current operators Vijay Mehar and Hame Anand several rooms have been refurbished with horror themes (The Exorcist, Halloween, Friday the 13th), and the site is associated with numerous ghost stories and alleged hauntings, including tales of visitors driven to madness or longtime residents dying on the premises. Practical amenities include nonsmoking rooms, free Wi‑Fi, pet-friendly policies, and barbecue grills on room patios; the main-office clown collection is free to visit and the motel accepts clown donations." - Tiana Attride