Silver, Ghosts and Clowns in the High Desert of Nevada

Roughly halfway between Las Vegas and Reno, on the high desert of Nevada, the small historic mining town of Tonopah sits in the middle of a cluster of silver-laden hills. It was founded in 1900 by Jim Butler, who, the story goes, discovered silver in a rock he had picked up to “motivate” his wayward, napping burro. A one-time home of Wyatt Earp and where Howard Hughes wed Jean Peters, the town is best known for mining and ghost-filled hotels.

Travelers to Tonopah have many hotels to choose from, and not all of them have ghosts. There are your American roadside standards like the Dream Inn, Star Inn, Comfort Inn and Best Western, and then there’s the Clown Motel: painted in wild colors, sporting two 19-foot clown cutouts, and has a museum packed with more than 6,500 clowns. Even better (depending on your point of view), the hotel is right next to the old town cemetery and allegedly home to several ghosts.

In the center of town, the higher-end and historic Mizpah and Belvada hotels are both owned by Nancy and Fred Cline, of the Cline Family Cellars Winery in Sonoma, Calif. The Clines, with deep family ties to the area, bought the Belvada, which was originally built in 1906 as the Nevada State Bank and Trust, and renovated it to modern luxury standards.

The Mizpah Hotel, where I stayed during my recent visit to Tonopah, was constructed in 1907 in the middle of the silver boom and became the center of the town’s social life. The Clines bought it in 2011 and restored it to a romantic, Old West ambiance featuring rich colors, deep red carpets and curtains, flocked velvet wallpaper, stamped tin panels, dark wood, and vintage furniture beneath antique chandeliers. The ground floor has the Longshot Bar and historical displays, including an old bank vault now repurposed as a museum. The upscale Jack Dempsey Room is just down the hall and offers a fine dining experience featuring Cline Family wines. One night, I enjoyed a wagyu bacon cheeseburger, onion rings and chocolate brownie cheesecake.

Mounted on the wall outside of room 503, my room, is a plaque that tells the story of the Lady in Red who was strangled by a jealous lover and now haunts the hotel. They say she whispers in men’s ears on the elevator and leaves pearls on pillows. I won’t keep you in suspense; she neither whispered to me nor left me pearls.

Mere steps from the back of the Mizpah hotel, the Historic Mining Park has 100 acres of open grounds that rise steeply up the side of Mt. Oddie. It encompasses five mines, large original wood and metal structures, seemingly bottomless (but safely fenced off) holes in the ground, and a visitor center and museum. After an orientation by a docent, I wandered the grounds learning about hard rock mining. I looked 600 feet down into the Mizpah Mine, poked into workshops and equipment sheds, and read about the murderess who had worked in the laundry and was later sentenced to death for a robbery gone bad.

 While hiking to one of the upper mines, I stopped to catch my breath—the altitude there is over 6,000 feet—looked out over the town and saw, miles away across the desert, a storm on its way in. As I watched, a dust devil formed and grew out on the plain, and I half expected to see a lone horseman on a pale horse ride out of the gloom. I returned to my (maybe) ghostless room as it started to snow.

When You Go

Travel Nevada: travelnevada.com/cities/tonopah

The Clown Motel: theclownmotelusa.com

The Mizpah Hotel: themizpahhotel.com

Belvada Hotel: belvadahotel.com

Tonopah Historic Mining Park: tonopahminingpark.com