‘Spooky’ doesn’t begin to describe this historic Nevada mining town
Legend has it that Tonopah, Nevada, was discovered by a prospector named Jim Butler while searching for his lost burro. The year was 1900, and the surrounding landscape had only just begun to reveal its hidden treasures. After a night of searching for the wayward animal, the burro eventually led him to a rock outcropping with glittering specks of ore nearby.
Turns out, the heavy stone Butler picked up to grab his inquisitive companion’s attention was worth something; what started as a serendipitous encounter resulted in the second-richest silver strike in Nevada state history, sparking a frenzy of activity that would transform the remote desert outpost into a thriving hub of mining activity.
These days, Tonopah continues to reward visitors who venture into its peculiar embrace with a blend of frontier charm, starry night skies and paranormal intrigue. Historic hotels harken back to the town's boomtown heyday, while nearby ghost towns and limited light pollution provide ample opportunities for exploration and adventure.
Does the idea of staying at a clown motel with a haunted cemetery next door pique your interest? What about a drive along the Extraterrestrial Highway or “The Starry-est Route in America”? From the historic Mizpah Hotel, where the ghostly apparitions of former guests are said to still linger, to the unearthly glow of the Lunar Crater, Tonopah is a destination that defies the ordinary.
Read on to learn why this celestial town located halfway between Reno and Las Vegas is worth an extended visit.
Dig deep into Tonopah’s mining history
Jim Butler and his trusty steed caused quite a stir with their chance discovery more than a century ago. The untapped reserve of silver they found produced nearly $121 million during its peak years (1901-1921), triggering a burst of activity as outsiders flocked to the region that became known as "Queen of the Silver Camps.” (Today, that number would be valued over $1.9 billion.)
As mining operations expanded, so too did the town itself, and evidence of Tonopah's boom days can still be found at sites like the Tonopah Historic Mining Park and Otteson Brothers Turquoise Mine Tour, where visitors can unearth precious turquoise gems and take their treasures home.
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Embark on a self-guided tour at Tonopah Historic Mining Park, exploring the more than 100 acres of buildings, mine shafts, drop-offs and cave-ins at your own pace. For a more focused journey, book a guided Polaris tour (reservations required) that stops at points of interest like the Storehouse, Stope Bridge and Burro Tunnel while being shuttled around the rugged landscape in an ATV.
Blacksmith classes are also offered throughout the year. Learning from experienced craftspeople over one- and two-day sessions, students work with a coal-burning forge to create enduring mementos with the same techniques employed by Tonopah's earliest residents.
A haunting good time
The mining industry, while lucrative, was not without its challenges. Periodic disasters such as mine fires and construction catastrophes claimed the lives of many workers who helped propel the town to prominence, some of whom are said to have never truly left.
The Old Tonopah Cemetery, conveniently located next to the famously unsettling Clown Motel (more on that later), provides a window into the harsh realities of frontier life. Headstones and grave markers scattered across the dusty expanse pay somber tribute to those who met untimely ends, with stories of strange noises, unexplained phenomena and ghostly apparitions adding to the cemetery's macabre mystique.
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Visit the graves of Bina Verrault (a seductress from New York who fled to Tonopah), William “BIG Bill” Murphy (a local hero who sacrificed his life rescuing miners trapped in a fire), the Marojevech Brothers (a pair of siblings who died in a grizzly mining accident) and other Tonopah luminaries who continue to exert an otherworldly presence over the town. (Download a walking tour map here.)
Looking for perhaps more luxurious accommodations, several ghosts are said to still roam the halls of the historic Mizpah Hotel—a five-story property that was once named the most haunted hotel in America by the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
While some hotels might distance themselves from such a spectral reputation, the Mizpah fully embraces its paranormal heritage by offering ghost tours where guests can investigate the building's most notorious haunts firsthand.
Many visitors have reported seeing the floating apparition of a young woman nicknamed the "Lady in Red," a sex worker who was killed by a jealous ex-boyfriend on the fifth floor; this lady of the night often appears in the hotel’s elevator, enjoys leaving a single pearl on peoples' pillows and is known to fancy men who are traveling by themselves, whispering the words “hey, you” in their ear.
Day trips to nearby ghost towns like Belmont and Manhattan only add to the allure of Tonopah's supernatural side, with crumbling facades and forgotten histories providing ample opportunity for spooky speculation.
“The Starry-est Route in America”
Far from the bustle of Las Vegas, Tonopah's rural location and minimal light pollution have long made it a prime stargazing destination. The town sits at the intersection of Nevada’s Park to Park in the Dark route (also known as the “Starry-est Route in America”) and the Extraterrestrial Highway, fostering conditions ideal for spotting celestial phenomena.
On clear nights, visitors can gaze up at the Milky Way and watch for shooting stars at popular observation points like The Clair Blackburn Memorial Stargazing Park. Equipped with concrete pads perfect for setting up telescopes, the park provides an optimal vantage point for taking in Tonopah's dazzling display of twinkling stars.
Tonopah Star Parties, held on select weekends from April through October, align with new and full moons—when skies are at their darkest. The parties’ two themes, Dark Sky Nights and Moon Nights, allow stargazers to explore the splendor of the cosmos and the crater-pocked features of Earth's celestial companion.
Daytime excursions to the Lunar Crater National Landmark just north of Tonopah let visitors marvel at the alien geology located off the ET Highway. One of six natural landmarks in the state, Lunar Crater appears to be the result of a meteorite impact (a convenient cover-up for the aliens) but was in fact formed by volcanic activity.
Lunar Crater resembles the moon so closely it was classified as an official “Terrestrial Analogue Site” by NASA; astronauts in the 1970s trained in the area to prepare for actual lunar missions, collecting rock samples and practicing procedures in full astronaut gear.
Stay the night at one of Tonopha’s eclectic hotels
Between visits to the Crescent Sand Dunes, Mount Jefferson Wilderness Area and the Free-Range Art Highway, the amount of activities available in Tonopah are too great to fit into a single day. As a result, many visitors choose to spend the night in Tonopah, opting for accommodations that are as quirky and character-filled as the town itself.
The Clown Motel, located next to the Old Tonopah Cemetery, is famous for housing more than 4,000 clown figurines in its lobby and custom-made artwork in its guest rooms. Paintings of Gandhi, Elton John and Charlie Chaplin as clowns are just some of the surreal sights that grace the walls.
Travelers looking for a more traditional stay can choose between two Tonopah landmarks sitting on opposite corners of Main Street—the Belvada Hotel and the aforementioned Mizpah Hotel—both revived by new owners in recent years. The Mizpah was the tallest building in Nevada when it was built in 1907, with luminaries like Howard Hughes coming to stay. A 2011 renovation restored the hotel to its former glory, with furnishings like an era-appropriate chandelier, antique cash registers and velour Victorian couches.
Built one year before the Mizpah as the Nevada State Bank & Trust, the Belvada Building saw many different uses (saloon, drug store, barber shop, professional offices, apartments) before a loving 2020 renovation turned it into the 40-room boutique Belvada Hotel with luxury linens and flat-screen TVs.
Both the Mizpah and Belvada are on the National Register of Historic Places, although the latter has yet to develop a reputation for ghostly residents—at least for now.