I’ve never been a big fan of clowns. I can take or leave them. But even though I’ve driven from here to Las Vegas numerous times, I never once considered staying at the Clown Motel in Tonopah.
Now the motel that’s considered the scariest motel in America is up for sale. I will be extremely interested if there’s anybody who will meet owner Bob Perchetti’s asking price of $900,000. Especially since one of the conditions of the sale is the clowns must stay.
Perchetti opened the motel 22 years ago, but is now ready to retire. Evidently his love of clowns — and he said he does love clowns — isn’t enough to keep him in the clown motel business.
But I assume for many tired travelers going through Tonopah, the creepiness of a clown motel isn’t enough to keep them from staying there since it’s pretty cheap. The rooms generally run less than $50 a night.
Of course, you risk losing a good night’s sleep and developing nightmares in the process. The rooms in the motel do prominently feature clowns and evidently people have resorted to covering up the clowns in an attempt to get a good night’s sleep.
I would suggest to Hollywood “Clown Motel” would make a great horror movie. And Nicholas Cage (for those of you who choose to read this Popcorn Stand, you know why I chose Nicholas Cage) could play the leading role. And the movie should be shot right at the Clown Motel in Tonopah.
Of course, nobody would ever stay at the Clown Motel ever again if such a movie was made. But I’m sure some Hollywood director could pony up the $900,000 to make the movie there and then the place could be turned into a museum.
And I’m now clowning around.
— Charles Whisnand
