Podcast Episode

Full Epsiode | The Clown Motel, Nevada: Sleeping Beside The Dead

Beyond Haunted UK: Ghosts, Mysteries & True Crime·Beyond Haunted UK·3 October 2026·10 min

About this episode

Want to skip the trailer, see chapters below.(00:00) Trailer Starts(02:37) Trailer ends, Episode starts(03:23) The Clown Motel(03:52) Tonapah History (04:25) Cemetery Residents and Deaths(06:08) The Clown Motel History(07:27) My reflection(08:56) Our investigation(09:12) Closing thoughts(10:03) OutroIn the remote Nevada desert, the small mining town of Tonopah is home to one of America's most unusual roadside destinations.The Clown Motel is filled with thousands of clowns, but directly beside it lies something far older: the Old Tonopah Cemetery.Established during Tonopah's early mining years, the cemetery became the final resting place of miners, families and residents of a community built around the discovery of silver. Among those buried here are people connected to mining accidents, illness and the 1911 Belmont Mine fire that claimed seventeen lives.In this episode of Beyond Haunted UK, Jamie explores the history behind Tonopah, the cemetery and the origins of the Clown Motel, before looking at the paranormal reputation that has grown around them.We also reflect on an important question: when we investigate places associated with death, are we sometimes so focused on finding evidence of ghosts that we forget about the real people behind the stories?Beyond Haunted UK investigated both the Clown Motel and the neighbouring cemetery. Our investigation was quiet, and we found no evidence that we considered indicative of paranormal activity.Sometimes sleeping beside the dead doesn't result in anything unexplained.And perhaps documenting those quiet nights is just as important as documenting the ones we cannot explain.Follow Beyond Haunted UK across podcast platforms and social media for more stories exploring history, belief and the unexplained through the human experience.Listen to the Beyond Haunted UK soundtrack on SoundCloud: Historic Tonopah & Peter Fabbi Photograph Historic imagery sourced from the Town of Tonopah Historic Photos collection. Town of Tonopah Historic PhotosClown Motel & Old Tonopah Cemetery Photography Original photography by Beyond Haunted UK. © Beyond Haunted UK. All rights reserved.Some photographs, archive images and illustrative visuals used within this production are representative or reminiscent of the historical era being discussed and may not depict the specific location, event or area referenced in the episode.AI-generated imagery and video may also be used for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as genuine historical footage or photography.Some music, images and videos used in this production are licensed through Artlist.Artlist AI Suite Licence Number: Te2OXcOriginal AI-generated music and illustrative AI-generated visuals are also used within this production.This episode contains discussion of death, mining accidents and human suffering. Please listen with care.