the clown motel in tonopah nevada

Weird Nevada

Founded by gold miners and cowpokes, built up by casino magnates, and populated by renegade artists, the Silver State is anything but ordinary. If you’re curious to seek out these strange tourist attractions all over Nevada’s wild, weird West, you’ll experience clown motels, car forests, haunted hot spots, and plenty more unusual places to visit.

The Most Unique Things To Do in Nevada

Museum-hop between displays detailing cursed artifacts, atomic bomb tests, murderous mafiosos, and retired neon signs in Downtown Las Vegas. Take a road trip to uncommon art galleries, Area 51, and an Alien Research Center. Go off the beaten path and come face-to-face with Weird Nevada—and be prepared for anything and everything.

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Nevada’s Most Unusual Roadside Attractions

Welcome to the weirdest, wildest West. Goldfield was once one of Nevada’s largest boomtowns. At Goldfield Historic Cemetery, you can browse historic epitaphs of residents long since passed—including the unfortunate “DIED EATING LIBRARY PASTE.”

Also in Goldfield, the International Car Forest of the Last Church is an unconventional sculpture garden. Dozens of painted cars stand on end, straddle crevices, or balance delicately on top of one another. The artwork is always changing, so no two visits are ever alike.

Seven Magic Mountains is a cluster of neon boulders stacked 35 feet high, towering over the desert landscape. This polychromatic photo op is an art installation visible from I-15, especially if you’re headed to The Strip.

goldfield cemetery unknown man died eating library paste
Goldfield Historic Cemetery
woman at seven magic mountains in nevada
Seven Magic Mountains

The Goldwell Open Air Museum puts the “ghost” in “ghost town.” Begun in the 1980s by Belgian artist Albert Szukalski, its plaster ghosts form a spectral tableau of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” These haunting installations enchant thousands of international visitors to nearby Rhyolite Ghost Town and Death Valley National Park.

In Hiko, E.T. Fresh Jerky has your Area 51 fuel-up needs covered. Browse kitschy curios, pose with life-sized aliens in funky murals, and load up on a robust snack selection. Just down the Extraterrestrial Highway, visit the Alien Research Center. Gleaming in the desert sun like an actual spaceship, this silver Quonset hut and its two-story silver alien security guard serve up the latest alien apparel, hats, and far more. 

Root for the bad guys at Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum in Boulder City. Curated by an award-winning special makeup effects artist, the museum celebrates horror movie icons through screen-used props, life-size figures, and an on-site screening room. 

Tunes, Dunes & Saloons

A Playlist for the Peculiar

We don’t know what kind of music ghosts and gray guys like, but we think it might go something like this. In fact, our Weird Nevada playlist is so out of this world, the UFO in the other lane might ask you for the link (better save it now or risk getting beamed up).

Weird Nevada Soundtrack by Travel Nevada

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Haunted Places to Visit in Nevada

Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum in Downtown Las Vegas features 30 rooms jam-packed with some seriously spooky artifacts—some of which are rumored to be the world’s most haunted objects. 

Virginia City’s Washoe Club & Haunted Museum is one of the most haunted places in the West. Take the tour to hear stories about the Millionaires Club, reported hauntings, and tales from the historic crypt.

puppet room at zak bagans haunted museum
Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum
interior of the clown motel
The Clown Motel

The Clown Motel in Tonopah boasts one of the largest private collections of clown figurines and memorabilia under the sun. If the creepy clown theme isn’t enough to spook you, the added bonus of nightly spirits slinking over  from the cemetery next door might just do it.

Pioche was once more rough-and-tumble than Tombstone and Dodge City, and it has the spirit sightings to prove it. Check into the Overland Hotel & Saloon—where you’ll have to specifically request a ghost-free room—and see if you sense any strange activity.

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#TravelNevada

Keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready for UFOs and otherworldly guests. Share your proof with #TravelNevada (and maybe find it featured here).

Sunrise at Seven, 2019. Seven Magic Mountains by Ugo Rondinone #september7 #desert #sunrise #7magicmountains #sevenmagicmountains #color #installation #architecture #human #presence #love #expression #art #nature #light #naturallight #photography #photooftheday #giaaadventure #giatrovelaphoto #teamcanon #canonphotography canonusa canonbr canonuk canonaustralia 
#nevadaart #lasvegas #nevada #thankyou
Nevada... Yes those are shoes in a tree in the middle of nowhere, on The Loneliest Road! 
#epicroadtrip #2020doesntsuck #adventure #loneliestroadinamerica
A truly weird (and wonderful) Nevada experience...essentially,
*Alexa play firework by Katy Perry* 🎇🧨🎆 #happy4thofjuly #fireworks #besafe #lastyearsroadtrip #nevada
A 10-foot-tall taxidermied polar bear, dubbed White King, looms over gamblers at the Commercial Casino, which originally opened in 1869 as the Humboldt Lodging House in downtown Elko, Nev. 
White King, who arrived at the casino in 1958 after being killed by Eskimos in Alaska, makes a momentary appearance in Hunter S. Thompson's 1992 essay
Stargazing and looking for meteors at the Seven Magic Mountains ☄️🌌 You don’t have to wonder too far from Vegas to catch the meteors. Grab a chair and a few jackets cause it gets 🥶 Shouts to jennayyyyye for helpin me achieve these effects 🔥📸

#astrophotography #travelnevada #sevenmagicmountains #meteorshower
Lessons from the past 🏔 #mountainstories

The last few weeks have been a time of education, reflection and/or protest for those who’ve wanted to bring a positive change for our society. I love documenting wildlife, nature and space but in the spirit of growth I wanted to share a Nevada trip which led me to this tucked away landmark. It’s a monument created by outsider artist Frank Van Zant which pays tribute to Native Americans and the injustices they’ve faced.

Since 1983 it’s been subject to arson and vandalism - and garners such little attention that that we were the only ones exploring the monument for the time we were there. Yet it still stands - resilient in the face of adversity like the Native Americans it represents.

Another reason I wanted to share this is because while researching the story behind the monument I learned that the artist has since ended his life - a topic of mental health I hold near to me for the friends I’ve lost in the last few years. In a time of uncertainty - take care of yourselves & be open and encourage others to be open as well. Drink water, get rest and exercise your mind and body along with your rights.

It’s also fire season for some of us here in California so be safe out there!

Thunder Mountain Monument
Imlay, Nevada
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Canon 6D MKII
© Kevin Dhaliwal 🙋🏽‍♂️
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#nevada #roamtheplanet #earthcapture #findyouradventure #ourwild #findyourpark #mountainstories #seeyououtthere #trappingtones #discoverearth #ourplanetdaily #dscvr_mood #earthcapture #moodnation #artlovers #naturephotography #teamcanon #natgeoyourshot #nature #visualsofearth #wildlifeseekers #socality #theearthoutdoors #greettheoutdoors #earthfocus #history #ournaturedays #wanderfolk
Saw a few colorful characters around #TheClownMotel clownmotelphotos  #scarymotels #clowns #nevada #tonopah #roadtrip #explorenevada #halloween #scary  #uniqueplaces #weird
It’s time to get weird, in the best ways possible. 👽🤡🐄🧻🧨
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August is all about the wild, wacky, only-in-Nevada experiences that keep the Silver State just a little bit offbeat (and just how we like it). If your itinerary ain’t complete without a funky pit stop or unusual attraction, and if you prefer to go home with more stories than souvenirs, look no further than the link in our bio – #WeirdNevada’s got your back. #TravelNevada
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