Old Tonopah Cemetery
Tonopah, Nevada, United States
Cemetery · local-legend
The Story
Tonopah’s original cemetery, just beside the famous Clown Motel, is steeped in stories of lingering miners and mysterious nighttime figures.
The Hauntings
This old burial ground contains the graves of miners, pioneers and townspeople from Tonopah’s silver boom. Ghost-story writers have connected figures seen between the cemetery and nearby motel to those who never came back from work underground. Paranormal visitors also recount apparent voices captured during investigations in the neighborhood. None of these accounts requires treating a recording as proof of a named spirit, but the stories are part of the unmistakably eerie pairing of an old desert graveyard and a motel with its own haunted reputation.
The History
The cemetery was active in Tonopah’s early twentieth-century mining years, including the period of the devastating 1911 mine fire.
A sense of place.
Visitor Experiences
Have you experienced something here?
This future chapter will bring together stories from the PHASM community. An unexpected encounter, a lingering feeling, or a quiet visit—your experience will be welcome.
Submissions are not open yet.
Sources & further reading.
- Travel Nevada: Old Tonopah Cemetery (history)
- Atlas Obscura: Old Tonopah Cemetery (reports)
- Travel Nevada: Old Tonopah Cemetery (visiting)
Plan Your Visit
Travel Nevada lists the Old Tonopah Cemetery at 917 North Main Street, free to visit, generally available throughout the day and night subject to closures. Treat the plots respectfully and avoid disturbing markers or memorial objects.