00;00;00;00 - 00;00;09;29 Unknown That's. 00;00;09;29 - 00;00;31;19 Unknown Anthony. 00;00;31;21 - 00;00;58;14 Unknown If you dig the twisted, admired the outlandish, and are enamored by the unusual, you're in the right place. True crime, the supernatural, the unexplained. Now you're speaking our language. If you agree. Join us as we dive into the darker side. You know, because it's more fun over here. Welcome to Total Conundrum. 00;00;58;17 - 00;01;35;06 Unknown One, someone's first move. Born for one quarter in Scarborough. This discussion is advanced. There's a town in the Nevada desert halfway between Reno and Las Vegas, where the past refuses to rest. A town built on silver. Tragedy and legend. A town where the dead outnumber the living. And some may still be watching. And if that wasn't creepy enough, someone thought, hey, let's build a motel for fortunes right next to a haunted cemetery. 00;01;35;08 - 00;02;19;02 Unknown Good thinking. Good, because obviously a mining town with a tragic past wasn't terrifying enough. Now let's throw in thousands of clowns just to make sure no one ever sleeps again. This is Tonopah, Nevada, where your choices for lodging are either a haunted luxury hotel with ghostly whispers or a clown motel where the decor might be watching you. Oh, and did we mention the mysterious plague that only killed grown men in the silver mine fire that turned an underground worksite into a horror movie, and the Mizpah Hotel, where the lady in red still roams the hallways like she's waiting for checkout time. 00;02;19;04 - 00;02;46;00 Unknown Which, let's be honest, is probably never from haunted graveyards to vanishing figures, from whispers in the night to spirits who refuse to be forgotten. Tonopah has it all. And tonight we're taking you there because, hey, if we can't sleep, neither can you. Brace yourselves. Conundrum crew. This is one episode you definitely won't want to miss. As always, we value your feedback. 00;02;46;07 - 00;03;14;28 Unknown Please rate and review our podcast on Apple and Spotify. Subscribe and like on YouTube and hit that notification bell so you never miss an episode. Your support keeps us going. If you have any story, ideas or recommendations, contact us at Toll conundrum.com or you can find us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. And don't forget, today we'll share trailers from our podcast pals at Gruesome and Unnatural and Zach Solve Mysteries. 00;03;15;00 - 00;03;31;04 Unknown If you're craving more creepy content, be sure to give them a listen. Without further ado, let's dive into the dark and bizarre history of Tonopah, Nevada. We'll be back after these messages. 00;03;31;07 - 00;03;56;07 Unknown Hey everyone, I'm Shelley and I'm Eric, and we're the hosts of Gruesome and Natural, a true crime podcast about murder, cold cases, missing people, and just unnatural. Join us every Monday where Shelley tells me gruesome stories that are absolutely with me. Yeah. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 00;03;56;09 - 00;04;29;28 Unknown And back to the show. Picture this. It's 1900, the Nevada desert. A man, a donkey and faded south. Colliding in the most ridiculous way possible. Eagle. And by fate, you mean Jim Butler's donkey wandering off in the middle of the night like a rebellious teenager past curfew. Exactly. This little guy decides I've had enough of this life and wanders into the mountains near the modern day Tonopah. 00;04;30;01 - 00;04;56;14 Unknown Classic donkey behavior. Zero concern for anyone else's schedule. So, Jim, being the responsible donkey dad that he is, goes looking for him. And when he finds him the next morning, the donkey is just chilling on some rocks, as you do rocks that might I add, turned out to be filled with silver. Like accidentally stumbled upon a fortune kind of silver. 00;04;56;17 - 00;05;24;11 Unknown Imagine that moment. Jim's probably yelling at his donkey like, hey, you little idiot! Do you have any idea what I. Wait, wait a second. It's basically the early 1900s version of winning the lottery. Except instead of scratching the lottery ticket, you've got a rock licking donkey, are you? I like la la la la la la la la la. 00;05;24;14 - 00;05;49;21 Unknown Fun fact some versions of the story say Jim threw a rock at the donkey in frustration. And that's how he discovered the silver. He's right in the head. So basically, what you're telling me, Tracy, is that animal abuse led to Nevada second biggest silver boom. I mean, the donkey was fine. Probably just confused, like, bro, why are you throwing stuff at me? 00;05;49;21 - 00;06;17;17 Unknown I just made you rich. Either way, Tonopah was born overnight. Word spread fast, and before you knew it, thousands of prospectors rolling in, ready to strike it rich. And just like that, the middle of nowhere became a bustling, lawless Wild West mining town. All right. Let's talk about the early Tonopah life. Because if you think discovering silver meant a comfortable lifestyle, think again. 00;06;17;20 - 00;06;48;18 Unknown Oh, yeah. Booming town didn't mean five star resorts and smoothie bars. It meant zero infrastructure, terrible hygiene, and about 500 ways to die before breakfast. Holy smokes. Right. The first miners tents. Literal tents in the desert. Hot in the day, freezing at night, dust everywhere. I hope they like the taste of dirt because they were breathing it 24 seven. 00;06;48;20 - 00;07;19;15 Unknown But you said they had a smoothie bar. No, they didn't have a smoothie bar. I'm going to the smoothie bar. Goddamn it! And don't even get me started on the sanitation situation. Smelly. Smelly is right. Because sanitation. There wasn't any. Exactly. The whole town smelled like sweat, whiskey, and questionable life choices. You. So, basically, a modern music festival, basically. 00;07;19;18 - 00;07;53;18 Unknown And speaking of whiskey drinking, it was safer than the water supply. So saloons were everywhere. And these weren't your friendly neighborhood bars. These were full on wild West debauchery zones. Gambling, fighting, shootouts. Throw your gun, Mr.. Shady deals. I mean, the local law enforcement was pretty much just hoping for the best. The law was basically. Hey, maybe don't murder people, but if you do, can you just drag the body outside? 00;07;53;20 - 00;08;23;03 Unknown I'm not saying the saloons are dangerous, but if you walked into one and didn't get into a fight, were you even in Tonopah? 100% chance that fists will be flying weather over a shot of whiskey or a shady game of cards? And let's not forget the actual mining conditions. Miners spent hours underground breathing in toxic dust, dealing with collapsing tunnels and praying they wouldn't run into a ghost or worse, their foreman in a bad mood. 00;08;23;05 - 00;08;51;06 Unknown The turnover rate was wild, and by turnover rate, I mean people literally falling down mine shafts. And yet people kept coming because the dream of silver outweighed, you know, basic survival instincts. So we've got an exploding population. Dangers working conditions, questionable hygiene in the wildest nightlife this side of the Mississippi. Sounds like the perfect place to build a haunted clown motel. 00;08;51;08 - 00;09;18;24 Unknown Hell, yeah. Oh, we're getting there. But first, let's talk about the mystery plague that started wiping out miners. Oh, you mean the one where only the men working in the mines were dying? Yep. And nobody knew why until it was too late. Imagine you're a miner in 1902. You've survived Kevin's lawless saloons and the daily threat of being punched over a bad poker hand. 00;09;18;26 - 00;09;51;25 Unknown But then, out of nowhere, men start dropping like flies. And not just any men. Only adult male miners. The wives totally fine. The kids healthy as horses. The town doctor baffled. At first, people just figured it was the usual. Oh, you inhaled too much mind us situation. But then the symptoms got weird. Sudden chest pain, fever, coughing. And within hours. 00;09;51;25 - 00;10;23;01 Unknown Dead. No time to call for help. No warning. Just. Bam! You checking into the afterlife? Damn doctors were scrambling for answers. Was it in the water? Maybe some curse. Silver dust. Or did Jim Butler's donkey come back for revenge with the biological weapon? He who? He who? Donkey dust. Yeah. Who was the original medical mystery? And let's just say 1902. 00;10;23;01 - 00;10;53;16 Unknown Science was not exactly advanced. So here's what the town's best medical minds came up with. One contaminated water. Maybe a bad well or some weird bacteria nobody knew about. But then why weren't the women and the kids affected? Two toxic mining fumes. Mines were filled with questionable air quality. Some people thought the men were basically inhaling their way to doom three, a deadly new pneumonia. 00;10;53;19 - 00;11;21;12 Unknown A few doctors suggested it was some mystery plague that attacked only miners, which is conveniently selective. Look, I'm no doctor, but when a disease starts acting like it has a type, I start asking questions, right? Like, oh, you're only interested in hardworking men in their prime. What are you? The most inconvenient dating app of 1902? Swipe left on the death plague, please. 00;11;21;15 - 00;11;47;00 Unknown Haha! Exactly. As you can imagine, people freaked out. I wonder why? Right. Miners are dying fast. No one had any idea why bodies were piling up quickly. They had to bury them in the old Tonopah Cemetery as fast as possible. Some folks panicked and left town immediately. Others were like, I guess I'll just take my chances. And the ones who stayed. 00;11;47;04 - 00;12;11;25 Unknown Well, let's just say the town moved on. But the spirit may not have. Oh, yeah. The ghosts of these miners are said to still wander Tonopah. Especially around the old cemetery. And, I don't know, maybe even a certain motel nearby. You mean the one covered in clowns? Because nothing says rest in peace like a room full of nightmare fuel. 00;12;11;27 - 00;12;43;27 Unknown Bam! Nailed it. And we'll get to the clown Motel next. But first, let's talk about something even scarier. Let's talk about sex, baby. Let's talk about you and me. Oh, wait. That's off topic, baby. Sorry, but even scarier than ghosts, minors and unexplained plagues. Seriously? Yep. You got it. A mine fire so bad it turned one man into a legend. 00;12;43;29 - 00;12;55;13 Unknown Oh, you mean big Bill Murphy. Let's do this. Mining was already dangerous. Caverns. 00;12;55;16 - 00;13;27;10 Unknown Explosions, poison gas, you name it. But in 1911, Tonopah faced one of its deadliest disasters. And it all started with a single candle, a candle, all of the ways for a mine to go up in flames. It was basically a dollar store candle that set off an underground inferno, which honestly, is my biggest fear. Just casually lighting a Yankee candle and suddenly our living room turns into a historical tragedy. 00;13;27;12 - 00;13;50;24 Unknown Yeah, but at least our living room has exits. These miners, 300ft underground, thick black smoke filling every tunnel and nowhere to go but a rickety wooden elevator which was also catching fire. And guess what, folks? This is where we meet big Bill Murphy, aka the bravest man to ever exist in Tonopah. So picture this. The fire breaks out. 00;13;50;26 - 00;14;22;00 Unknown There's panic everywhere. Dozens of miners are trapped. The lift operator. Long gone. Everyone else running for their lives. But not big Bill Murphy. Hero. Nope. Big Bill takes one look at that burn and shrugs and says, oh, says Bible. And he does. He personally hauls men up to safety over and over again, riding that fiery elevator back down each time to rescue more. 00;14;22;05 - 00;14;44;29 Unknown And then this is the part that wrecks me. After a second trip up. He's exhausted, covered in soot, coughing his lungs up. And you know what he says? Well, boys, I've made two trips and I'm nearly all in. But I'll try again. And that was the last time anyone saw big Bill Murphy alive. On his third trip down. 00;14;45;01 - 00;15;07;23 Unknown The fire and smoke finally overwhelmed him. He never made it back up. 17 miners died that day. Most of them are buried in the old town of Pass Cemetery. Now, you know a town doesn't go through something this tragic without some left over. Ghost activity. Oh, yeah. Some people say the ruins at the Belmont Mine are haunted as hell. 00;15;07;26 - 00;15;34;11 Unknown Shadow figures called spots. And sometimes you can still hear the whispers from below. Some believe big Bell never really left. That is. Spirit still lingers. Watching over the minds in the cemetery. Even worse, visitors claim they've seen the miners in old fashioned work clothes standing between the gravestones, only for them to disappear into thin air. Which, first of all, nope. 00;15;34;13 - 00;16;02;15 Unknown Absolutely not. If I ever see a Victorian ghost miner staring at me, I'm packing my bags and moving to the least haunted state possible. Well, good luck with that. This is America. Everywhere's haunted. Fair point. But you know what's even more haunted than a mindful of ghostly miners? Let me guess. A motel filled with clowns next to a graveyard full of tragic deaths. 00;16;02;18 - 00;16;34;16 Unknown Bingo. Let's talk about the Clown Motel. Welcome, dear listeners, to the Clown Motel, where you can enjoy a good night's sleep, if you don't mind. 30, 200 clowns staring at you. Oh, and did we mention it's right next to a cemetery? That's right. Because nothing says relaxing getaway like a motel filled with soulless clown dolls, literally overlooking a graveyard of tragic mining deaths. 00;16;34;19 - 00;16;58;22 Unknown Honestly, this place sounds like a setup to a horror movie. And yet people pay money to stay here. Yeah, people like you. You 200% stay here just for the content. Oh, yeah. You betcha. You know. And I live stream the whole thing. Okay, so how did we get this clown infested horror lodge in the middle of nowhere? Great question. 00;16;58;22 - 00;17;27;14 Unknown Tracy. It all started in 1985, when siblings Leona and Leroy David built the motel in honor of their father, Clarence David. Turns out Clarence was a huge clown collector, and his kids were like, you know what would be a fantastic idea? A clown themed motel right next to dad's final resting place. Which, you gotta admit, it's either really sweet or deeply unsettling. 00;17;27;16 - 00;17;59;13 Unknown Yeah, I'm going with unsettling. It's one thing to love clowns. It's another to be like. Let's turn our father's lifetime obsession into an immersive nightmare experience for paying us. Oh, and here's the real kicker, Clarence Davis. He's buried in the cemetery next door. Surprise! Of course he is. Because nothing screams. Dad would have loved this. Like letting strangers sleep next to his grave surrounded by thousands of clowns. 00;17;59;15 - 00;18;37;14 Unknown Hell yeah. You basically summarized my burial wishes. But let's stop clowning around. So. Fast forward to 2019, when Ham onand a self-proclaimed clown enthuses, just buys the place and triples the clown collection. And by triples you mean the dude expanded it over 3200 clowns, 3200 clowns. That's way too many clowns. Well, unless you're Pennywise, in which case it's just a cozy home setup, right? 00;18;37;16 - 00;19;11;03 Unknown Because what could possibly go wrong when you sell an entire motel with thousands of tiny painted faces staring into your soul? Well, according to guess a lot. Yeah. People have reported lights flickering, objects disappearing, and clown dolls moving on their own. Which is just great, because that's exactly what I want for my motel experience. Possessed decor. Honestly, the only thing that would make it worse is if one of the rooms was, like, super haunted or something. 00;19;11;05 - 00;19;37;11 Unknown Oh, funny you should say that, because that brings us to. Oh, yes. Room 108. Otherwise known as. Why would we ever stay here? This room has so much paranormal activity. Even ghost hunters are like. Maybe we should sit this one out. Guests have reported waking up to a seven foot tall clown standing at the foot of their bed, holding a balloon with the name Tracy on it. 00;19;39;00 - 00;20;03;29 Unknown Nope. Immediate? Nope. I see a clown in my room at 3 a.m.. I'm setting the whole damn place on fire and sending my regrets later. And it gets weirder. People also report objects moving on their own and feeling like they're being watched. I mean, they kind of are. By 3200 clowns. Fair. But then there's EVP. 00;20;04;04 - 00;20;36;14 Unknown You know, those creepy ghost voices, cartoon recordings. Paranormal investigators have picked up actual messages from spirits here. Oh, yeah, there's spine chilling. They've heard voices whispering behind. And we died. That. Which, yeah. Makes sense when you remember that the motel is next to a cemetery full of dead miners. But still, imagine you just chilling in a room in your ghostly clown neighbor whispers about his tragic past. 00;20;36;16 - 00;21;04;23 Unknown Yeah. I don't care if they're just historically traumatized minors. If I hear whispers in my hotel room that I didn't pay extra for, I'm checking out immediately. But here's the real question. Would you stay in room 108? Absolutely lutely not. Would you? Oh, 100%. And I would bring the spirit box and night vision cameras and at least one terrified friend to film their reaction. 00;21;04;25 - 00;21;25;11 Unknown Great. You have fun with that. I'll be at the Mizpah Hotel, where the ghosts at least have the decency to be a little bit more elegant. Oh, we'll get into the misspoke. But first, let's dig a bit deeper into the cemetery next door. Ha! I see what you did there. All right, so what's the deal with the cemetery? 00;21;25;14 - 00;21;52;00 Unknown It was established in 1901, but by 1911 they had shut it down because. Get this. It was completely full in just ten years. That's a whole lot of death for such a short time. Yeah. Welcome to the early 1900s. Tonopah, where between mining accidents, disease and old fashioned murder, people did not have good odds of making it past 40. 00;21;52;03 - 00;22;20;20 Unknown So who's actually buried there? We talked about this a bit earlier in the episode, the mysterious epidemic that swept through Tonopah in 1902. Right. Sudden illnesses only affected men, and no one could figure out what the hell was causing it. A lot of the victims ended up buried right there. And since nobody really solved the mystery, you got to wonder, are they still lingering, trying to tell us what really happened? 00;22;20;23 - 00;22;49;20 Unknown Then you've got the miners from the 1911 Belmont Mine fire, including our guy, big Bill Murphy, the hero who kept going back until he didn't come back. 17 men died that day, and many of them are buried there. And let's be real. If you die in a mine, fire your spirits. Probably not resting easy. Oh, and let's not forget the murdered town sheriff, because what's an old west town without a little gun slinging justice? 00;22;49;22 - 00;23;17;22 Unknown Yeah, he was ambushed and shot back in 1907. And if ghost stories have taught me anything, it's that murdered lawmen rarely stay quiet. And then there's Devil Davis, the first African-American in Tonopah. Shot by his own wife after years of abuse. Honestly, good for her. But still, that's some heavy energy to be lingering in one place. All right, let's get to the haunted part. 00;23;17;25 - 00;23;42;23 Unknown What kind of creepy shenanigans are happening here? First off, people have actually seen a shadowy figure walking out of the cemetery straight towards the Clown Motel. Which again? Why? What? Unfit business do you have at the Clown Motel? Maybe they saw the clowns and thought it was the circus. Or maybe they're looking for a quality motel at a budget price. 00;23;42;25 - 00;24;08;16 Unknown After all, it is the closest lodging available. Then you've got the classic hauntings, weird lights floating over the graves, disembodied whispers and shadowy figures moving between the headstones. Some people even say they felt hands grab them while walking through the cemetery at night. Nope. Immediate? Nope. If I feel a cold, ghostly hand grab me, I'm screaming and running. 00;24;08;19 - 00;24;38;18 Unknown You will see a Tracy shaped dust cloud just like in a cartoon. Okay, real talk here. If I booked us a stay at the Clone Motel, would you come? Absolutely not. What if I got us room 108? Listen, I like myself too much to put myself through that. But you do, you boo. All right, listeners, if you think Tracy should tough it out for the sake of the podcast, let us know in the comments below. 00;24;38;20 - 00;24;48;28 Unknown Haha. Yeah, and if you think Jeremy should stop trying to get me killed. Let me know in the comments too. 00;24;49;00 - 00;25;14;13 Unknown Well, let's switch gears a bit and check in at the Mizpah Hotel, shall we? Let's do it. The Mizpah Hotel once housed millionaires and madams. Now home to ghosts and legends. This place is so haunted. It's been called the most haunted hotel in America. Yeah, and people willingly spend the night there. Well, some people are into spooky sleepovers. 00;25;14;13 - 00;25;46;10 Unknown Crazy. And some people, like, not waking up to a ghost whispering in their ear. All right, let's rewind to 1907. Tonopah is booming with silver money, and the Mizpah Hotel becomes the place to be. We'll be back after these messages. Welcome to Zach Solved Mysteries, the most important podcast you'll ever hear in your life. I know enough about most things to be inaccurate about everything. 00;25;46;13 - 00;26;11;07 Unknown We're not just a podcast. We're an experience. This story is, dude, prepare to have your life transformed because not listening to us could be a grave mistake. You must wake up every day and say, today's the day someone's going to murder me. We're not just tackling the classic mysteries of the past. We're rewriting history itself. Robert Stack, I think, had dirt on people. 00;26;11;09 - 00;26;41;10 Unknown Forget everything you thought you knew about unsolved mysteries or any sort of mystery. Maybe there were giants. Who knows? Who cares? Subscribe now. Does that solve mysteries anywhere you get your podcasts get solved. Mystery solved, my bitches. And back to the show. At five stories tall. It was literally the tallest building in Nevada at the time. Which, honestly, is adorable, right? 00;26;41;16 - 00;27;09;19 Unknown Like, imagine going to Vegas now and telling people this was once Nevada's biggest flex. But at the time, it was super fancy catering to the wealthy investors, high rolling miners, and of course, the most elite escorts. Which brings us to our most famous ghost. Okay, let's talk about the lady in red. Because every haunted hotel needs at least one tragic, ghostly woman, right? 00;27;09;21 - 00;27;31;23 Unknown And this one? She was a prostitute murdered by a jealous lover. Right between rooms 502 and 504. Some say it was her husband who found out. Others say it was a client who didn't like sharing. Either way, she never checked out of the Mizpah. So if you ever stay on the fifth floor, you might experience some of her ghostly affections. 00;27;31;27 - 00;27;58;13 Unknown People report feeling cold touches on their shoulders or, more intimate areas. Oh, so she's a flirty ghost. Let's just say if you wake up feeling a soft caress on your cheek, it might not be your sleeping partner. She's also been heard whispering in people's ears like full on Asmr ghost mode. And the weirdest part? Guests say their jewelry moves overnight. 00;27;58;18 - 00;28;21;13 Unknown Like, they'll set the ring on a table, and by morning, it's on the floor. Or completely missing. Guess she still has an eye for the fine things. Then we've got the ghost kids on the third floor. Which, let's be real, ghost kids are always creepy. Yeah, apparently these two love to mess with the guests. People here. Childish giggles. 00;28;21;15 - 00;28;45;12 Unknown Doors opening and closing by themselves. And tiny footsteps running down the hall. Imagine you're just trying to brush your teeth at midnight and you hear kids laughing behind you. And them here. Nope. Absolutely not. There's also reports of ghost soldiers just wandering the halls as if he's still on patrol. Some people think he might be from World War One. 00;28;45;15 - 00;29;09;02 Unknown Staying at the Mizpah on his way to or from duty. Or he just really liked the hotel's amenities and decided to make it his eternal home. Oh, and let's not forget the robbers who were betrayed and murdered and now haunt the basement. Yeah. Legend says some guys pulled off a huge bank heist, but their partners in crimes decided to cut them out of the deal permanently. 00;29;09;08 - 00;29;33;20 Unknown Now people report hearing whispers down there, feeling sudden, cold spots, and of course, the occasional disembodied scream. So, Tracy, if I booked a stay at the Mizpah, would you go? I mean, maybe. But you're not putting me on the fifth floor. I don't need a ghost lady stealing my earrings. But what if we got the third floor and you get to hang out with the ghost kids? 00;29;33;22 - 00;29;54;17 Unknown Ooh, Jeremy, you just made it worse. All right, listeners, let us know if you had to pick, would you rather stay in the room with the haunted lady in red or. Sure. Hallway with ghost kids and a soldier. Or just don't stay there at all and enjoy the mist pass history from a safe distance like a normal person. 00;29;54;19 - 00;30;18;22 Unknown Fair enough. But here's the thing. The Mizpah Hotel isn't the only place in Tonopah where spirits linger. That's right. You think the lady in red is terrifying? Wait until you hear about the haunted mines of Tonopah, where the spirits of long lost miners still roam the tunnels. Coming up next, we're diving deep, literally into the darkest part of Tonopah haunted history. 00;30;18;25 - 00;30;45;01 Unknown A town built on silver. But at what cost? Riches came pouring out of the mines. But so did something else. Tragedy, loss, and maybe even spirits who never left. We've talked about haunted hotels, clowns that move on their own, and ghosts lurking in graveyards. But if you really want to experience Tonopah darkest hauntings, you have to go underground. 00;30;45;06 - 00;31;15;26 Unknown The mining wants lifeblood of Tonopah, but it was also the biggest killer. These mines weren't just dangerous. They were basically death traps waiting to happen. Yeah. Safety regulations. In the early 1900s were pretty much just don't die. And good luck. And spoiler alert, a lot of them didn't make it. Caverns, gas leaks, falling rocks, fires. Working in the mine back then meant rolling the dice every single shift. 00;31;15;29 - 00;31;45;18 Unknown Some say the men who never made it out of the mines still haven't left. Visitors and paranormal investigators have reported hearing distant voices, echoing pickaxes and shadowy figures moving through the tunnels. Even when there was no one around. And get this, there's been multiple EVP is recorded inside the abandoned mines, where voices whisper, we're still here. And get out. 00;31;45;20 - 00;32;10;13 Unknown See? That's my cue. If a ghost straight up tells me to leave, I'm not asking any questions. I'm grabbing my gear and running. No hesitation. Right? But some people are way braver or dumber because they go in looking for the spirits. And sometimes they get exactly what they ask for. One of the creepiest things reported in the mines. 00;32;10;15 - 00;32;45;07 Unknown Floating lights. Oh, yeah. Multiple witnesses have seen glowing orbs flickering in the darkness, sometimes moving deeper into the tunnels like they're trying to lead people in. Yeah. Nope. Not falling for it. That's how horror movies start. Oh, let's follow the weird ghost light cut to a missing person poster. And then there's the Phantom Miner, a spirit that's been seen walking near the mine entrances, covered in dust, wearing old fashioned gear, and then vanishing into thin air at that point. 00;32;45;10 - 00;33;15;10 Unknown Just quit your ghost hunting hobby. Go back to collecting stamps or something. Less risk of being dragged into the underworld. A lot of people say when you're down in the mines, you can actually hear the tunnels breathing like a deep, rhythmic sound that moves around you. Okay. That's unsettling. What even causes that? Some say it's the wind passing through the collapsed tunnels, but others believe in the spirits of the miners, still whispering warnings to those who enter. 00;33;15;13 - 00;33;41;05 Unknown And if that wasn't bad enough, there's also a constant feeling of being watched. Like someone is standing just behind you. But when you turn around, nothing's there. Nope. See, I'd rather face the ghost clowns than be stuck underground with invisible coal dust and creepers watching me. All right, so we've covered hotels with 40 ghost clowns that refuse to sit still. 00;33;41;08 - 00;34;14;23 Unknown Graveyards full of restless souls and miners. Where the dead still whisper songs just like my last class reunion. At this point, we have to ask, why the hell is Tonopah this haunted? Is it just a coincidence that so much death and tragedy happened here? Or is there something deeper keeping the spirits from moving on? Coming up next, we're digging into the theories between Tonopah hauntings, from ancient legends to ghost magnetism and, of course, the clowns. 00;34;14;25 - 00;34;52;29 Unknown Because, let's be honest, it always comes back to the clowns. One theory. The land itself is soaked in tragedy between the plague victims, mine disasters, shootouts and mysterious deaths. There's so much energy tied to this town that it's basically a ghost hotspot, right? Like, imagine all that trauma just hanging in the air, waiting to be replayed over and over again like a cosmic horror movie, which honestly explains why people report hearing the same ghostly voices or seeing shadow figures doing the same things night after night. 00;34;53;01 - 00;35;17;14 Unknown Another theory. Some believe that the land was already sacred and that the spirits long predate Tonopah Silver Rush. Yeah, some stories suggest that Native American tribes saw this land as a place of powerful energy and disturbing it. Like, see, by digging massive mines into it might have awakened something. Earth. So what you're saying is, maybe the clowns aren't the problem. 00;35;17;16 - 00;35;42;19 Unknown Maybe the land itself is pissed. Honestly, I'd like to blame the clowns. But you know what else might be keeping these spirits around? Of course. We're circling back to the clowns. Look. Hear me out. Some people believe that clown motel is more than just a horrifying roadside attraction. It might actually be a portal for spirits. And I gotta say, it makes a weird amount of sense. 00;35;42;21 - 00;36;05;00 Unknown Think about it. A motel full of thousands of eerie figures. Each 1st May be acting as a vessel for a spirit. And where is it? Right next to a graveyard full of unsettled souls. You can't tell me that's not a recipe for supernatural chaos. I mean, when you put it that way, it kind of sounds like the world's worst Airbnb review. 00;36;05;02 - 00;36;28;28 Unknown Nice day. But the clowns kept opening my suitcase and whispering about the afterlife. All right, Tracy, let's settle this one once and for all. If you had to choose one haunted Tonopah location to spend the night in, which one would it be? Why do you do this to me? All right. Okay. If I had to choose, I'd probably go with the Mizpah Hotel. 00;36;28;29 - 00;36;55;11 Unknown Still, at least the lady in red seems classy about her hauntings. What about you? Oh, I'm absolutely picking the clown motel. I want to see if the dolls actually move. Or maybe catch an EVP session with the ghost miner. Plus, imagine the content. Hahaha! You didn't. Your live streaming addiction. Look, if I get possessed by a ghost clone, I expect you to go viral telling my story. 00;36;56;04 - 00;37;30;14 Unknown Don't you worry. I'll be selling the story to Netflix immediately. You'll have your own documentary and everything. Perfect. Clone spirits is the possession of Jeremy. Catchy title. I'll start working on the trailer. All right, folks, that wraps up this deep dive into Tonopah, Nevada, a town of riches, tragedy, and spirits that refuse to rest. We hope you've enjoyed this creepy, chaotic journey through the haunted hotels, underground ghosts, and way too many clowns. 00;37;30;17 - 00;37;55;20 Unknown And hey, if you ever stayed in Tonopah and had a paranormal experience, let us know. We'd love to hear your stories. Oh hell yeah, I would love to hear those. I get to hear others experiences from a safe distance. Perfection. Fair enough. We love hearing from you. Conundrum crew. You got a chilling tale. A haunted hot spot or a mystery that keeps you up at night. 00;37;55;23 - 00;38;22;06 Unknown Send your spooky suggestions. Are we at Turtle conundrum.com or connect with us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter? Who knows, your story might just be our next deep dive. Thanks for tuning in, conundrum crew. Don't forget to follow, rate and review our podcast on Apple and Spotify. Hit that subscribe button and ring that notification bell on YouTube to make sure you don't miss any of our eerie explorations. 00;38;22;08 - 00;38;47;12 Unknown And remember, whether it's whispers from the mines, flickering lights in a haunted hotel, or a clown doll that definitely wasn't in that spot before. Sometimes the biggest conundrum is whether to run or stay the night. Stay spooky. Stay curious, and maybe don't book a hotel next to a haunted graveyard. Until next time, keep on creeping on. We love you. 00;38;47;19 - 00;39;12;16 Unknown Bye. Thanks for hanging out with us here at Total Conundrum. Please make sure to check out our website and blog at Total conundrum.com for news, upcoming events, merch, bloopers and additional hysteria. You never know or pop up, so be sure to follow along if you want to show your support for Total Conundrum and gain access to all of our bonus content, please visit our Patreon page. 00;39;12;19 - 00;39;40;06 Unknown You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The links are available in our show notes. If you have any questions, comments, recommendations or stories to share, please email us at contact at. Total conundrum.com. Episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. If you liked the show, please rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts. 00;39;40;08 - 00;39;53;18 Unknown We appreciate the love. Keep on keeping on, motherfuckers. It's time. 00;39;53;20 - 00;40;19;16 Unknown For.