I just learned about (and subsequently fell down a very deep Google Hole about) the Clown Motel in Tonopah, Nevada.

From Atlas Obscura:

Catering to bikers, truckers, and other long haul travelers who find themselves off the beaten path, the Clown Motel is the final port of call before yet another stretch of unbroken Nevada desert. It must be this location’s oasis-like location that has kept the establishment in business for so long, as the ever-watchful eyes of the ubiquitous clown figurines seem to serve more as a warning than a draw. From the moment travelers enter the adjoining offices they are greeted by a life-size clown figure sitting in a chair, cradling smaller figurines like familiars. In fact the entire office is covered in shelves and bookcases full of clown dolls, statues, and accouterment of every stripe. Stuffed animals, porcelain statues, wall hangings, and more make up the mirthful menagerie, staring down at guests from every angle.

The current CEO, Hame Anand, took over the Clown Motel from its previous owner in 2017. He started collecting clowns when he was 14 years old, growing up in India. Today, his family owns several motels in Nevada, and his brother bought the Clown Motel for him as a gift — and a place to keep his own clown collection.

“I was scared a little bit,” Anand told Thrillist about first moving in. “I couldn’t sleep in my room. But one day I thought, 'why did I come here? There must be some divine power. Read the rest

Scary stuff! These 'Haunted House' operations require their patrons to sign a 40-page legal waiver. Before entering the venue, Halloween revelers must also possess insurance. Read the rest

Have you ever wondered if someone died in your house, or worse?

Enter DiedInHouse.com. A simple $11.99 search through them will tell you everything you (probably don't) want to know.

A query on this website will uncover if a specific address is "stigmatized," meaning that it's got issues beyond its physical condition. Sellers are generally not under legal obligation to share if something horrible -- like a murder, suicide, or, say, a meth lab -- has happened on a property. And they certainly aren't required to disclose "paranormal" activity.

Software engineer Roy Condrey founded the site in 2013 after getting a strange text.

Forbes:

The website’s creation begins like a ghost story. ...Condrey received a text message in the middle of the night from one of his tenants that read: “Did you know that your house is haunted?” Condrey went down a cyber rabbit hole seeking, but not finding, an easy way to determine if his property had indeed seen a gruesome crime or fatality.

“I went online to find a ‘Carfax’ of sorts for deaths in homes and I didn’t find anything, but I did find pages and pages of people asking if there’s a way to find out if their house is haunted,” says Condrey, who rents out several properties. He later learned through his data collection that, in fact, at least 4.5 million homes nationwide have had documented deaths take place on the premises. The number of homeowners that know about the history of their home, however, is unknown.

McKamey Manor is a home haunted house in San Diego. It looks intense.

Here are a few requirements you must pass to even be able to enter: you now must be 21 years of age (previously was 18), you’re required to sign a wavier, and you must be in excellent physical condition. Only two people go in at a time, and get this… it can last anywhere from 4 – 7 hours. They actually now only take four people through the haunted house each week.

One Of The Most Extreme And Disturbing Haunted Houses On The Planet

(Thanks, Sarina!) Read the rest

Lisa Hix of Collectors Weekly says: "I just did a deep dive on dark rides, and I thought you'd get a kick out of it. I go into how the first dark rides -- the 1920s Pretzel -- just relied on manual sound effects and its curvy track to freak people out. Later, they got soundtracks, electric eyes, pneumatics, all that. Most dark rides still don't have animatronics or Pepper's ghosts like Haunted Mansion.

Jeepers Creepers! Why Dark Rides Scare the Pants Off Us Read the rest

Every year, The Scarehouse, 10 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, puts on what many locals consider the best Halloween haunted house-type show in the region--with USA Today and Yahoo both ranking it among America's best. This year, I headed over to check it out, and received a highly-polished and extremely scary experience--and a backstage tour! Here, a makeup artist turns a performer's face into a gruesome work of art. Read the rest