Travel, at its root, is about life and discovery (hey, that’s the name of this section). It’s about exploring and seeing new things and being endlessly intrigued by the world. It’s about learning and widening your range of experiences and having fun in the process.
Sometimes that means getting weird. Like at the Clown Motel — situated on a dusty road deep in the Nevada desert — where hundreds of clowns offer you their vacant-eyed stares at check-in.
“I think it’s a great idea for people that have a fear of clowns to come in the clown motel and face the clowns,” says Robert Perchetti, owner of the Clown Motel.
Yes, it is a great idea — if you’re into extreme exposure therapy. Which apparently some people are, like Bronwyn C on Trip Advisor, who hardly seems to have noticed the scores of dusty clowns toys hanging from rafters and flopping their lifeless limbs across every countertop of the motel lobby.
Alice 669 at least seemed to know what she was getting into. She’s also able to see past the creepy factor and have fun with the experience.
But if we know anything about travel it’s that not all experiences are perfect for everyone. Different strokes for different folks and whatnot. Especially when it comes to clowns — which are a major fear among humans.
Just look at Daniel G, who clearly hated every second of his time at the Clown Motel. Though, to be fair, he also seems frustrated about the air conditioner.
Tina F also had a bad experience but… she might not be at the Clown Motel. She might be in some sort of lucid dreaming clown nightmare. “Bathtub like a murder scene,” isn’t part of the real property’s marketing materials.
As this episode of Uproxx’s Story Farm reveals, the Clown Motel is clearly weird, but it’s a weirdness that some people have an appetite for. And that’s part of living a full life: Finding the odd experiences you’re interested in and chasing them. It’s adventure travel, in a sense, perfect for those brave souls ready to face their fears. But you have to be ready — there are lots of clowns.
“We’ve built the clown collection up to about 600 clowns,” Perchetti says. “We get a lot of clowns donated.”
