Territory highlight: Drill down into Tonopah’s past for history, quirk and other gems
In the Nevada desert, midway between Las Vegas and Reno, Tonopah greets the road-weary with a welcome reprieve: museums, a brewery and overnight lodging — including a haunted option.
The former mining community of 2,440 recently hosted Travel Nevada’s Rural Roundup conference, showcasing such attractions as the Tonopah Historic Mining Park and the Central Nevada Museum. Among the town’s lodging options is the historical Mizpah Hotel, which offers a full bar and the Pittman Café, as well as ghosts, as the hotel’s website attests to. Another lodging option is the Clown Motel, known for its heavy — and for some, terrifying — clown motif. The motel generated media buzz both here and abroad in 2017 when it went up for sale.
Newer attractions include the Tonopah Stargazing Park at the end of Ray Tennant Drive, providing an ideal place to set up a telescope and view the Milky Way. The Stargazing Park opened in August 2017. There’s also the Mizpah Club Casino on Main Street, opened in May 2016, and the Tonopah Brewing Company, opened in 2014. Tourism partners working with visitors who have questions about Tonopah should know:
- Tonopah is the mid-point between Las Vegas and Reno on US 95, about 210 miles from Las Vegas and about 230 miles from Reno.
- Tonopah is one of the nearest communities with lodging to Berlin Ichthyosaur State Park (about 130 miles), along with Fallon and Austin.
- Tonopah is on two of Travel Nevada’s road trip itineraries: Free Range Art Highway (U.S. 95 from Las Vegas) and the E.T. Highway.
