I booked ahead of time and have never tried to walk in register. And I wouldn't, the place is a mess.

I didn't get the impression the Clown Motel was haunted. Right next to it, however, is a very old cemetery which is 100+ years old. Among the individuals buried there are victims of the Tonopah-Belmont Mine fire which took place on February 23, 1911. It's different. Due to its age, that alone can make others uncomfortable. Furthermore, there are other things about the Clown Motel which would make me discourage ppl. from staying there, and the cemetery isn't one of them. The cemetery is definitely a must see if you're in Tonopah, NV. The hotel is very clown themed and it stays true to that. Moreover, what I did not like was the fact that the room I was staying in was pretty dirty, and a few of their staff members were very rude and/or discourteous. The owner was down to earth and a pleasure to talk to; but, the rest of the staff I had the displeasure of being around seriously needs etiquette training.

If you want the cheesy hotel feeling, then yes. It depends on if that is something you would like to do. If you are just going for a day trip and not planning on staying at the hotel overnight, I wouldn't do it. If you want to spend the night, it's an okay thing to do. The cemetery is interesting, but not huge so it won't take a lot of time. Tonopah does not have a lot to do, so you have to figure out how badly you want to see it. Having been there once, it isn't something I need to do again, but I don't regret going. We drove up from Vegas which was a little further than Death Valley.

yes, its right inside the office where you check in. They have alot of interesting clowns to look at, and tee shirts, coffee mugs, and magnets. We were there in Jan. 2019.