107 W Allen St, Tombstone, AZ
A former brothel in Tombstone’s Red Light District, this bed-and-breakfast has seen “soiled doves,” working girls, and women of ill repute. It’s most ominous occupant is the ghost of a miner who died in a bawdy brawl behind the bordello. Now populated by poltergeists, it’s a popular spot for paranormal enthusiasts.
Tombstone’s Bordello B&B is indisputably spooky. In the nineteenth-century, a miner died during a brawl behind the brothel. He haunts the property today, lurking about the bawdy house.
Travelers also report the poltergeist of a man wearing a duster, a full-length, loose-fitting coat. Dusters were worn by horsemen to protect their clothing from trail dust, so this specter could be any number of stockmen or sharpshooters.
A female ghost has been witnessed, though details of the specter are sparse. Her dress is her only identifying description, and even that’s ill-defined: a long, flowing gown with no other notable features.
The employees allege that the bordello is haunted, though they claim that it adds a “unique flavor” to the historic site. They even claim that visitors find the presence of the property’s poltergeists “exhilarating.”
What’s haunting Tombstone’s Bordello?
The bordello’s spookiest specter is a miner who died on site. He’d been provoked in a brawl behind the building, allegedly losing his life. There’s little information on this eerie excavator, but he’s known to make advances on female guests.
One customer from Trip Advisor allegedly felt “spirit energy” on the grounds. She even encountered a male entity in the Miner’s Cabin. Although she was able to capture EVP on her voice recorder and several images of orbs, the miner remained unidentified. The miner revealed that he was murdered nearby, though he had never lived in the cabin.
Was this the victim of the brothel brawl?
For Ghost City Tours, the Tombstone Bordello was our first stop. It felt as if it’d been frozen in time, like the faint scent of perfume on an aged envelope. The atmosphere was heavy yet unmistakably feminine. You could see why working girls were compared to doves. Everything was swaddled in gauze and soft to the touch.
We were met by Susan Sinsley, the property’s owner and keeper. With quiet affection, she provided a tour of the building – showing us her favorite rooms and pieces, pointing out which structures were original. She explained that the people of Tombstone were smaller in the nineteenth century, accounting for the furniture’s size.
She even told us about Dutch Annie, Tombstone's beloved madam. Annie, the "Queen of the Redlight District," had lived in the very walls we were walking within.
Yet Susan acknowledged that there was more than history haunting the bed and breakfast. Although she had never had a paranormal experience herself, she had heard the stories of her guests – those who had witnessed the inexplicable sound of gunshots, or who had been guided by invisible hands.
One employee had attempted to walk up the stairs with a stack of linens. When they began to lose their balance, an unknown force helped them steady themselves.
One couple was awoken to the sound of gunfire. As they lay startled in their bed, they witnessed a full-body apparition. A phantom cowboy had entered their room from the window. He raced from the front of their bed to the door as they watched in disbelief and shock.
But that's not the most unsettling part; that night at dinner, as they were chatting with another couple staying in the Bordello B and B, they realized that they all had similar experiences on that same night!
When asked why Tombstone was such a hotspot for paranormal activity, Susan offered the mines. Like others, Susan thought that the silver mines below acted as batteries, charging the ground above. In this way, Tombstone was a conduit, channeling spirits and specters, energies and entities. There was something here greater than ghosts. That was undeniable.
"It puts a spell on you," Susan affirmed. Her statement was solemn yet steady, trailing over tufted pillows by the light of the lamp. “People want to come back.”
We know we sure do.
Built 1888, Tombstone's Bordello was owned by Big Nose Kate. Unlike other brothels, the bordello offered homey, cozy conditions to Tombstone's working-class. Anyone from miners to migrant workers could stop by the bordello to pay their respects to the painted ladies.
The bordello also offered a "sittin' parlor" where customers could find comfort and companionship. Private rooms were available to those who could afford them. If you had the means, you could simmer down with a "soiled dove."
In 1923, Cochise moved the county seat from Tombstone to Bisbee. The town acquired Tombstone’s “Red Light District” amidst the shuffle, and decided that it was better to build a high school at the end of East Allen Street. The bordello found itself in jeopardy.
The homeowner, not wanting the bordello demolished, had the structure moved from its original location to West Allen Street. The brothel was ultimately relocated two-hundred feet from its former site: the poltergeists followed.
The bordello later operated as a private residence where it was once inhabited by a judge and his wife. (A judge in a brothel? It’s more likely than you think.)
Two wings were added to the residence in 2000, allowing for the bordello to reopen as a bed-and-breakfast. Although the building has undergone significant renovations, the original 1881 structure still stands intact. The porch, balcony, and roof are all original to the bordello, providing an immersive, authentic experience for travelers.
Now a bed and breakfast, the Bordello pays homage to its historic past. Each room of the nine Victorian-style rooms are named after women of ill repute – for example, the “Fallen Angel,” the “Shady Lady,” or the “Lady of Sin.” Perhaps a few metaphysical madames lurk about the Bordello.
The Bordell B&B is located at 107 W Allen Street, Tombstone. It’s a five-minute walk from the OK Corral, making it a must-see for paranormal enthusiasts.
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