Where Business and Pleasure Never End
The Bordello Bed and Breakfast stands as one of Tombstone's last intact bordellos, its rooms still echoing with the sounds of commerce and companionship from the 1880s. What was once a mid-range house of prostitution has transformed into an intimate inn where guests share their beds with the ghosts of working girls who never stopped working. Unlike the high-end establishments that catered to wealthy miners, this bordello served the average cowboy, prospector, and laborer. The democratic nature of its clientele created a diverse collection of spirits - from lonely miners seeking comfort to jealous cowboys settling scores over favorite girls.
A House of Ill Repute and Eternal Unrest
The Working Girls
The bordello employed 8-10 women at its peak, mostly immigrants and runaways seeking fortune in the Wild West. Life was hard and often short - disease, violence, and suicide claimed many. At least four women died in the building: two from tuberculosis, one from a botched abortion, and one murdered by a jealous client. Their spirits remain, still working their rooms.
The Violence
Like all Tombstone establishments, the bordello saw its share of violence. Men fought over women, women fought over territory, and everyone fought over money. Blood soaked into the floorboards from knife fights, beatings, and at least one shooting. These violent energies created psychic imprints that replay nightly.
The Secret Passages
The building contains hidden passages used by clients wishing to remain anonymous and by the women to escape violent customers. These secret routes, some now sealed, create a maze where spirits travel unseen. Guests report footsteps in the walls and voices from impossible locations.
The Eternal Employees
Sweet Suzette
A French prostitute who died of tuberculosis in Room 3, Suzette remains the building's most active spirit. She appears in a red corset and black stockings, still coughing blood into a lace handkerchief. Guests in her room report feeling someone sit on their bed, smelling French perfume, and hearing her negotiate prices in accented English.
The Crying Girl
An unnamed young woman who died during an abortion haunts Room 5. Her spirit manifests as inconsolable sobbing, cold spots, and the sensation of blood dripping despite no source. Female guests report feeling overwhelming sadness and maternal loss in her presence.
Big Jim
A regular client who died of a heart attack during his visit, Big Jim's spirit still frequents the establishment. His heavy footsteps pace the hallway, doors open for his invisible bulk, and the smell of his cigars permeates rooms. Some guests report seeing a large shadow figure watching them sleep.
Madam Clara
The bordello's final madam, Clara ran the house from 1920 until it closed. Her spirit maintains order among the ghostly inhabitants, appearing as a stern woman in 1920s attire. She's been known to wake guests who oversleep and to tidy rooms while people are out.
Intimate Encounters
The Bedroom Activities
Guests report explicitly paranormal activities in the bedrooms. Sheets pull off in the night, invisible bodies create depressions in mattresses, and some guests feel phantom caresses. The sounds of lovemaking echo from empty rooms, and mirrors fog up without explanation. These manifestations are intimate but rarely threatening.
The Money Exchange
Phantom money appears and disappears throughout the building. Guests find old coins on nightstands, bills from the 1800s under pillows, and sometimes wake to find modern money missing, replaced with obsolete currency. The spirits seem to still expect payment for services.
The Morning After
Dawn brings unique phenomena as the spirits seem to 'reset' for a new night's work. Guests report hearing women preparing for the evening - water running in basins, corsets being tightened, bottles of perfume opening. Some see the ghosts in mirrors, applying makeup that vanishes with the morning light.
An Intimate Stay with History
The Bordello Bed and Breakfast offers a unique paranormal experience - intimate, personal, and slightly risqué. Guests exploring haunted Tombstone can learn more about this location and others on a Tombstone ghost tour. The current owners embrace the building's history and its ghosts, maintaining period décor and sharing stories of both the living and dead who worked here.
Each room comes with its own ghost story and paranormal activity level. The owners provide a 'menu' of spiritual encounters, from mild (footsteps and perfume) to intense (full apparitions and physical contact). They'll match you with the right room based on your comfort level with the supernatural.
Breakfast is served in the former parlor where girls once entertained clients. Some guests report seeing additional place settings appear for invisible diners, and several have photographed transparent figures at the table. Whether you're seeking a romantic getaway with a paranormal twist or a genuine haunted experience, the Bordello delivers both with the discretion its original business required.
