One of the oldest original buildings in
Tombstone
and most authentic attractions in this once booming mining camp, the
Bird Cage Theatre also has the reputation as being the most haunted
place in town, allegedly continuing to host as many as 31 ghosts.
The
Bird Cage was named for
its 14
small "cribs" hanging from the ceiling that once housed "painted
ladies,” dressed as finely feathered birds. After its opening in 1881,
it quickly gained a reputation as the wildest place in town, so much
so that even the far away New York Times said of it: "the
Bird Cage Theatre is the wildest, wickedest night spot between Basin Street and
the Barbary Coast."
This
image available for photographic prints
HERE!
Between 1881 and 1889, the
Bird Cage never
closed its doors 24 hours a day, as it provided gambling, drinking,
and other vices to its many customers. The
saloon
was the scene of 26 deaths, which can be attested to by the 140 bullet
holes which can still be viewed at the
Bird Cage today.
Since 1934, the old building has served as
a museum owned and operated by the Hunley family. It still houses the gilded "cages," hand painted stage, and
the original Grand Piano. Here, where tourists can walk along
the floors of this historic honky-tonk, once walked the likes of
Wyatt Earp
and Doc
Holliday.
This
image available for photographic prints
HERE!
Seemingly, some of these old legends of
the past continue to stalk the old
saloon
as both staff and guests, alike, have reported seeing ghostly
apparitions in 1800's clothing. Most often sighted, is the figure
of a male stage hand that appears wearing black striped pants, a visor, and holding a clipboard, as he walks across the stage. Other occurrences include the sounds of raucous laughter and music
pouring from the doors of the old theatre at night. Others report
hearing the faint sounds of a woman singing and the museum's sound
system has inexplicably turned on of its own accord, blaring old time
music. Others have
reported strange sounds coming from the balconies of the main floor
and the sharp scents of cigar smoke and whiskey.
After closing time,
staff have reported hearing the sounds of clinking glass and cards
shuffling.
The haunting reports date
back to 1921 when a school was built across
the street and students began to report the sounds of laughter and music
coming from the abandoned building, as well as the smell of cigar smoke.
Cribs at the Bird Cage Theatre, Kathy Weiser,
April, 2007.
Over the years, the Hunley
family, staff, and visitors alike have experienced a number of strange
events. One of the most fascinating tales is of how a dice table, which
weighed several hundred pounds mysteriously moved the night before. When
staff arrived the next morning, they table had been moved in front of a
door with a sign that read: "Don’t Disturb Our 26 Resident Ghosts.” The
table is so heavy that it reportedly took eight men to move it back to its
former position.
Another story tells of a
statue of Wyatt Earp
that was made and placed in one of the cribs overlooking the theatre. When
it was first placed there, staff would arrive in the morning to find "Wyatt's”
hat continually knocked off and thrown into the floor below. This occurred
over and over for about six months. On one occasion, staff arrived to find
the statue was turned around, with its back facing the view from below.
Some time later, a local historian told the Hunleys that they had placed
the Wyatt Earp
statue in the crib that was usually reserved by the Clantons. When the
statue was moved to the crib that Wyatt
actually frequented when he was alike, the hat tossing finally stopped.
On another occasion, a
valuable antique poker chip, which had been missing for years, suddenly
reappeared on the poker table. Upon finding it there, it was locked away
in a safe until it could be authenticated by historians. However, when the
historians arrived, they were disappointed to find that the chip had
suddenly gone missing again. Only after they left, did it reappear in a
locked desk drawer.
The Bird Cage Theatre
has been the sight of a number of paranormal investigations featured on
popular television programs.
The Black Moriah hearse carried those
killed at the
O.K. Corral to
Boot Hill. It was the first "vehicle” to ever have curved glass, is trimmed out with gold, and
is reportedly worth
nearly two million dollars. Kathy Weiser, April, 2007.
The faro table that
Doc Holliday
dealt cards out continues to stand
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