Here's an interesting place which also shows us some of the limits of online historical research.  The Bird Cage still exists and has been there since the 1880's; however, a lot of the documentation of what happened there is perhaps lost in the sands of time, embellished for tourists, or presented from oral legend without regard to citing primary sources.  It certainly has been a challenge trying to find sourced information on the web.  Certainly the website of the property itself is not particularly helpful; indeed the website is a historical relic of the days of AOL and Windows 95.   This may be intentional, though, as the proprietors of the establishment would like guests to buy their book at the gift shop.

That being said, let's take a look at this relic of the Old West:




"The Bird Cage Theatre was opened on December 26, 1881, by William "Billy" Hutchinson and his wife Lottie. Its name apparently referred to the fourteen "cages" or boxes that were situated on two balconies on either side of the main central hall. These boxes, also referred to as "cribs", had drapes that could be drawn while prostitutes entertained their clients. The main hall contained a stage and orchestra pit at one end where live shows were performed." (1)

NB: The owners' website lists the theater as having opened on December 25th. (2)


View of the second floor prostitute cribs:




A lot of ghost tracker sites mention this place as it is supposedly haunted.  They provide a lot of background material, and the owners of the Bird Cage take full advantage of it.  They offer a nighttime guided "ghost tour" at twice the normal admission price.

"It is thought that at least 26 people have lost their lives in the building. The walls of the historic building are still pockmarked with bullet holes. The activity in this site is varied. There have been sightings of many full-bodied apparitions. These include several prospectors and miners. Some have seen a stage manager walking with a clipboard and continuing to monitor a long defunct show. The spirit of Marguerite, a Mexican woman, who made the mistake of flirting too aggressively with the boyfriend of a prostitute name Gold Dollar. Gold Dollar is said to have stabbed the woman and sealing her spirit to forever walk the building. The smells of cigar smoke has been reported. Objects have been said to move without being touched by any living hands." (3)


Original faro table used by Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp:




"Certainly, the theater could be rough. However, evidence suggests that it was not a place given to daily gun battles, knife fights, or brawls. The establishment stayed open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Patrons were treated to ongoing variety acts, dances, sensual pleasure, and gambling. Indeed, it seems almost the precursor of a modern Las Vegas casino!

The girls at The Bird Cage worked as both entertainers and prostitutes. They plied their trade in the boxes above the main floor. Each box was fitted out nicely for a quick rendezvous and women received tokens for every drink they got their companion to buy. Certainly, this system was the precursor of the modern “Champagne Room” in Gentleman’s Clubs today.

The entertainment consisted not only of the showgirls but also of variety performers from around the country and world. Animal acts, jugglers, singers, dancers, minstrel shows, daredevils, wrestlers, boxers, and even female impersonators performed on the stage of this desert showplace.

Contrary to popular belief The Bird Cage and Tombstone were not the wild and woolly places of popular imagination and Hollywood. Tombstone in the 1880’s boasted some of the best restaurants in the west outside of San Francisco. Patrons could even get oysters that were shipped in from the coast...

Maybe the true beginning of the end for Tombstone’s historical past was in 1929 when the few remaining residents instituted “Helldorado Days” a sensational and often false presentation of life in Tombstone during its Golden Age in the 1880’s and 1890’s. Since that time myth seems to have reigned supreme on the streets of Tombstone." (4)


The poker table under the stage, fabled as the site of the longest-ever running poker game; going continuously for the entire time the Bird Cage was open, 1881-1889:




Another report of ghostly events states:

"An apport [sic] in the form of a never before seen 100 dollar poker chip appeared one day on a gambling table, and was found by a tourist. The owner locked it in a safe. When experts arrived to take a look at it, the chip had disappeared, much to the annoyance of all involved. The chip reappeared in a locked desk drawer after the experts had left.

A life-sized statue of Wyatt Earp was placed in one of the balcony boxes. Every morning, afterward, museum employees would find his hat sitting in the middle of the floor below. This continued for 6 months. One morning, the statue was even completely turned around. A historian was finally consulted and he told them that they had put Wyatt Earp in the box where the Clantons used to reserve. Uh oh! They quickly moved the statue of Wyatt Earp to the correct balcony box, and the hat throwing stopped.

Transparent apparitions dressed in a variety of 1880s attire, have been seen throughout The Bird Cage Theater building." (5)


The private prostitute's room under the stage, $25 per night including the woman, this was supposedly used by Josephine Marcus:




Here's a site that only lists 14 known dead in the building, vice 26:

"Built in 1881, third and largest opera house in Tombstone. Known as the rowdiest, raunchiest opera house between St. Louis and San Francisco. 26 gunfights broke out inside the Birdcage, 13 men and 1 woman died inside the Birdcage. It's also considered Ground Zero for ghost hunting. The most haunted building in the country." (6)


The stage at the Bird Cage:




The building was closed up in 1889, and not opened again until 1934, with all its original furnishings intact.  Incidentally, one of the legends that the tour guides will tell you is that the working girls used the new-fangled invention of photography to create "business cards" for themselves, dressed scantily to say the least.  I'll leave you to do your own research on that, as posting these pictures would undoubtedly violate the CoC.


Some of the exhibits in the museum, including Old West rifles:




(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Cage_Theatre#
(2) http://tombstonebirdcage.com/history.html
(3) http://www.ghostcompendium.com/united-states/arizona/bird-cage-theatre-tombstone-arizona/
(4) http://www.sonoranparanormal.com/index.php/s-p-i-d-e-r-web/arizona/haunted-places/127-myths-legends-of-the-bird-cage-theater
(5) http://www.hauntedhouses.com/states/az/birdcage_theater.htm
(6) http://tombstone-ghost.com/Bird-Cage-Theatre.htm

Looks like an amazing place would love to check it out !

I was down there about 10 years ago and at that time you couldn't get in it wasn't open. Same with the court house.

Thanks for posting..definitely a place I'd like to check out.

It is a neat place, but it needs some serious restoration and preservation work to remain a viable place to go into the future.

I'd like to see them take time in a summer soon, when tourists are fewer, and fix some of the water damage, replace old boards, and make sure that the paintings and murals are not being destroyed by time.

I think it was the guy who ran it was murdered a couple months ago.





Over a woman.





Tombstone residents continue to be crazy.



EDIT: Yep. http://www.bensonnews-sun.com/news/article_9e91c79e-0c72-11e4-b686-001a4bcf887a.html

Tombstone is a fun place.
As a Cowboy Action Shooter it's near and dear to my heart.
I've shot a few matches there and it 's Super-Cool to walk around town with your six shooters on and your spurs and hat too.
Lots of fun!

I have to agree...Tombstone was fun!

I haven't been for several years, lots of good memories from there.  I heard San Pedro Saddlery closed, which sucks.  My CAS rig came from there, and they were always pleasant to me.  There also was an antique store that had lots of old Zane Grey books.  Spangenburg's also used to be a good shop.  

Birdcage was nice, Boot Hill a creepy tourist trap, and if you're there a visit to the printing press was actually cool.

I like the birdcage a lot. I hope they can get it saved.

'Big Ed' at San Pedro Saddlery screwed me out of $500. So he's not on my good list! Basically he's a damn liar!

Ed's dead.

I've been to tombstone 3 times and I stil haven't seen that big rose bush, got to go back I guess

I was surprised by how small and cramped it felt inside.

It's definitely got a strange vibe.

It's a "Yup, that's a big fucking rose bush" moment.

Went there in 1997 when it was free to get in.
Went back in 2010 and wouldn't pay what they were asking.
Still like Tombstone and my plan is to retire there someday.