bird cage theatre tour

The Bird Cage Theater

THE BIRD CAGE THEATER IN TOMBSTONE ARIZONA, HAD ITS GRAND OPENING ON DEC 24, 1881. IT GAINED A REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE WICKEDEST THEATERS BETWEEN NEW ORLEANS AND SAN FRANCISCO. THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED... "THE BIRD CAGE THEATRE IS THE WILDEST, WICKEDEST NIGHT SPOT, BETWEEN BASIN STREET AND THE BARBARY COAST." FOR EIGHT YEARS, FROM 1881 TO 1889, THE BIRD CAGE THEATER OPERATEDCONTINUOUSLY, 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR. LEGEND HAS IT THAT 26 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE BIRD CAGE THEATER DURINGITS REPUTED YEARS AS ONE OF THE WILDEST AND MEANEST PLACES IN TOMBSTONE AZ. OVER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY BULLET HOLES REMAIN IN THE BUILDING. VISITORS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE BIRD CAGE THEATER IN TOMBSTONE AZ, HAVE REPORTED SEEING THE SPIRITS OF FORMER PROSTITUTES AND MEN IN COWBOY HATS. SOME CLAIM TO BE TOUCHED AND PUSHED BY UNSEEN FORCES. AT NIGHT, THE SOUNDS OF LAUGHTER, YELLING AND MUSIC HAVE BEEN HEARD, AS THOUGH THE PARTIES OF "THE OLD WEST" WERE STILL RAGING SELF GUIDED TOURS OF THE BIRD CAGE THEATRE 520-457-3421 HOURS: DAILY 9 AM - 6 PM. ADMISSION: $16.50 plus tax CHILDREN 8 TO 18: $15 plus tax SENIORS 60+: $15 plus tax FAMILY PACK: $49 plus tax Includes Two (2) adults/senior tickets and up to Four (4) children tickets

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Bird Cage Theater

The Bird Cage Theater in Tombstone Arizona is one of the authentic, historic buildings still standing in town. Enter the Bird Cage Theatre, at the  Southwest corner of Allen & 6th Streets.

It is a special building. It’s one of the original, historic landmarks in town. Its grand opening was just after Christmas of 1881. It survived the horrible destructive city fire of May 1882. 

Its history along with the Bird Cage Theater tours available, give you a real look at Tombstone in the 1880s. Well worth it! Let’s see more about it…

Come Inside the Bird Cage Theater Today

Introduction.

The first owner of the Bird Cage Theater was Billy Hutchinson, who formed its concept. He, and his wife Lottie, had experience working in the acting and entertainment business. It was a success as soon as it opened. The productions catered to the energies of the miners,  the cow-boys  and the ranchers who were in town. Hutchinson  advertised entertaining shows, refreshing drinks, games of chance, dancing, private conversation and adult comfort. All to promote the whole enterprise of the Bird Cage Theater.

Look Around The Bird Cage Lobby

Lots to see in the lobby. You can step inside the Bird Cage Theater’s lobby and get a preview of what it’s like further on. Purchase tour tickets here and ask for further information. That space is also a gift shop. There is another gift shop with more variety at the end of a tour. But you can also access it from a pathway that goes around the East side of the building and then to the back.

You can’t help but notice the painting of the exotic dancer “Fatima” up on the wall to your right as you enter. Very popular – she was memorialized in this art-work.

But in all the scuffles through the wild west years – you’ll see there are six bullet holes piercing the canvas! The bullet holes from back in the day are pointed out on tours. You’ll be enraptured, listening to that story – as well as others!

See the original bar, it’s still right here! It came a long way to arrive safely. The gambling area was there, too – right where you stand in the Bird Cage Theatre Saloon. Although billed as a “Variety Theater” the Bird Cage incorporated the typical old west type of saloon and  Gambling Entertainment  to draw in local “sporting men.”

This was the area of enticement to assist you in giving up some of your hard-earned funds. The women employed there helped you decide on the entertainment you’d like. Have a drink, she’d drink along with you (really hers was tea!). Want to play some poker, or the more popular Faro? You’d be encouraged to the Bird Cage Theater’s card tables.

See many interesting items in this room, including the original staircase to access the “bird cages.” Eventually you can move along into the main hall. 1

The Main Auditorium

The main hall is where audiences sat to view shows. Later in the night, benches were moved aside and it became the dance hall. 1

It is now a museum. Many Tombstone historical artifacts are stored here. Not only from the Bird Cage, but from the history of the City of Tombstone, also. 

Wander around – there is so much to see! You will find lots of memorabilia that’s attached to recognizable names. Like  Doc Holliday ,  Wyatt Earp  and  Johnny Ringo .

Be sure to look up! View the Bird Cages – set up with “Customers.” Yes, it’s those infamous “bird cages” – 14 private, elevated boxes where the evening ladies entertained customers. The “soiled doves” pulled the red curtains closed when working. You know, the fallen angels, also known as sporting girls or shady ladies.

Black Moriah

Who or what is that? It’s the hearse that brought many an 1880s gunfighter to  Boot Hill Cemetery ! Word is that it may have included two of the Cow-boys – that is the McLaury brothers, or perhaps (less likely) one of them plus Billy Clanton, who were shot down in the  Gunfight at the O.K. Corral ! It’s now on stage at the Bird Cage, in the performance back-stage area. 

Some say the Black Moriah itself is haunted! Birdcage Ghost Tour guides believe it! I think it could be. We’ve taken the Bird Cage Ghost Tour (recommended!) – and some strange things have happened!!

Have you had any Ghost Tour experiences? At the Bird Cage Theater Ghost Tour? Or any of the other Ghost Tours in Tombstone Arizona? Or anywhere else at all? Any that relate to 1800s history? Or any ghostly experiences at all?? (We’ve had our own – some of our friends, too –  Check It Out !) We’d love to hear about it! We have a place for you to tell us, and our readers all about it. Please let us all know that ghostly experience you have had – For details on getting that done, please  Click Here>

Tombstone’s Longest Poker Game

A Birdcage tour takes you to the basement. Where the longest high-stakes poker game took place. Right at the Bird Cage Theatre. All was left in place after the Bird Cage Theatre closed, when hard times hit town. When the Birdcage reopened as a museum, it was still left in place – with some additions to demonstrate the event.

The game went on continuously, 24 hours a day. You needed $1000 to get into the game and play. An immensely vast sum in those days! (Equivalent to just about $24,750 today!)

Seven players were in on the game. All well-renowned, high stakes gamblers. They’d come and go, as their interests and stamina allowed. Bat Masterson and  Diamond Jim Brady  were known to have played their hand around the table. The game continued almost 8-1/2 years! 

Bird Cage Bordello Rooms

Private: for the exclusive ladies of the night.

Some women who plied their trade of adult comfort were exceptional in their beauty, culture, hygiene and talents. They commanded a higher price, and were able to take clients into comfortable, private rooms with nice amenities.

The basement of the Birdcage had a few rooms for their use. A percentage of their earnings went to the Theatre’s management. Still, it was a more comfortable and lucrative method for them, while working in this business.

You can view these basement rooms on the Bird Cage Theater tour.

Bird Cage Theater Reinventions

So we see there were many goings-on there, some not so savory! It gained a reputation throughout the country! But according to Tombstone contemporary, William Breckenridge, “no one had been killed there, and Hutchinson ran it in an orderly manner…” 2

The Bird Cage began to sponsor Wrestling Matches to generate interest, and additional income for the business. That was just one of the reinventions that took place over the years.

The Bird Cage Theatre underwent some closings as well through the years. The mines flooding, the Depression years all affected its operation. One time it was renamed for a short while as the “Elite Theatre.” It even became a Coffee Shop for a time.

It was refurbished and cleaned up some, opening up for the first Helldorado Celebration in 1929.

Finally it became the museum that you see today. The gift shop is in the entry, yes. But there’s another as you exit the tour, on your way out. You can also enter that gift shop, which has other options from the main entry, by going round to the back entry. Just go along the sidewalk by 6th Street, to the rear of the building. You’ll see the doorway to it!

We highly recommend a visit to the Bird Cage Theater, which is now truly a museum. The true name is really written as the “Bird Cage Theatre” – but you’ll see it listed as the Birdcage, the Birdcage Theatre, the Birdcage Theater, etc.!

It’s a can’t miss when you come to town.

We also recommend a ghost tour. You’ll see areas of the Bird Cage that you wouldn’t see otherwise. The tour began when owners started noticing odd things happening. People with those “Sixth Sense” capabilities have seen fleeting glimpses of ghostly beings. Strange things have been heard. Items have moved around inexplicably. You may have heard about television ghost investigators visiting.

See for yourself – you might be surprised! Certainly enthralled.

1 Bruns, R.A. (2000).  Desert honkytonk: The story of Tombstone’s Bird Cage Theatre . Golden CO: Fulcrum Publishing.

2 Breckenridge, W.M. (1928, 1956, 1982, 1992). Helldorado. [Brown, R.M., Editor]. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln.

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The Bird Cage Theater - A Window into the Lawless Old West

After visiting Boothill Cemetery earlier in the day, we continued our Tombstone tour by heading into town and touring the famous Bird Cage Theater. The establishment was opened in 1881 with the intention of providing family entertainment, however, as Tombstone was a tough mining town it wasn’t long before the bawdy performances took over and the reputation of raucous behavior began.

Upon entering, you immediately get a sense of the acts that once performed here. A large tapestry of Fatima, a famous belly dancer, hangs in the front area. Before paying the entry fee, a Bird Cage employee will often provide a little background and history which includes pointing out bullet holes and a knife slash to the tapestry caused by drunk patrons.

I had visited the Bird Cage once prior but can easily say that it’s nearly impossible to take in everything that is stuffed inside its walls. Everywhere you look there are news articles, placards, and artifacts to peer at and read. I soon found myself standing and reading an article about Quong Kee, a long time Tombstone resident and owner of the Can Can Restaurant. His grave is in the Boothill Cemetery that we had just visited and putting a story to a name was fascinating.

The main room of the Bird Cage consists of the stage, audience area and the small “bird cage” box seats up above which could be rented out for $25 a night. We were told that oftentimes anything and everything went on in the private boxes from gambling to prostitution.

One such box to the left of the stage is rumored to have been rented out nightly for two years by someone who went by the name “Russian Bill.” The story goes that he did not speak much English but became fascinated by western life and the rough and tough style of the Cowboys. He was often teased as he was gentle of nature and not made of what it took to be one of them. Determined to prove himself, Russian Bill went to another county and stole a horse. He was eventually found and hanged for his crime.

Something that caught my attention is how dark and small everything feels here. The bird cages above appeared shallow and I had trouble imagining patrons passing through already occupied boxes. Honestly, it seemed hard to imagine great amounts of rowdy people in this place.

But rowdy this place apparently was. There are reports of over 100 bullet holes in the theater and it doesn’t take long to start seeing them everywhere. After looking up at the boxes, I saw holes everywhere in the ceiling. I later confirmed that some holes were leftover from acts that came through, such as girls swinging above the audience and the Human Fly. The latter act involved a metal plate bolted to the backside of the ceiling and girls would walk with magnetic boots, appearing to walk upside down.

It was a lot to take in as we made our way to the stage. More bullet holes! I couldn’t even begin to think of what it would have been like standing on stage trying to perform and please the audience and avoid what could happen with drunken, armed men hooting and hollering below. The leftover bullet holes were evidence enough that some performers didn’t have to imagine.

We moved upstairs to the backstage area and again the artifacts were crammed in everywhere. There was so much to read and take in! The main attraction back here is the famous Black Moriah, a black hearse trimmed in 24 karat gold and sterling silver. The hearse was one of eight constructed like it and the first vehicle to feature curved glass. The Ford Museum estimates its value at almost two million dollars. If that isn’t impressive enough, the Black Moriah is also the vehicle that carried the bodies of the OK Corral shooting as well as so many others to their graves at Boothill Cemetery. It was a sobering moment staring at this thing, having just seen all the graves at Boothill. This vehicle had certainly seen its share of use.

Once we fully explored the backstage area, we made our way downstairs. Suddenly the age of this old building became apparent. You could smell the dust, the oldness and the history in the air.

Downstairs below the main area is another bar and several tables where the likes of Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Diamond Jim Brady and Bat Masterson played poker with each other. The story goes that it was in this basement that the longest game of poker was played, lasting eight years.

Just on the other side of the gambling area were private bordello rooms that high-roller gentlemen used when seeking out female entertainment. While you cannot enter these rooms, parts of the doors are removed for a glance inside. It was amusing to think about what it would have been like trying to play poker with that activity and noise going on just mere feet away.

It's said that the Bird Cage Theater is ripe with paranormal activity, however, we didn’t notice anything while filming our video during our visit. Then again… we are skeptics. For those with more of an open mind, there are ghost tours nightly for a separate fee.

The Bird Cage Theater is an amazing place to visit and a rare chance to see what life was like back in the Old West... a time when life was familiar, yet so different from what we’re used to today. It really isn’t to be missed if visiting Tombstone.

Camping Near Bird Cage Theater

(530) 282-5603

Birdcage Theatre Season 39 Passes

The Season 39 Pass includes four shows for $60, a 25% savings over buying each ticket separately! The included shows are: Evil Dead: The Musical - Oct 27-20, Nov 3-5 The Laramie Project - Feb 2-5, 9-11 The Husband Whisperer - Mar 16-19, 23-26 Into the Woods - June 8-11 at the State Theatre

Season 40 Pass

Season 39 Pass

The Bird Cage Theatre: Discovering Hidden Gem in Tombstone, AZ

Victorian grandeur in the wild west: architectural style and historical significance, haunting encounters: the ghosts of the bird cage theatre, how many questions would you like, high stakes and high drama: notable events and the legendary poker game, from closure to revival: navigating economic turmoil, the bird cage theatre today: preserving the past, the bird cage theatre in popular culture, a living testament to tombstone’s past.

Nestled in the heart of Tombstone, Arizona , the Bird Cage Theatre is a striking example of Victorian architectural style.

This form of architecture, popular during the late 19th century, is known for its ornate detailing, distinct shapes, and a certain sense of grandeur.

These traits are evident in the theatre’s design, from the beautifully crafted exterior to the intricate interior decor.

When the theatre opened in December 1881, it aimed to offer the kind of family-oriented entertainment popular in San Francisco.

The owners, Lottie and William “Billy” Hutchinson, had envisioned a place where respectable families could gather for an evening of amusement.

However, the rough-and-tumble mining community of Tombstone had different tastes . So, with time, the theatre transitioned into a venue that catered to the miners’ preferences for bawdier entertainment.

Thus, the Bird Cage Theatre emerged as a symbol of Tombstone’s vibrant culture and boisterous community spirit, echoing the vitality of the Wild West.

The Bird Cage Theatre isn’t just famous for its history and appearances in popular culture. It also has a reputation as one of the most haunted locations in the United States.

Over the years, visitors, employees, and paranormal investigators have reported unexplainable phenomena believed to be linked to the theatre’s tumultuous past.

The Bird Cage Theatre takes on a different character when the crowds have left in the late hours, and Tombstone sleeps under the desert stars.

Whispers of spectral figures, disembodied voices, and sudden temperature drops have been reported.

Some claim to have seen the apparitions of former actors and patrons, their ethereal forms caught in an endless performance from beyond the grave.

The faint sound of old-time piano music and laughter, the rustle of Victorian dresses, and the clink of phantom poker chips have all added to the theatre’s eerie lore.

Among the spirits said to haunt the theatre, the most famous is that of the ‘woman in white.’

Believed to be one of the many ladies of the night who once worked in the balcony boxes, her spectral figure has been seen wandering the theatre, her presence accompanied by the faint scent of perfume.

There are also tales of a male spirit, possibly a gambler or miner, who frequented the theatre, often sensed near the site of the legendary poker game.

These tales of the supernatural have attracted paranormal investigation shows.

Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, Ghost Lab, and Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files have all conducted investigations at the Bird Cage Theatre.

These shows have captured various forms of evidence, including Electronic Voice phenomena (EVPs), sudden temperature drops, and unexplained movements captured on video.

The theatre’s haunted reputation has only added to its appeal, drawing curiosity seekers and ghost hunters worldwide.

Whether these reports are the products of active imaginations or genuine encounters with the spirits of Tombstone’s past remains a topic of debate.

Yet, there’s no denying that the Bird Cage Theatre, steeped in history and mystery, continues to captivate those who step into its Victorian embrace.

It is a timeless monument to the lives, laughter, fights, and tragedies that once unfolded under its ornate ceiling.

Perhaps, if the stories are to be believed, they will continue in a spectral performance that transcends the veil of mortality.

The theatre’s transformation into a hub for lively entertainment led to a series of remarkable events.

From performances by the “Female Hercules” Alma Hayes to masquerade balls featuring cross-dressing entertainers, the Bird Cage Theatre offered diverse amusement.

Notably, it also hosted Cornish wrestling competitions, the results of which were published across the Atlantic in the UK.

However, what truly set the theatre apart was the legendary poker game that took place in its basement. This was no ordinary game – it went on continuously for eight years, from 1881 to 1889.

The participants, including illustrious figures like Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, George Hearst, Adolphus Busch, Diamond Jim Brady, and Bat Masterson, each had to buy-in for a thousand dollars.

It is estimated that around $10 million exchanged hands throughout the game, marking it the longest poker game in history.

Despite the theatre’s popularity and unique offerings, it was not immune to the economic trials of the time.

When the price of silver plummeted, the local economy suffered, leading to the theatre’s closure in 1892.

The once-bustling venue fell silent, and its doors closed to the townsfolk who had once thronged there.

But the Bird Cage Theatre was resilient. Years later, it found new life when it was leased as a coffee shop in 1934.

Eventually, it was restored to its original purpose as a theatre. Today, it stands as a testament to the vibrant history of Tombstone.

The theatre is now a historical site, offering visitors a glimpse into Tombstone’s colorful past. Its bullet-riddled walls narrate tales of when gunfighters and miners shaped the frontier town’s narrative.

Through its ongoing operation, the Bird Cage Theatre preserves the spirit of the Wild West, sharing its remarkable stories with each visitor who walks through its doors.

The theatre’s unique history and eerie charm have also made it a popular fixture in media and entertainment.

For example, it featured prominently in the 1993 film “Tombstone,” which explores the lives of Wyatt Earp, Morgan Earp, Virgil Earp, and Doc Holliday.

In addition, the Bird Cage Theatre’s gritty allure also added authenticity to the movie’s portrayal of the Wild West.

Aside from its cinematic appearances, the theatre has also caught the attention of paranormal enthusiasts.

As a result, it has been featured on several paranormal investigation shows, including Ghost Adventures in 2009 and 2015, Ghost Lab in 2009, Ghost Hunters in 2006, and Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files in 2011.

These shows have attempted to explore reports of the theatre being haunted, adding another intriguing layer to its rich history.

The Bird Cage Theatre is not just a building but a living testament to Tombstone’s vibrant past and enduring spirit.

From its role as a hub of entertainment in the Wild West to its current status as a historical site, the theatre continues to capture the imagination of all who visit.

Whether through its Victorian architecture, legendary poker game, or appearances in popular culture, the Bird Cage Theatre keeps the legacy of Tombstone alive, reminding us of a time of high stakes and high drama in the heart of Arizona .

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