There is a small number of Wild West places as famous as The Birdcage Theatre in Tombstone, AZ.
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That old saloon was one of the most popular places in the Old West where gambling, prostitution, drinking, and other acitivies of that era were allowed.
The bullet holes on walls are a reminder of its history. Six renovated underground rooms offer a more fascinating experience for those who don’t mind confrontations with the ghosts that supposedly roam the premises.
Visitors and employees of The Bird Cage Theater have reported seeing the spirits of former prostitutes and men in cowboy hats. Some claim to have been 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. You can experience that seven days a week if you are strong enough.
The Bird Cage Theatre opened on December 26, 1881. It was owned by Lottie and William Billy Hutchinson.
Hutchison, a variety performer, originally intended to present respectable family shows like he'd seen in San Francisco that were thronged by large crowds.
After the Theatre opened, they hosted a Ladies Night for the respectable women of Tombstone, who could attend for free. They soon canceled the Ladies Night and began offering entertainment that appealed to the rough mining crowd.
The walls of the Bird Cage were riddled with gunshot holes from gunfighters and the local Miners of the American frontier.
Still inside is the infamous Bird Cage Poker Table where the longest poker game was played.
Attractions of that time were Mademoiselle De Granville known as Female Hercules, Irish comic duo Burns and Trayers, comic singer Irene Baker, but also an opera singer duo Burns and Trayers (John H. Burns and Matthew Trayers); comic singer Irene Baker. Yes, they had an opera singer there.
The longest poker game in history was played in the basement of the theater. The game was played continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It continued from 1881 to 1889 for a total of eight years and who wanted to play had to spit $1,000 on the table before the game.
The Birdcage Theatre is really a piece of history that's still alive and the place where you can almost hear and feel the original atmosphere. ■