birdcage theater

Walking into the Birdcage feels almost like walking into a untouched ghost town. The interior is not refurbished but looks very much as it did in its heyday. It's full of fascinating artifacts, photographs, and information. If you want the real Tombstone, this is where you need to come.

We thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the displays from the Tombstone era. Lots to see! I would go back again and take more time looking at it all more closely! A few stairs to climb up and down.

I can just see the crazy stuff that went on in there 130 yrs ago! Glad to see so real history not made over. A must see.

This was our second trip to Tombstone. We went about 7 years ago for the first time and since we were in Tucson for a week we decided to head down here again because we enjoyed it so much the first time. If you like history and actual buildings where the history occurred this is a must see. Real history happened in this building and the feel plus the artifacts make for an interesting tour. I'm glad they haven't made repairs because you see it as it was so many years ago. The rest of Tombstone is your basic tourist trap. Shops selling stuff. We had lunch at one of the restaurants and spent about 5 hours meandering the streets and shops.

After the third, "No food or drink or you'll be shot" sign, it went from funny to annoying. I did love how many parts of this theater (including the oldest bar stand in the United States) were left in tact and in their original condition. The bullet holes in the walls and bar (where the original .45 slug still remains) were really neat and gave the theater a real feeling of authenticity. The posters, the stairs, everything made you feel connected to history.With that said, they really do need to work on the upper levels. While I love the stairs being left in their original condition (as they were worn down a bit given the heavy traffic to the bed room), the actual beam looks like it is sagging and about to collapse. It makes you wonder if the foundation is rotting and will soon collapse. The price also is a bit prohibitive, but the sales man is great and really knows his stuff.It is definitely worth at least a quick glimpse in, and lending an ear to the story that's being told. But unless you need to see more first hand I'd recommend using your money at some of the other attractions first.

The Birdcage theater has not been restored and is left in the condition as a surviving piece of history. I would rather see them spend some time and money preserving it and cleaning up some of the showcases. It may not be around much longer if some time and money is not spent

I am certain the bird cage didn't look this dusty and dirty back in its day! Everybody knows dust and dirt will further destroy what's left of the birdcage! Seriously, you guys need to restore this to her former glory! God knows you make enough money with your ridiculous ghost tours!

Great history lesson for all. Displays are well presented and organized, with many that one would not expect at a theatre location. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Loved the Black Moriah and the poker game area. Many great pictures.

The historic Bird Cage Theatre is one of our favorite attractions in Tombstone. Once you walk through its doors, you are instantly taken back to 1881, the year it first opened. You can watch all the movies, hear all the stories, but until you experience the Bird Cage Theatre for yourself… you just don’t know.The building houses many historic artifacts, beautifully staged to capture the essence of the Old West. We were lucky enough to have one of the best tour guides in Tombstone, Darba Jo Butler, show us around. Dressed in authentic, late 19th century garb, Darba Jo opened up a whole new world for us and answered every question we had. I would recommend you pay her a visit if you have any questions.The Bird Cage Theatre was only open until 1889, the year Tombstone went bust due the flooding of the mine. The building was then sealed up, protecting everything inside until 1934, when it became the tourist attraction we enjoy today.Darba Jo filled us in on many stories and one in particular which I found really amazing. The longest-running poker game in history, lasting eight years, five months, and three days, took place in the poker room in the basement (see the photography above). This marathon of a game went on for twenty-four hours a day / seven days a week! Players included well-known names such as Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, Diamond Jim Brady, and George Hearst. According to Darba Jo, over ten million dollars were wagered during the poker run. Just think how much money that would be in today’s dollars!As you wander through the Bird Cage Theatre, you can’t help but see the large number of bullet holes. This gives you some idea of just how wild this theatre was back in the day. You also get to visit the private boxes, each one equipped with its own set of drapes, where patrons could watch the shows or be entertained by the ladies of the night.Along with all the wild times come some spooky stories. Many claim that the Bird Cage Theatre is haunted. Darba Jo let us know that in the evenings there’s a haunted tour that dives into the details. We decided to pass this time around. Maybe next time we visit, we can conjure up the guts for that experience. I forbid you to visit Tombstone without a trip to the historic Bird Cage Theatre.

I read these reviews, this is the first review I have ever posted. We just got home from an exciting trip to tombstone. The four of us decided the birdcage theater ghost tour was a must do on the itenarary. We went to the 930 tour and Tricia was our guide. I am not a lucky person at all, so my expectations were very low that I would actually experience anything paranormal. The owners wife was outside before the tour and she was telling us some very creepy things that have happend to her, so we were still psyched to go. Tricia was a great guide and very informative. She kept the tour moving on time and answered a lot of our questions. Towards the end of the tour we went to sit around a table with 3 evp monitors. All four of were sitting we I th our backs turned to the staircase going down to the basement. Tricia tried to get the spirits to show us some kind of sign they were near, not a lot was going on. A few bumps and a few did you hear that, but nothing that would make me a strong believer. I whispered loudly to my husband "have you heard anything" loudly back he says "I can't hear anything remember I have bad hearing" everyone laughed and about 2 minutes after that everyone including us heard footsteps walking up the stairs behind us. No one else was in the building except the tour group and all of us were sitting around the table. One woman started to complain saying she didn't feel them around nothing is here. About a minute later the room got darker than it already was and everyone started snapping pics but her camera wasn't showing a picture only a black screen. Her lens cover was off and the flag was working, everyone else's camera was working just fine. That was pretty much what we experience d on the tour, it wasn't until we started looking through the pictures we took and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I was in the basement and took a few pictures of the wine cellar, in one of the picsthere was an orange figure in the shape of a head with no ears. At first I thought it was my shadow then I saw the next pic I took and the Orange glow had moved to the left corner of the frame. this is a must see, it is worth every penny

This place is a must visit if you have a love of history. The place is small, but the very fact that such a lot went on there makes it special. Raunchy colorful history not to be ignored!

We visited Tombstone and the Birdcage Theater. This place looks like something out of a dream. Somebody locked it up 100 years ago then reopened it as is. It is very creepy and just packed with remembrances of a time when Wyatt and Doc roamed the streets of Tombstone. It is not cheap to go in but worth it. Old whiskey barrels are still packed under the stage where they were discovered only recently. Look for the bullet holes in the ceiling in the main room.

I love the Birdcage but the honest truth is it is very poorly cared for. That said, don't miss it. There are so many interesting items, in addition to the building itself. The history is wonderful, I just wish they would spend the money to restore and have someone with museum experience help them make the place over. Even so, I always go when I'm in the area.

Once upon a time, the Birdcage Theater was a notorious den of gambling, drinking, bawdy plays, and prostitution. It closed in1889 and the building was pretty much left in the manner it has been for 125 years; pretty run down. The first time I was in Tombstone, I passed on a visit to the Birdcage, but this time I was determined to see it. They say that Doc Holliday was a frequent visitor and that one of the longest continuous poker games was played in these surroundings. The main floor in front of the stage must have been a wild place when one of the traveling actresses was performing. One can still see the bullet holes in the stage after one miner became overly excited. The place is filled with memorabilia and stories about the performers at the Birdcage. The stage curtain is original and, although it is pretty faded, it gives one an idea of what a fancy place this might have been in its 'hay day'. Above the main floor on each side of the room are a string of balcony rooms; each with a set of curtains to provide privacy or which could be opened so the patrons could watch the show. It is reported that 'Ladies of the Evening' would also entertain their guests in these cubicles when the show wasn't so enticing. Down stairs was a room were special card games occurred and rooms where the working girls called home. While the proprietors have not displayed the artifacts with the preciseness of a good museum, there are a lot of interesting things to see and to read about. Take your time to discover the nuggets of wealth about the seamier side of frontier history.

Stop into the Birdcage Theater to hear about the history of this establishment. You are given a lengthy story about it's history,Which was very informative. For an extra fee you can look behind the scenes for in depth peek around the corner and into the other levels.