In the 1880s the Bird Cage was a one-stop sin-o-rama. Besides holding onstage shows, it was a saloon, dance hall, gambling parlor and a home for 'negotiable affections.' The very name derives from the 14 compartments lining the upper floor of the auditorium – like boxes at the opera – where the 'soiled doves' entertained their customers. It's said that as many as 26 people met a violent end here – naturally, the theater is haunted. (Nightly ghost tours cost $25.)
The entire place is stuffed with dusty old artifacts that bring the period to life, including a faro gambling table used by Doc Holliday, a big black hearse, a fully furnished 'crib' and a creepy 'merman.'
