Answer and Explanation: No, Stephen King's It is not based on a true story. King had the idea for It when looking at an old wooden walking bridge in 1978 near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
The Clown Motel is a clown-themed motel along north Main Street in Tonopah, Nevada, which has been referred to as "America's scariest motel". The building is located adjacent to the historic Tonopah Cemetery, where the father of the original owners is buried. The Clown Motel with Tonopah Cemetery visible.