Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → South Central Desert → Calico Ghost Town

Location: Northeast of Los Angeles

Time Required: 2 – 4 hours

Red Tape/Notes: Open 9am – 5pm daily, except Christmas. General Admission is $8, and attractions (such as the mine tour and the railroad) are an additional $3 – $12 depending on how many you want to do. For additional general information on the town, visit this website. For specific information on the attractions and special events (like ghost tours), visit this website.

What’s Nearby?: Zzyzx

Calico Ghost Town is an amusing stop, particularly if you’re looking to break up a trip from SoCal to Vegas. Just don’t take yourself too seriously and you’ll have a great time. Calico was a legit mining town, founded in 1881, and was California’s largest silver producer in the mid-1800’s. At it’s height, in 1890, Calico supported a population of 3,500 people, but shortly thereafter the price of silver declined significantly, and the town was completely abandoned by 1907. In 1951, Walter Knott (the founder of Knott’s Berry Farm) bought the town and restored it to its original appearance using old photographs. The current appearance is somewhat less authentic, though, with many of the buildings constructed to appeal to what tourists expect “old west” towns to look like. Still, some of the buildings are authentic, and it’s fun to tour the mine, look at the historic artifacts and photos, and ride the train around the area.

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Southern California → South Central Desert → Calico Ghost Town