Calico Ghost Town, California’s Silver Rush Ghost Town

Somewhere between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is a town lost in time — Calico Ghost Town. We’ve partnered with family traveler Pattie Cordova from the blog Living Mi Vida Loca, as she takes her family to discover a town that has remained virtually unchanged since the late 1800’s.

We jumped into the car and drove about two hours inland from Los Angeles to a little town called Calico Ghost Town. We’ve passed by it countless times heading to and from Las Vegas, but never had the opportunity to take the kids. So come Spring Break, we knew it was time for them to discover California’s Silver Rush Ghost Town.

The History Behind Calico Ghost Town

Calico Ghost Town has been around since 1881 when it was established during the largest silver strike in California. This old West mining town has about 500 mines and produced well over $20 million in silver during the 12 years that the mines were worked. Once the price of silver dropped, the citizens of Calico left the town and years later, around the 1950’s, was purchased by Walter Knott (of Knott’s Berry Farm). Since then, Calico has received State Historical Landmark 782 and became “California’s Silver Rush Ghost Town” by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Nowadays, visitors from all over the world come to Calico Ghost Town to learn more about its history, plan overnight stays and visit other nearby Route 66 attractions.

Calico Ghost Town is open daily (except for Christmas) and on any given day you’ll see busloads of tourists and school groups visiting the grounds. Because of its location, visitors can also camp in the town, rent a cabin and even go on a 20 mule team off-road adventure.

Our kids are only eight and four, so we put off the off-road adventure and instead opted to walk up to the top of the hill so we could see an overview of the town.

We could see a couple of the mines from the top of the hill, and it was clear that this town was once full of life and fun adventures. We saw the Calico Odessa Railroad – a train similar to those used in early mining coming in for its next group, as well as the school house where young kids attended as their family members went to work at the mines.

We were most surprised by how well preserved the buildings were, even though some had seen fire in their early years. The upgraded buildings blend seamlessly into the town, making it so that visitors can get a clear glimpse of what a real working mine town was once like.

Calico Ghost Town has three restaurants on the property, including one that offers basic style meals like stews, pot pies and shepherd’s pie and can be served with a sarsaparilla — just like in the old days! You can even get old-fashioned sodas served in glass bottles, something that just isn’t as common as it once was. And because of its desert-location, a cold beverage is sometimes the perfect treat as you walk about discovering the town.

Visitors are welcomed to sit down and relax on the restaurant’s porch on one of their vintage rocking chairs. They’re positioned perfectly for people watching and a great place to cool off once the noon sun hits.

Other Calico Ghost Town attractions include panning for gold, mine exploring, a house of optical illusions, and even a ghost tour where you can experience the truest accounts of Calico’s history and paranormal activity (like the one about the hotel owner that can still be seen roaming around his place).

Some buildings are purely cosmetic and you cannot go inside, but most are open and set up as museums so you can see artifacts and equipment used in the late 1800’s. Places like the Fire Hall gives you a glimpse of what the townsfolk had to work with to put out fires.

Then there are buildings like The Bottle House that are just a really fun place to use as a photo backdrop. Wherever you decide to go in the town, just make sure you have proper footwear on (closed toed shoes are recommended) and that you are properly hydrated. There is a lot of uneven surface and one can easily dehydrate walking up and down the hills.

There are plenty of gift shops offering souvenirs, toys and jewelry. I also highly recommend visiting the candy shop to pick up some old-fashioned candy. And if you’re camping at Calico Ghost Town, the candy shop also has a place in the back filled with camping must-haves like lanterns, games, fixings for s’mores and basic supplies like paper plates, aluminum foil and toiletries.

A visit to Calico Ghost Town is a must-do if you’re planning to drive to and from Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area. It offers a variety of adventures for families traveling together, or adults who are making the trek without kids. I recommend visiting during one of their events, like the Civil War Re-enactment, Calico Days or Bluegrass in the Spring to make it even more special.

This off-the-beaten path town has stood the test of time, and just one day trip into the town will give you plenty to talk about for years to come. Daily admission prices for adults is $8, while youths ages 6 to 15 is just $5. When visiting the town, start at the back of the town and work your way up. I would suggest to finish your visit at the cemetery, outside of the main buildings. It’s closest to the parking lot so you can make it out to your car easily after that. I recommend taking a picture in front of the large iconic “Calico Ghost Town” sign closest to the town, only because it seems like the safest option. The other sign is right off the freeway and pulling your car over for a picture might be a little tricky. And don’t forget to read about other great stops along Route 66 here on Travelocity.com.

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