Ghost town and former mining town in the Calico Mountains of the Mojave Desert region founded in 1881
From Los Angeles (126 mi): Get on US-101 S. Follow I-10 E and I-15 N to Daggett-Yermo Rd/Ghost Town Rd in San Bernardino County. Take exit 191 from I-15 N. Drive to Ghost Town Rd.
From Las Vegas (149 mi): Get on I-515 N/US-93 N/US-95 N from N 6th St. Follow I-15 S to Calico Rd in Yermo. Take exit 194 from I-15 S. Continue on Calico Rd. Drive to Ghost Town Rd.
Overview
Calico is a ghost town and former mining town in the Calico Mountains of the Mojave Desert region of Southern California, it was founded in 1881 as a silver mining town, and was later converted into a county park named Calico Ghost Town. Located off Interstate 15, it lies 3 miles from . Giant letters spelling CALICO are visible, from the highway, on the Calico Peaks behind it. Walter Knott purchased Calico in the 1950s, and architecturally restored all but the five remaining original buildings to look as they did in the 1880s. In 2005 was proclaimed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California's Silver Rush Ghost Town.
Current status
Calico has been restored to the look of the silver rush era when it flourished, although many original buildings were removed and replaced instead with gingerbread architecture and false facades that tourists would expect to see in a Western-themed town. Most of the restored and newly built buildings are made of wood with a simple, rustic architecture and a severely weathered appearance. Some structures still stand dating back to the town's operational years: Lil's Saloon; the town office; the former home of Lucy Lane, which is now the main museum but was originally the town's post office and courthouse; Smitty's Gallery; the general store; and Joe's Saloon. There is also a replica of the schoolhouse on the site of the original building.
Today, the park operates mine tours, gunfight stunt shows, gold panning, several restaurants, the historic, 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge Calico & Odessa Railroad, a Mystery Shack, and a number of trinket stores. Additional fees are required for some attractions. Overnight camping is also available. Special events are held throughout the year including the Civil War Days Historical Reenactment on President's Day weekend, Spring Festival in May, Calico Days in early October, and a Ghost Town haunt in late October.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Calico, California", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
