California Route 66 Side Trip

Calico Ghost Town, located in San Bernardino County, is a great Route 66 side trip. A visit to Calico is also a fun day trip if you are already in southern California. Originally established in 1881, Calico is an old West mining town that has been around since the largest silver strike in California. Heading east on I-40 (Route 66), Calico is approximately 4 miles, or 5 minutes, north of Daggett, California. Heading west on Route 66, Calico is approximately 10 miles, or 12 minutes, northeast from Barstow. After wanting to visit for several months, we visited Calico Ghost Town in late May 2019 as a day trip from San Diego.

Know Before You Go

• Calico Ghost Town is located at 36600 Ghost Town Road in Yermo, CA 92398
• Open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, except Christmas Day
• Daily Admission:
  • Adults: $8.00
  • Youth (4-11): $5.00
  • Under 3: Free
  • Annual Family Pass: $50.00 (Valid for 12 months from date of purchase. Excludes special events and holidays. Valid only at Calico Ghost Town.)
  • Bus fee (tour): $5.00/person
  • School fee without attractions: $4.00/person
  • Dog(s): $1.00/dog (excludes disabled assistance dogs). Must be on 6’ leash (or shorter) at all times.
• Some Calico attractions have a separate entrance fee. Pets are welcome to join you on the visit to the attractions. Visit the Calico Attractions website or call 760-254-3719 for more information. Packages may be available to save on entry fees.

Calico’s History

Over a 12-year span starting in 1881, Calico produced over $20 million in silver ore. As a town, Calico grew slowly and had a turbulent existence. It burned to the ground in the fall of 1883 and was rebuilt. When silver lost its value in the mid-1890s, Calico lost most of its population. By the early 1900s, the end of borax mining in the region caused even more people to move away. The miners and townspeople packed up, loaded their mules, and moved away abandoning the town that once gave them a good living. It became a “ghost town” after it was vacated in the 1930s. 

The remains of Calico sat neglected until the 1950s when Walter Knott, founder of Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, purchased the town. Knott had a personal connection to the town since he was born in San Bernardino County in 1889, just eight years after Calico came to life when the Silver King Mine was claimed in 1881. His uncle, John King, was one of the founding partners in the mine, which had his name, and established the need for a town. As a young man, Knott worked for a short time as a carpenter at Calico.

Walter Knott’s Legacy

After purchasing Calico in 1951, Knott moved some of the original buildings to Knott’s Berry Farm to add to the already existing ghost town he had built in Buena Park. At the Calico site, Knott restored and rebuilt other buildings by referencing historical photos. He had Calico’s “main street” rebuilt and the structures architecturally restored to look as they did in the 1880s. Five of the original buildings have been restored and still stand at Calico. In the mid-1960s, Knott converted the ghost town into a tourist attraction and opened it to the public. In 1966 after fully restoring Calico Ghost Town, Knott deeded the whole town to the County of San Bernardino.  

Calico is part of the San Bernardino County Regional Parks system and welcomes people from around the USA and all over the world. Calico received State Historical Landmark 782 and in 2005 was proclaimed to be California’s Silver Rush Ghost Town. From the San Bernardino County Regional Parks website:

“The park (Calico) offers visitors an opportunity to share in its rich history and enjoy the natural beauty of the surrounding desert environment.  Along with its history and attractions, Calico Ghost Town has shops, restaurants and offers camping and outdoor recreation not available at most of our other park facilities.  Due to the historic nature of the town, not all areas are ADA accessible.”

Exploring Calico Ghost Town

The Shops of Calico: Calico offers over a dozen shops with unique gifts and flavors of the west. Be sure to stop in and shop for a souvenir or a special gift. Some of the featured shops include: 

• R & D Fossils & Minerals 
• Calico Leather Works
• Print Shop (located in a restored original Calico building)
• Calico Rock & Gift Shop
• The Sweets Shop
• Calico Leather Works
• Basket & Candle Shop
• Calico Photo Shop
• Pottery Shop
• Calico Art Gallery

Restaurants & Snacks at Calico: Calico Ghost Town offers three restaurants and other food options for visitors from a quick snack to a full-service meal. Enjoy a variety of food selections and dine surrounded by breathtaking views of the Calico mountains.

• Calico House Restaurant (full-service restaurant serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner) – Calico House specializes in basic meals enjoyed by the townspeople in the late 1880s such as stews, pot pies, meatloaf, and more. 
• Lil’s Saloon – Take a break from the day and step through the swinging doors of the saloon. Then walk up to the bar and order up a sarsaparilla or soda to sip on while you enjoy a hot dog, pizza, or some other type of snack offered at Lil’s.
• Old Miner’s Café – Located at the top of the town, Old Miner’s serves a variety of sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, ice cream, and more.
• The Sweets Shop – candy, fudge, coffee, and more.
• Popcorn & Icee Drink Wagon (open select days/times)  

Calico Attractions: 

• Lucy Lane Museum (included/free) – Artifacts, photographs, and documents from Calico’s origin and history (located in a restored original Calico building).
• Maggie Mine ($3/each) – Explore an authentic silver mine from the 1880s with mining exhibits and historical displays.
• Calico Odessa Railroad ($5/each) – Take an historical tour on a train like those used in early mining days.
• Mystery Shack Tour ($3/each) – Be amazed and confused in this house of optical illusions. (Similar to the Haunted Shack that used to be at Knott’s Berry Farm from 1954 to 2000).  
• Gold Panning ($3/each) – Experience panning for gold like how the miners did it in the late 1800s.
• Ghost Tours (available every Saturday night at an additional cost) – Experience the truest accounts of Calico’s history and paranormal activity. Private tours available for groups. For information and reservations, call 760-254-3719 or visit the Calico Ghost Tours website.

Signature Events

Throughout the year, Calico hosts special events that are fun for the whole family. View pictures from previous events in the official Calico photo album. Some events and festivals have special pricing.

• Civil War Re-enactment– President’s Day Weekend (February)
  The North battles the South as cannons roar and bugles trumpet. 
• Bluegrass in the Spring – Mother’s Day Weekend (May)
  Bluegrass music takes center stage at this event in mid-May.
• Calico Days – Last weekend in September (Sept. 28 – 29, 2019) Re-live Calico’s rich mining history! Activities include a burro race, miner’s triathlon, music, and more. 
• Ghost Haunt – Last two weekends of October. Ghosts and goblins along with plenty of entertainment and music for two back-to-back weekends.
• Holiday Fest– Thanksgiving Weekend (November)
  Festive fun to begin the holiday season! Entertaining activities, performances, music, and tree lighting, too!

• Festival Admission:
  • Adults: $10.00 to $20.00
  • Youth: $5.00 to $10.00
  • Under 3: Free
  • Contact the park for specific festival admission fees (760) 254-2122

Camping

• Calico offers 265 camping sites with accommodations for RVs with full or partial hook-ups as well as group camping sites
• Campgrounds offer hot showers and restrooms 
• Fees:
  • $30.00/night – no hook-up
  • $35.00/night – partial hook-up
  • $40.00/night – full hook-up
  • Special “Senior Camping” rates Sunday to Thursday only – check website
  • Camping for Special Event Weekends is subject to special event weekend pricing.
• Guests who camp or rent cabins, bunkhouse, or mini bunkhouse receive free admission into the town. 
• During special event weekends, camping guests also receive free admission to the event weekend for up to four persons per site. Refer to the Calico website for more details.

Our Visit to Calico

We visited Calico over Memorial Day weekend as a day trip from San Diego. From San Diego, it is approximately 190 miles to Calico and takes a little more than 3 hours with no or good traffic. For our day trip, we stopped in Victorville on the way and had lunch at Shakey’s Pizza Parlor before heading out to Calico. The weather was partly cloudy, a little breezy at times, and in the mid 80s (Fahrenheit). 

We arrived a little after 1:00 PM and started exploring after paying the daily entry fee at the parking lot entrance. The first store we explored was the R & D Fossils & Minerals shop where we admired the petrified wood and other unique mementos. Next, we admired some of the other shops and walked up to the vista point to admire the view. 

Attractions We Experienced

The one attraction we paid for was the Mystery Shack. I recall visiting Knott’s Berry Farm when a similar house of optical illusions, the Haunted Shack, was located in theme’s park Ghost Town where the Calico Mine Stage is today. My family enjoyed the Mystery Shack along with the others in our group.

After the Mystery Shack, we walked over to the Calico School House, which sits prominently at the highest point of the town. This building is a replica of the original structure that was built in the 1880s and closed before 1900. From its porch, there is a great view of the surrounding desert and the dry lake bed below. Our next stop was at Old Miner’s Café for some ice cream and cold beverages. 

We could have spent more time sightseeing in Calico, however we decided to head back to our car around 3:30 PM and headed home to San Diego. Calico is definitely a place you should visit, especially if you’re interested in California history and traveling along Route 66 in San Bernardino County. 

Some Tips

• Plan to spend at least two to three hours in Calico
• Wear sturdy walking shoes.
• Calico can be very windy – prepare for dust if you wear contacts and wear a hat that ties on to minimize chasing it up (or down) the street.
• Due to the nature of the park, some places may not be ADA accessible including many of the shops. Also, the Main Street is quite steep if you are pushing a heavy wheelchair.
• Check the weather before you go – the average high temperature can exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit from late June through early September. July is on average the warmest month.

After a visit to Calico, consider a visit to Knott’s Berry Farm so you can take a closer look at the Ghost Town that Walter Knott created in Buena Park.

Have you visited Calico Ghost Town? Did you know its history and connection to Knott’s Berry Farm? Looking forward to hearing from you in the comments!

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