Calico Ghost Town

Just a few miles north of Barstow, CA is where you will find the Ghost Town of Calico. It was established in 1881. From 1881 until 1907 there were as many as 500 mines producing silver and borax. In 1887 the population was 1200 and included 22 saloons a red light district and China Town. By 1893 the population had dropped to 300 and by 1907 it was a ghost town. At some later time Walter Knott of Knotts Berry farm purchased the town consisting of four original adobe buildings and and a few wood buildings. He rebuilt the town to what you now see and in 1966 donated it to county of San Bernardino. It now has many craft shops that make and sell leather goods, pottery, wood products etc. that would have been consistent with the time that the town existed. There is an old mine that you can still go into as well. In short it is a very affordable tourist trap. The price of admission is $6 a person.