Calico ghost town in California

Calico is a ghost town in the Mojave Desert in southern California. If you are traveling from Los Angeles via Interstate 15 in the direction of Las Vegas, you will see CALICO on the left in the mountains. The city was founded in 1881 as part of the silver mining industry. At its best, Calico lived around 1,200 people and there were over 500 mines.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the price of silver plummeted. The mines were no longer economical and the city was abandoned as a result. On July 24, 2001, part of the buildings burned down at night, probably after a short circuit in one of the buildings. Since every fifth building had to be built from clay as fire protection in the 19th century, this fire could not have devastating effects.

Some buildings from that time have been preserved and can now be viewed together with replicas. A visit to mines or the experience of “Wild West shows” is also possible. There is also a campsite below the ghost town, which you can use to enter the museum. Due to the restoration, the replicas and the shops almost exclusively housed in it, however, Calico has more of the character of an open-air museum than an original settlement.

Since the sights in the area are rare, a visit to Calico, which is more touristy than Chloride, is worthwhile, but definitely.