Background On Calico Mine Ride: Opened in 1960, the Calico Mine Ride was the first major, large-scale attraction at Knott's Berry Farm, famously transforming the location into a modern theme park capable of competing with Disneyland. Designed by legendary theme park creator Wendell "Bud" Hurlbut, the slow-moving, 8-minute dark ride takes passengers on a steam train through a highly detailed, bustling western gold mine. It is celebrated for its mix of realism and wonder, featuring deep underground caverns, waterfalls, geysers, and vibrant glowing stalagmites. Award: Calico Mine Ride received the THEA Classic award in 1998. The award honors exemplary, timeless attractions that have operated continuously for over 20 years and set new industry standards. Background On Upgrade: In January 2014, the ride underwent a massive refurbishment in partnership with Garner Holt Productions. This extensive makeover restored the classic attraction to its former glory by adding over 50 new animatronic figures, new lighting, and enhanced audio while still honoring the attraction's original charm. For a full point-of-view experience that takes you on a tour through all of the ride's detailed, subterranean scenes and glowing caverns: Visitation Rights: Been on this rides countless of times. My heart can't take all these other fast rides no more. Wait Time: Wait time can be long due to having only one train operating. It's a oldie, but goodie. Just keep calm and go with the flow. Location: Located in the Ghost Town section. Ambiance/Decor: A slow moving classic dark ride with animations. It smelled really bad last time when we were in the waiting queue. We originally thought it was the person in front of us... then we started pointing fingers at each other. LoL Once we left the area, the smell was gone. :) Calico Mine For Thought: I wouldn't mind riding the ride again. Hopefully, the smell won't be there the next time we go. read more

Calico Mine Ride - Amusement Parks Near Me - Buena Park, California

Werid ride, very step into the past to see how old rides used to be. Hard to hear what is said, everyone looks creepy. Can probably get on quick, semi indoor ride read more

It's a great family ride and we're allowed to take pictures without a flash. Also, they have a glowing cavern. read more

Calico Mine Ride - Glowing cave in calico mine ride - Amusement Parks Near Me - Buena Park, California

This is one of my favorite rides at Knotts Berry farm. My husband and I waited about 15 minutes to ride the Calico Mine Ride. Riders board ore cars and are taken on a winding semi dark ride through a stylized 19th century gold mine. The ride is located in the Ghost Town section at Knotts Berry Farm. The mountain structure that houses the ride is seven stories tall! It's built with steel and elaborate rock work. During the ride, you pass through the tunnels, caverns, underground lakes, bubbling steam pots, geysers, and even ornate cave formations! One of the most memorable features of the ride is the hole scene set in a large chamber! You'll see dozens of animatronic miners hard at work trying to strike it rich! In 2014, this ride did go through a refurbishment. The renovation included new animatronics, enhanced lighting, sound systems, special effects, and new paint! This is such a great family ride. It's not too scary, but there are some beautiful scenes. It's a slow ride and one of the best rides at Knotts Berry farm! read more

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Another must for the park! The line to go up gets a bit narrow and is on a slight slope, so just keep that in mind if it's raining or if you have weak ankles. This ride is a dark ride/set piece ride that takes you back into the mines back in the day. It's Kott's first ride opened in the 1960s so some of the animatronics look a bit haunting/aged, but it's still a fun and neat time all around. It's cool that you can look so deep into caverns, see the inside lakes, pools of water, steam, and stalactites and stalagmites. In the 2010s some updates were made as well, so it's not all entirely aged. There's a cute musical light show in the water pools/cave formation rooms. Later on you also go outside of the cave and see out to the park. I love the little vultures. Nice and slow ride with lots to look at. read more

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The Calico Mine Ride, Knott's first major ride, opened in Ghost Town in November 1960 and was quickly recognized as one of the world's most immersive "dark rides. Very slow ride with maybe scary for younger kids (animatronics) lol. Over all takes you into history of the mines. For older kids this might be boring. To me luckily my teen likes it and I use it as a rest time for me lol. read more

Calico Mine Ride - Inside - Amusement Parks Near Me - Buena Park, California

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Fun easy ride for all ages! I love this ride. Mostly because it is an easy ride. No surprises or upside down loops. I can't take that lolol I actually strongly dislike roller coasters. So this ride is a nice relief for me. It is relaxing and entertaining to sit and go through the gold mine. The cave is really cool and pretty to see. This is a good ride to go on if you need a break and your feet hurt lol This ride might be boring for teenagers or adults looking for a thrill. It isn't that fast or exciting in that sense. This ride is more laid back and "chill." Which I really appreciate about it. It's pleasant and an enjoyable ride. I am a fan of the Calico Mine Ride! :) read more

This is the classic train ride similar to the one at Disneyland in Frontierland that's now retired.

The best ride in the whole park--- KNOTT! It is, however, the oldest ride in the park, unless you count the stagecoach. I bet it's the first "dark ride" ever. Unless you count the stagecoach and you're blind. Knott created the Calico Ghost Town to entertain the people waiting 2 hours for his wife's chicken dinner, so this ride existed BEFORE the park was actually gated for admission. It's kinda like what came first the chicken or the egg. I'd say the egg because the chicken takes two hours. Introduced in 1960, it is old as Michael Stipe, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Michael Hutchence, Psycho, Bono, Beatles live performances, Jennifer Grey, Muhammad Ali's gold medal, Valerie Bertinelli, Scott Baio, RuPaul (and the lasers that get rid of his leg hair), Jane Lynch, Nigeria and Jeffrey Dahmer (unrelated). The Mine Ride and JFK Jr.'s mom legs both opened in November 1960. Anyway, it's a leisurely ride on a battery-powered, rickety ore car through the winding, dimly-lit tunnels of a fake excavation site. You'll dig it. Get it? There's lakes, waterfalls, geysers, and stalactites and stalagmites. If you're not sure which is which, here's a way you'll never forget: remember that the T in StaglacTites stands for The Floor, meaning they might reach the Floor. Or they might start at the floor. I forget. No loops, no drops, no turns, no guy in a gorilla suit (the designer kickstarted Knott's Scary Farm by being the first live performer there to scare people). I kinda wish it was more like Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and we could shoot the miners for points, but that's not family-friendly unless you're the Mansons. read more

The Calico Mine Ride is a historic theme park ride at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. It was originally built in 1960, and it might be the quintessential "dark ride." Disneyland took some inspiration from it, which subsequently influenced other rides throughout the world. They have beautiful animatronics; but frankly, theirs started it all. Walter and Cordelia Knott really popularized the whole Wild West theme park. All members of the family will enjoy it, from your thrill seeker, to your toddler, to your grandmother. It simulates the experience of riding a coal car through the mountain and viewing all the Wild West miners doing their job. There are no restraints. It might be somewhat claustrophobic for some people, but not for me. There is one big lift hill during the ride, but it rides slowly and carefully. The ride is also relatively high capacity, and the line moves fairly swiftly, despite the big crowds Knott's gets. Little kids could possibly be scared from the robot coal miners, but they might also think they are really funny and entertaining. The times I have gone through around Halloween, they tweak the ride to be all about candy. That's to keep it light-hearted. read more

Calico Mine Ride - Carson Hill Nugget - Amusement Parks Near Me - Buena Park, California

Candy mine calico ride - for Halloween. Clever insertion of the candy theme. But the candy princess voice sounds creepy. But it is a better experience (no smoke smell). Hubby wanted to ride it again. Flash photography prohibited. Use your cell but be sure to turn off the flash. Pretty waterfall ideal for pictures (if there is a wait). Slippery walkway, be careful. Tight squeeze in the cars. Didn't notice a weight limit. read more

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One of my favorite rides at the park! Such a classic and a MUST when visiting, although the ride can be a little noisy due to the tracks, it is not a roller coaster, doesn't go too fast so don't worry about feeling sick! Love the mining details when you get inside :) read more

Look at that glory hole! That must be the finest glory hole in all the West! *giggle* A Knott's classic! Where Walt Disney found inspiration for hidden queues at Disneyland. The Calico Mine Ride is a for everyone (mostly) ride. No drops, no sharp turns, no high speed. It's aim is to visualize mining for rare earth minerals back in the Ol' West. I enjoy the historical significance of the Calico Mine Ride. The animatronic figures vary on the spectrum from good to decent. The rock walls, stalactites & stalagmites are part of the immersive decor. The recording of the conductor's narrative throughout the long ride gives the feel of an actual tour. The line can be pretty long. Not from guest demand, but because there's usually only 1 train running. As stated previously, the Calico Mine Ride is a pretty long ride, and with only 1 train running at a time, the line creeps by at a snail's pace. That's the only deterrent for an otherwise "must ride". Christmas season turns the Calico Mine Ride into the Calico Candy Mine Ride. New neon lighting, a new conductor recording, new music & some new candy decor add variety on par with the theme. I believe the Calico Mine Ride has seasonal theming for Halloween, as well. Rather slow lines hamper a true Knott's classic. The Calico Mine Ride's age is part of Knott's Old West charm & gets my recommendation as a "must ride", so long as the wait isn't too long. read more

Boring. Took forever to load and unload people. Animatronics look like they're from the sixties. There was only one modern special effect involved where projections were used. Cheap and generic carnival dark ride. read more

Calico Mine Ride - Amusement Parks Near Me - Buena Park, California

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Knott's Berry Farm We waited in line for about 15 minutes... were loaded up in an (uncomfortably full) mine cart and ready to go. When we were told to disembark and leave for technical difficulties. About an hour later, we saw that the ride was open again, so we waited in line, we're loaded up again in an uncomfortably full mine cart and then... were told to get out and exit as the ride wasn't working. So I don't think I'd trust this one. Seems to have some problems. Could have to do with those over-filled carts? read more

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MINE YOUR OWN BUSINESS Knotts pulled yet another western rabbit out of their cowboy hats with this charming dark ride. Although not a legitimate roller coaster, the Calico Mine Ride is essentially a powered train that chugs its way up and through a mountain façade. The speed it travels at is negligible (maybe 3-5mph) and there's no safety belts of any kind, which is perfect for families with lap children. I'd equate this to the Cedar Fair equivalent of "It's A Small World". Since this is technically a train, there is a conductor manning the helm who announces features throughout the ride. From start to finish, the attraction lasts a solid 7-8 minutes and usually has a short line. Some of the scenes reminded me of parts of the Indiana Jones dark ride at Disneyland, most notably the 'cave' rooms displaying stalactites and stalagmites. I estimated that there were three dozen animatronics inside the show building, but after doing some diligent research I found out that there are over FIFTY moving figurines and set pieces. Calico Mine Ride takes you past a number of scenes involving miners trying their damnedest to strike it rich, like a blasting room with animated TNT barrels. In early 2014, the entire attraction was overhauled across a five month period where numerous enhancements were made to the lighting and sound package. New motion figures were added and updated special effects include steam geysers, beautiful waterfalls, and glistening caverns. The largest scene takes place in the heart of the 'mine' which is a 90ft wide room that's 65ft deep! Attention to detail is what makes the Calico Mine Ride worthwhile, and very few parks outside of Disney or Universal can claim to have the immersive environment that Knotts does. Very highly recommended on a trip to the park. You'll be pleasantly surprised, I guarantee it! read more

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Noelle's Yelp Notebook 2016 Knott's Berry Farm's Calico Ride was a waste of time. We arrived at this ride in the mid-afternoon. There wasn't a line which was good. It was a long climb up to the top. We sat inside replica of an old mining car, no seat belts so in certain parts of the ride we were sliding in our seats. The ride is mostly in the dark or dim lighting, the wax miner figures are scary and creepy. My biggest complaint about this ride is that it's stuffy and hot for the entire duration of the ride. This ride isn't worth waiting for so I recommend trying it if there is no line. Also, this isn't a great ride on a warm day since the ventilation is poor. Noelle's Notes Skip it :) Try it once if there is no line read more

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This ride was quite long and a bit freaky with all the miners inside and grunting about. Very dark areas had to take off sunglasses. Got a tad bit wet from waterfall but otherwise the ride is relaxing and slow enough for all ages. read more

As cheesy as it is, the Calico Mine Train ride has always been a favorite. One of the first, (if not THE first), amusement park rides I ever encountered, so for that reason alone, it holds a special place in my psyche'. This time, we got to see both of my grandbabies go on it for the first time and they absolutely loved it!!! But, that said... New and improved? Really? I didn't notice much at all. Maybe, MAYBE, one or two animatronic upgrades AND near the end of the ride (when they are "blasting"), it's a bit cooler but other than that... It's the same ol' ride. So don't go on it expecting some kind of major upgrade cuz it just ain't happenin'!!! That said, the eyes on my grandaughter's faces throughout the ride was freakin' priceless and worth more than a million bucks AND the cheesiest ride in the world!!! read more

Calico Mine Ride - The entire fam bam in one car!!! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Buena Park, California

Date of visit: August 20, 2016 Another of the oldest attractions at Knott's Berry Farm - in fact, the park's first major ride - the Calico Mine Train is a bit more different than most dark rides at amusement parks I've been on. Here, it's depicting the lives of miners working the Calico Mine trying to strike it rich. During the eight-minute ride, you'll see the miners working the claim through different scenes, including underground lakes, waterfalls, and a beautifully lit cave full of stalagtites and stalagmites. Also, there's no scares in this dark ride; even the blasting room sequence near the end isn't that scary. The Calico Mine Train has been renovated; there's new animatronic figures and even a few animals interspersed throughout, and the "Heaven Room" (the brightly lit cave full of stalagmites and stalagtites) looks even more brighter... though the musical score still sounds a bit dated, despite the digital re-recording. A perfect ride for the kids and family, as well as those of you who want to take a break from the thrill rides. Oh, and try to get a seat behind the train's engineer - you get to see him operate the whistle, the bell, and the lights! read more

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Back in the day this was my favorite at Knott's. I'm glad it's still around and running. Yup still the same from back then with some upgrades. The car you sit in is still the same ole slippery bench when the train climbs up you start to slide down. This is not a thrill ride this is a mellow ride good for killing time or when you want to rest. I was happy to go on this after many years. I'll still go back on it again. read more

Calico Mine Ride - Amusement Parks Near Me - Buena Park, California

My brother and I were little boys the first time we climbed into the Calico Mine train ride with our dad. Ready to travel deep into the gold mine where miners from the 1880's were digging for gold. With a toot of a whistle and a clinging bell, the train chugs into a dark mine. Along the way we encounter waterfalls, caverns and rock formations. We even ride into an active blasting zone. The train picks up speed and gets out just before the blast. We got out of there just in the nick of time! The park's oldest attraction has been a family favorite since 1960. After millions of riders and years of deterioration, the ride is finally getting a well deserved renovation. Including 50 new animated characters, state of the art lighting system and new sound effects, while other classic effects have been restored. It will be exciting to ride the new 21st century Calico Mine train when it re-opens on June 14th this year. read more

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This is definitely not my one of my favorites, but it is good for killing a few minutes. The ride itself is a few calm minutes of sitting so if you need a quick break then this is the place. You get taken throughout the makeshift mine and there are multiple scenes depicted. Theres a voice narrating through a speaker so you know whats going on. The cart is open and has no seat belts. Its fine bc theres nothing happening where you'd need one. There is one part where you will go on a very slight incline, but the most that will happen is you'll feel like youre sliding down into the person next to you. Some parts are cooler than others. Otherwise a calm and (kinda sorta) boring attraction. read more

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Slow ride where everyone can go on! The baby. The kids. The teens. The parentals. AND THE GRANDPARENTS TOO! It's dark. It has a story to tell. An awesome train to ride in. Cool cave with colorful lighting... And miners that do not talk... They GRUNT! The miners inside this ride are as scary looking. They look like they might have been donated from the old Wax Museum that the artist messed up on. They were scary looking. What is the Glory Hole that people are Yelp-ing about? Well overall it's a nice ride. I wish the AC was blowing in here and it would be perfect chill ride. My family enjoyed and that's what matters. So we will come back and enjoy this ride... Everyone can go on it. Totally for all families to enjoy! read more

9-13 This was a favorite ride at Knotts Berry Farm I rode in ever since when I was young and I still love this ride. They have had some changes since the last time I was here and most of the stuff is cool. They have added a waterfall, and some pretend fish in the mine ride. The ride always have that awsesome crystals that are at the top with the music once you get at the top of the hill. Will keep on riding this ride. read more

Great ride especially for the little ones might be a little loud for them. Still fun for adults but it's nothing like a roller coaster just a fun run. read more

This is definitely a overdue Yelp review, two weeks ago on Monday my daughter and granddaughter and myself went to Knotts Berry farm and we're having a great day, but when we went on the calico ride being the childish person that I am, when it got dark in the beginning, I wanted to scare my daughter, but I had accidentally hit her glasses off of her face and at that moment she couldn't see a thing, so Needless to say the day was over, I went to customer service and they told me to make a report online, which I did, then I took my daughter and granddaughter home, which is a couple hours away, then I returned two Knotts and went over to the people running the ride, explained what had happened and they told me they would take care of it, we waited for the engineers to arrive at closing time, but the whole time the people who run the ride were keeping me in the loop and as soon as the ride was able to close and the engineers were able to get into the ride outcomes my bearded friend with daughters glasses, explaining to me that he also wore glasses and he knew what it would be like if he lost them. they went above and beyond, and I am so ever grateful, and they were so gracious towards me and they were great at their jobs and they provided great customer service. When I was leaving a guy came up to me and he had said he was in customer service that afternoon and heard my story and he wondered if they got the glasses, which I told him yes they did and then he told me that he lost his phone in one of the rides and they immediately had gotten it for him and got it to him so my hats off to Knott's Berry Farm. Now let's give these guys a raise read more

The Calico Mine Ride is the oldest major ride at Knott's Berry Farm. First opened in November 1960, the attraction was a major milestone for Walter and Cordelia Knott. It transformed the land from "interactive distraction while waiting in line for boysenberry pies and chicken dinners" to what Knott's Berry Farm would be considered today. Bud Hurlbut, considered one of the industry's experts in theme park design, came up with the idea of taking guests on a 7-minute tour inside a mine deep in the mountains. His use of animatronics predate use by any Disney theme park and Walt Disney was so inspired by concept of the ride's environment acting as a "hidden queue" (trompe-l'œil in ride design) that this has become the industry standard. It has been said that this ride served as inspiration for the Imagineers when coming up with "Big Thunder Mountain Railroad". Despite Knott's Berry Farm having more thrill rides in its park than say, Disneyland, it is first and foremost a family-friendly theme park. If I needed a break from riding GhostRider, this ride would be next on the list as I wouldn't have to leave Ghost Town. I remember the ride several times from my youth but this most recent experience was the first time I rode this ride since the 2014 major renovation. Not only did the old animatronics get a fresh coat of paint, the cave suddenly got more populated with characters and animals as new scenes were being built. Visual and audio effects have been improved (but still quite hard to catch considering the loud sounds of the train) so the Glory Hole really shows the miners at work and the Heaven Room can fully reveal all the rock formation within. As my last visit was on a YEE that had skip-the-line privileges as a perk I can't comment on the line waiting now but pre-renovation this ride also had its share of line-waiting, though not as long as Ghost Rider. Think of the Calico Mine Ride as a hybrid of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with a land version of Pirates of the Caribbean. This ride, along with GhostRider and possibly Timber Mountain Log Ride form the basis behind the Ghost Town portion of the park. I would consider this ride essential on a full-day tour of Knott's Berry Farm's attraction and I try to ride this whenever I visit the park. read more

Nice and slow ride. Wish it is easier to see everything as you have to turn your head and move your mode. Inside is nice inside and reminds me of Journey of the Center of the earth. Definitely a good way to kill time. I am not so sure about the operator, but he was quiet unless he did not talk. It is just an okay ride. read more

One of the last good rides here, they've upgraded it a bit at the end too. I think they should definitely keep it as it is right now and not change it too much more. All of my family likes going on it, seems like a good family friendly ride for most. read more

This ride isn't what we thought it was years ago. The kids are getting to big for it. It's just kinda meh now.

The mine ride is by far one of the best attractions at Knotts! A little history about the ride they built it because of Mrs. Knotts Chicken Dinner they would be getting sooo many people and reservations that the line to get food and be seated would be extremely long so they built Calico Mine Ride as a attraction for the waiting people and wow they would come out from everywhere just to get a view of the Glory Hole! Soon after they realized the success of Mrs. Knotts and Calico Mine Ride Knotts was born! The Calico Mine Ride is a mellow slow moving some what educational ride that takes you through the inside of what a old working mine would be. Recently they updated the ride giving it tons of new characters many of them now are animatronic and speak to you throughout the ride. The mine trains now now a few different pre recorded voices that are your guide for the ride. Wile I won't spoil the ride for you I will say that it's only gotten better they did a great job on this ride updating it in every section of the mine and making it just that much better. This is a must ride with every visit to Knotts so don't miss it and enjoy your trip to the world famous glory hole! read more

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I don't know why... but I really like these types of amusement park rides. It's a journey through a gold mine, I can't really say it's a history lesson, but maybe just a small look into the conditions and situations that gold miners worked in. We won't even mention the fact that as I've gotten older, my motion sickness has become awful. This ride is tame and fun. No Dramamine for this one! read more

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Line isn't too long and is slower and more laid back, so it's a nice break from the roller coasters. As another reviewer said, it's a nice tribute to the 1850s gold rush mining history here in California. You get to watch the miners sing, pan for gold, and balance precariously on a ladder with their dogs helping out in impressively large and even colorful rooms. Worth checking out. read more

A nice, relaxing ride to ride if you need to get away from the heat. It reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland, but with creepy miner animatronics. read more

I have it five star because this is my sons favorite must-go spot of Knotts. Every time we go to Knotts berry farm, we go to this ride straight and my son won't try anything else until he ride at least five times ( we go Knotts once a week). I will say I probably ride 200 times of this train already, maybe even more... it's very fun and you get to see lots of things inside. There is an explosion at the end of the ride. For those who sit at the second car on the right side. That is the most loud spot since the explosion is right behind you. So be prepare. :) read more

An old time classic that is best for us that have been going to Knott's for 40 year and have fond memories of this ride from when we were kids. This ride is dated and well below the current caliber of modern amusement parks rides. If this is your 1st visit to knott's save this ride for the end or when you are tired. It is not a big deal if you miss this one. read more

One of my favorite rides. It is slow , no drops, no dips, no frills... But it's very relaxing and lots if fun things to look at. It's a nice break to rest your feet and cool off while looking at stalagmites. read more

I consider this ride the "It's A Small World" of Knott's. It's not fast, but it's still enjoyable for what it is and it's a good cool down ride for when you just want to relax and maybe beat the heat for a bit. It's also good for kids as it gives them plenty to look around at while on the train. read more

I went here with Debra R and Jose R. It is a classic train ride that talks about mining. This ride was kind of fun.