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Calico Railroad

3.9 (27 reviews)
Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

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Candace D.

Fun for kids scary for ME! A bunch of bank robbers who were looking for our valuables ...eeek! Other than that it was a great view through the park and climate inside was perfect!

This logo is on the side of the locomotive.
Tony G.

This gem of a railroad goes around Knott's Berry Farm and is an actual working steam locomotive that has been in the park since it opened in 1952. Before that, it was in operation on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad and Rio Grande Southern Railroad. I really like this as I use it as my "rest ride". This train pulls 5 cars all together. My favorite is the second to last car, which is the open car so I have a view of everything. What I love about this car in particular is that I am in full view of the "train robbers" that pop out of the caboose as we are somewhere near Prop Shop Pizza. They come out yelling funny things such as "all right! Hand it over! We take gold bars, silver bars, candy bars! Whatcha got?" I tell them that I am married and am also a teacher and they immediately respond with "oh wow. Here, take this money bag. You need it more than I do!" They are comedy gold! Their interactions with the forward cars are hilarious and they also take time out with silly conversations with kids as well. I love this historical piece and believe it or not, I live in Cypress and can hear the train whistle from my house!

Calico Railroad Safety Guide
Linh Y.

My friend and I were at Knott's this past Sunday. She loves extreme rides. I'm a baby in a grown up body so I go for the tamer and more gentler rides LOL. Calico Railroad is a train that goes around the park. It's about a 15 mins ride which isn't too bad. They even provide some cowboy talk entertainment during the ride LOL. I sat near the window and my friend sat on the opposite side of me also near the window. I liked the breeze that came through the window. This ride gave me 15 mins of my life to reflect on my life LOL. Nice calm train ride! Enjoy!

Ghost Town Station
Rachel Macie H.

Nothing beats a trip down the old Calico Railway for the circle tour of Knott's by train! The engine and train cars themselves are the original ones that would travel around Colorado's Rio Grande Southern Railroad and Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad back in the day to get fine folks where they needed to go. The Calico Railway is always a great way to relax after many hours on the farm grounds as there is an abundance of seating on the train some inside and some outside. When your sitting outside you get a cool little breeze if it's not too hot of a day so it definitely helps you to stay cool! On slower days the park runs the Galloping Goose which was used many many years ago as a quick transport for miners who were looking for a quick way to get back to the mine. More or less a workhorse to get them from the camp to the mine or in this case a workgoose! Hahaha When you step on to the Calico Railroad your in for a history treat as the trains themselves are full of it! Also don't forget your in the old west and bandits might just jump out and rob you at any given moment so hide your valuables or risk loosing them to the thieves! See you around the farm!

Train car selfie!
Steve F.

Date of visit: August 20, 2016 Since we hadn't been onboard the Calico Railroad before, we decided to hop on the train and see where it takes us. It's one of the original rides from Knott's Berry Farm still in operation since the '50s (January 12, 1952, to be precise) and is an authentic Denver and Rio Grande Narrow Gauge train used from the early 20th century. It looks cool, it's got that sense of history... but there's only one station with no stops, and most of the scenery during the tour is of the backstage area of the park - meaning you won't see much of notice. The one thing I will like about this ride are the two train robbers that make their way forward through the cars. They have a great sense of improv - for example, when they saw a kid with a stuffed Charmander, they had to ask him, "So, you brought a fire Pokemon onto a steam engine with a wooden track?" When they saw another little guy who was celebrating his birthday, they asked him the following: - Train robber: "Did you get any birthday money?" - *kid shakes head no* - Train robber: "You want to go make some?" *offers his gun to the kid, much to the laughter of the riders* Overall, if you want to rest your feet for a while and you haven't been to Knott's, hop on the Calico Railroad - otherwise, if you're a park veteran, mosey along...

Craig Y.

I remember this train ride back when I was little but I was a bit disappointed this time I remembered back in the day they had bad Cowboys come on and hold up the train you know a little show on that he train but that didn't happen I wonder if they changed that.

Sheila J.

This is dumb, da, dumb, dumb, dumb. What a waste, in my opinion. Sorry, not sorry. The train looks so cool, too! There are various cars to sit in; some covered and some not. The steam is neat to watch, the whistle fun to hear, and the deep noises of the engine are hypnotic. Ok, it's kinda funny and cool that train robbers mess with you, but that's it! The tour around is so quick and not as aesthetically pleasing as one would hope. Can we revamp this a little, Knott's? How about stopping it altogether and using the train to house a wine bar, or something? Probably not. Okay, go ahead and do this ride once in your life, but if you board it a second time, I'm clueless as to why you'd even consider that. There are even better places to sit in the shade, elsewhere in the park. SMH.

Calico Railroad.
tanya s.

I always love live steam locomotives since childhood. It my childhood enthusiasm for 30 plus years and as adult ,I still love steam locomotives that I make a point that I ride Calico Railroad every time I visit Knott's Bery Farm.

in the caboose

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20 days ago

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1 year ago

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5 years ago

Fun little train ride, it was over before long it's an real train narrow gage. It's a blast from the past.

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10 years ago

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7 years ago

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11 years ago

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11 years ago

Great for kids and a nice train ride around the park if you are in need of a break. Watch out for the train robbers (note: not real ones)!

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8 years ago

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12 years ago

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12 years ago

This one is pretty simple all is does is take you around the park. And at the end cowboys rob you so that's pretty interesting

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Review Highlights - Calico Railroad

Before that, it was in operation on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad and Rio Grande Southern Railroad.

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Calico Mine Ride

Calico Mine Ride

4.2
(50 reviews)
0.0 mi

Background On Calico Mine Ride: Opened in 1960, the Calico Mine Ride was the first major,…read morelarge-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.

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

Photos
Glowing cave in calico mine ride
Glowing cave in calico mine ride
Stalagmites & Stalactites
Stalagmites & Stalactites
Inside

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Inside
Golf n' Stuff

Golf n' Stuff

4.0
(840 reviews)
8.3 mi

First time visitor Open parking lot however appears fees on…read morethe weekend but goes towards purchase of activities? Miniature golf 4 courses 16 holes? Water Bumper cars Go kart 2 to 3 rides rollercoaster Arcades Specials with unlimited play Small snacks and drinks Service was friendly and simple Family friendly, date night, friends outing Clean and well taken of space Everything appeared to operating Fun upbeat environment Would return back

Gold n' Stuff is a great place for kids and teens. Some adults like to play miniature golf, but we…read morehave only seen them on rides with their kids. The place has been around quite some time and kids do tend to make a mess, but they keep up after it. Parking is for a fee, but sometimes you get a game card that comes with the parking. It can get crowded in the summer and on weekends. We go on week days and have been several times. Now, the prices in here add up fast so be mindful of that, but it is the same as other similar places. Miniature golf is about 16$, a go kart is about 12$, the arcade can really add up so get a card that you can use for the wide variety of games they have. The bumper boats and Disk Thrill Ride are about 12$ per person. We love their little train and that is about 5$. You can get a two hour wrist band and we do that and save a lot that way. All in all the prices are fair. The service there is nice and the place has a lot to offer, you don't have to do it all. There is a lot to do. They also have Birthday Parties there and that is great. It is super fun.

Photos
Arcade & Main Lobby
Arcade & Main Lobby
Front entrance of Golf N' Stuff's Party Room, lit up and ready for fun.
Front entrance of Golf N' Stuff's Party Room, lit up and ready for fun.
Golf n' Stuff

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Knott's Soak City

Knott's Soak City

3.1
(554 reviews)
0.4 mi

the park is good, its spacious and has a good amount of rides, while a lot of the rides are boring,…read morethe park does give me some time to have break with those less intense rides, as a thrill seeker, I wouldn't go here all the time, places like Hurricane Harbor is more fun. Also the wave pool and the lazy river, It's literally like sand paper, every time I go to the wave pool and sometimes the lazy river my feet get cut, and sometimes my knees in the wave pool. Other than that, its a good park, it's more meant for families, that thrill seekers.

This is our second summer visiting soak city, and we had just as much fun this time as we did last…read moretime! This park is big and spacious. It provides different zones and activities for different age groups. If you go on a busy day, it can be hard to find seating. I like to get there right when it opens so that I can reserve a seat for the day. To reserve your seats put your towel towels there. Be careful with leaving anything valuable though. One main issue I have about the park is that there aren't a lot of options for food. On a busy day you can wait for 30 minutes to an hour just to get your meal. I'm not really sure what they could do about that as there's not space to make another restaurant. But just keep that in mind. If you have the all park, dining plan, you can use that here too. When parking, park in the lot that is across the street from Knotts Berry Farm.

Photos
Red, white and boom icee flavor is the best!
Red, white and boom icee flavor is the best!
Fun House Water Play Area: Water cannons, giant buckets & kid-approved Fun House is where smiles get bigger and everyone walks away soaked.
Fun House Water Play Area: Water cannons, giant buckets & kid-approved Fun House is where smiles get bigger and everyone walks away soaked.
Soak city entrance: Where summer officially begins! From lazy rivers 2 heart-pounding slides, Soak City is your splash zone 2 fun.

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Soak city entrance: Where summer officially begins! From lazy rivers 2 heart-pounding slides, Soak City is your splash zone 2 fun.
Great Wolf Lodge

Great Wolf Lodge

3.4
(3.4k reviews)
6.6 mi

Okay, this is the most interesting review for me yet because I am a once 1 star reviewer to a now 4…read moreof this spot! Previously, I had attended during an unfortunate time when the kiddy pool was being closed down to be shocked multiple times. Back to back. Incidents that shut the pool down for hours at a time and then caused my health to also be affected thereafter.... I came back for this visit since my kids' Cub Scout group was celebrating their year end achievements and it was a great opportunity to join our community and give it another shot for the kids. They also were older and not on the baby pool. Well, I'm so glad I did. Despite the renovations going on, things seemed more organized and clean. The check- in process was much more streamlined and efficient and our rooms were ready and clean (no carpets!! Yay clean room!) with a view that wasn't great since the climbing area was literally right outside, but the kids loved it! Everyone still gets their free wolf ears too. The restaurant breakfast buffet had staff around to mind all the little and big hands reaching for food and we had a "breakfast taco bar" the family really enjoyed. The pool is full of flavors for all age levels and adventurers but a treat for me was seeing the outside pool area- there were loungers in the water, shaded regular seats, cabanas and no echos. It was like a resort! Inside is louder and humid while outside is full sun but open. Something for everyone. Lots of fun free and paid activities so be sure to check the schedule. We took part in story time (free) and yoga (free). I also appreciated the midweek crowd level even for a summer. I recommend you give it a try to see if it's a fit for your family! Okay thanks bye

Dear Great Wolf Lodge,…read more Sending links that expire in 48 hours is bad enough. Charging those same loyal customers $35 EVERY visit just to park their car is even worse. A season pass should reward loyalty, not nickel-and-dime the people who already paid to support your business. Families deserve better. Management does not care and has no ability no desire to help

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Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge
Great Wolf Lodge

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Calico Railroad - amusementparks - Updated June 2026

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