A Living Ghost Town We took another detour to check out this historic mining district. We thought it was a ghost town but there are actual residents living and working the businesses along Butte Avenue (which is like their Main Street). Randsburg was once a mining town with a rich history. It is located between SoCal and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. We parked right outside the General Store, which is the town's claim to fame. Unfortunately, we were told by its next door neighbor, the Rock and Crystal shop, that it closed its doors in early January this year. Bummer! I spent some time at this crystal shop, I got to know the gentle and sweet owner as we chatted a little bit, I purchased some items. We walked over to the infamous "Joint" and ordered cheeseburgers and a couple of sodas. Inside has a huge bar, a couple of pool tables, music, TV, and good ole Cali ghost town hospitality. We sat outside at their outdoor patio... they seemed surprised to see a couple of Asians walk in LoL! Randsburg is a cool place to visit. A genuine Old West gold mining town with all the original buildings still in tact and some of them still in use. Check out the genuine storefronts... these aren't fake. We also stopped at the City Jail. There are two cells inside with mannequin props. The cell on the left is a Dancehall gal standing next to a poem telling one of her stories. The one on the right houses a miner who just had a little too much to drink. The museum was closed. Review #2994 read more

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Beautiful historic town.... So much history and quite a lot to look at in the beautiful desert.

I have been wanting to go for years and we finally made a detour today a drive an extra hour to go. I was beyond disappointed that nothing was open. Yes it was Sunday but it was noon and even signs on the doors said 11-4. Only saw one small family I believe lived there and they were friendly but busy. Nobody else around. General Store apparently is permanently closed along with some Others. Wish I knew ahead of time. I love ghost towns but not worth the stop. We had planned on lunch at the Joint. Not open. Oh well. read more

Randsburgh is a living ghost town and is a fascinating destination for history buffs and adventure seekers alike. Located in the Mojave Desert of California, this deserted town offers a glimpse into the past and the remnants of a once-thriving mining community. The eerie atmosphere and dilapidated buildings transport you back in time, making it a perfect spot for photography enthusiasts. They have a few shops and restaurants open if you get hungry but just be aware that they get packed. Offroaders and bikers gather here often. read more

I've passed through Randsburg a few times but the cheesy wares in their shops never made me linger. Yesterday was Old West Day in Randsburg and it was a great opportunity to take another look. The blocked off main street was lined with old cars, vendors selling tzotchkes, and food booths. There were some families but I noticed a surprisingly large number of drunk, tattooed biker chicks. (Hey, I'm not judging. I'm just reporting what I saw. Maybe they rented a bus and came here as a group activity.) During all of this, a good bluegrass band was playing on the street for a satisfied crowd. It was a beautiful day and I spent time walking the quiet side streets. That was the best part of my visit and definitely worth it. It's a nice town that clearly wants more tourists. Some good small hotels and B&Bs would help. I just hope they don't open a fudge shop. That's the sign that a tourist town has sold-out and crossed the line. read more

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I was excited to see this ghost town on my way into Kernville. However, they are not open on weekdays. It is a slight stretch of Butte Street.. that is called the "ghost town." I am not sure that I would waste my time coming back. Everything that is supposedly a ghosted building is now converted to some sort of store. read more

It's not really a ghost town...it was crazy busy! It felt like a biker convention was going on. Not a lot of mask wearing, so we didn't stay long. I look forward to visiting when it isn't during a pandemic since now I know it's gonna be busy. read more

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Best little hidden gem in the desert. I've been stopping by here for years for a quick work break. There's a public restroom that's always clean. There is usually a couple of restraints that are open a few days a week most of the year. The museum is open some holidays and weekends. There's a couple of air B&B's we stayed at. It's just a nice quiet little town you can relax and listen to the wind in. read more

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Randsburg is a small town in the desert. Many off road vehicles can be found in the area. It's a nice place to visit during a day trip. It's known as a living ghost town that was once a mining area. Our 1st visit we walked the town which isn't that big and had lunch at the local restaurant. Avoid visiting during the summer months because it gets extremely hot during the day. read more

This was a Harvest Host visit for my husband and I in a 32 foot Motorhome, pulling a Jeep. Loved the little town of Randsburg and our Harvest Hosts, Gary and Linda couldn't have been nicer. It is a very long drive to get here, up steep hills. Once we arrived we settled into our campsite (no hook ups, dirt, not level) and walked the town. It was an amazing town. They had just had some kindof celebration over the weekend which was very busy. We pulled in on a Monday, everything was closed and it really felt like a Ghost Town! We met a few locals on our walk and they shared how businesses were closing (like the General Store-disappointed in this as the website shows a really authentic old western General Store) Not sure we would visit again as it is so remote, and many business are closing. It really was an excellent experience however. read more

It seems like this is the place to be if you're into motocross and off-roading. Dirtbikes and quads completely filled a lot by one of the bars. Riders clad in insanely bright, neon-colored riding gear could be found in every shop and watering hole in this town-you-can-walk-from-one-end-to-the-other-in-under-5-minutes. All around you see bumper sticker affixed to various vehicles and business windows reading "Where the hell is Randsburg?" Randsburg is small, and some might politely call it "rustic." In its own way, it's charming. There are several antique shops along the lone main street. The lamps outside the bar are bulbs encased in Mason jars. Outhouses are bedecked with kitschy, painted signs like "Her'n" and "Hiz'n" or "We Got Our Bailout." One privy has a TV antenna. One of the garages has a school bus with a Volkswagon bus welded on top with a sundeck and flower boxes hanging off the side. They've even got a little museum full of neat, little artifacts and an outdoor area full of old, mining machinery running on donations. Randsburg is well worth checking out on your way somewhere else, which is probably not near as laid back as this little "living ghost town." read more

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I wouldn't call this an "authentic" ghost town (there's businesses here, people living, running water and electricity) but it is close as you can get to being in one. Randsburg is right off of 395, right before Red Mountain. It's not far off the highway, and the access roads are all paved and maintained. The town caters to tourists and off-roaders. Most of the stores on Butte are all in original buildings, which is great. Some of them are refurbished and made up to look old. Some buildings are the real deal. Looking through the town you can see that a lot of the homes and storefronts are from the old mining days. It was a blast to walk through, and since it was not a weekend- basically the entire town was closed. Hardly anyone on the streets. We saw two people. There is an ATM in town, cafes, a bar, an art gallery, antique shops, lodging, etc. We took a walk to the old Butte Mining Camp (posted, but oh well). That was a really cool place to check out, so if you are there- do it. Randsburg was fun, but it's no more of a ghost town than Darwin, Keeler, Red Mountain, etc. People live here... but it is old and original... and beautiful. Check it out. While you are at it, a real ghost town called Garlock is about 15 minutes South. Go even farther and check out the abandon Boron Prison Camp. read more

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Perfect Road Trip / Day Trip Destination if you live in Los Angeles. lots of great spots to take pictures and a few really friendly people that are Kind Hearted even if you are not spending money in their shops. Lots of the signs posted in the shops have creative and funny comments Like a sign at one of the antique shops that says "Hopen for Business". One shop had a sign that said "Closed pretty much all day everyday accept for when we are open" read more

Randsburg - Ghost Town - View of the surrounding hills from main street - Local Flavor Near Me

Only a few hours outside of LA, a must see if you like exploring and checking out old relics in ghost towns/old mining towns. Yes, you may get the distinct feeling of the hills have eyes and be watching your back upon entering Randsburg the first time, but you will soon discover a little ghost town steeped with character and meet some very interesting people while there. Be sure to bring a camera...there are a ton of things to take pictures of. And don't leave without giving the existing shops some business. There is a museum, general store and neat antique stores to spend money at. read more

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Pretty Cool Place, Certainly Way Different From What I'm Used To. This Place Is Around 2 Hours Away From Me But The Drive Felt Like An Eternity Since Our Car AC Broke On The Way, The Desert Heat Is Pretty Brutal So If You Go On A Hot Day Make Sure Your AC Works And Bring A Lot Of Water! We Walked Around A Bit, It Looked Pretty Awesome But We Did Not Go Into Any Stores Unfortunately, We Will Next Time! When You're Here A Lot Of The Buildings Make You Feel As If You Are In An Old Wild West Movie Or Something Lol. To See My Cool Adventure At This Ghost Town Watch My YouTube Video, It Is Called: Roadtrip To A Ghost Town! Randsburg Living Ghost Town (Johannesburg California Mining Town) read more

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Way the hell out here but worth the drive. Cool place to check out. We stopped in and had an ice cream in the heat. Nearby there are old mines, a cool church, a few old looking businesses. This is living off the grid with country western off road flair. * I know we are near china lake when I see several hummers with us gov. Plates pulling out of a nondesript building. Shhhhh.....secret...special ops. The town now has a custom hot rod builder now. read more

Randsburg - Ghost Town - Local Flavor Near Me

This was my first time in a ghost town(living ghost town). So I have nothing to compare it to. It definitely felt like a ghost town. Most shops were closed. Hardly a soul in site. There was one souvenir shop with lots of interesting things to buy. They had polished rocks, crystals, antiques, petrified wood, and lots of cute gifts. The people in the store were very friendly and helpful. I will definitely return one day. You can literally walk in the middle of the street there with your eyes closed because there is almost no traffic there. It's like looking back in time there when you see those old buildings, old mining equipment, and artifacts. Can't wait to return again. read more

It's eery enough that I want to return and with the Goat Sky Rentals renting a cottage or staying at the inn makes it easy and reasonable. We came here for New Years staying with friends who own a cabin here. It's a ghost town with so much history and tons of mines here. It's interesting to roam the small town and explore abandoned homes. There are some restaurants here and a bar and a museum which exhibits historic prospectors and locals. It's perfect for the artist to retreat!! It is pretty cold so bring the right clothing. I rocked sorrels and a marmot jacket which helped... If you like to do that off roading thing then this is for you.. They have a ton of people coming out just for that. If you want to escape into the desert then this is for you.. Yes, i hear it's really haunted though I was not brass enough to walk out past 2am to find out. read more

Love the place - fun to just wander around and see the sites - Lots of back roads and things to find. Been going here on and off for about 24 years. read more

One of my favorite stops when I'm traveling HWY 395! Very quaint town which is off-roader friendly (so that's a huge plus in my book!) But also has plenty of things to do and see for non-offroaders as well. Definitely worth a quick stop on a long drive! read more

This is probably one of the spookiest places I've ever been to, and I have been around to a LOT of "haunted" places. Try taking a lone walk around town at about 2 am and see how far you get! read more

This place is really fun! Don't miss all the old train tracks and abandoned shacks. There are some weird antique shops and shiesty bars and restaurants worth checking out. There is also an old jail. read more

Randsburg isn't a place you end up by accident--we missed inconspicuous turnoffs on Redrock Randsburg Rd twice. It's a quirky, worthwhile destination that's great for photography. Having done it once, though, I might be able to cross it off my list. As Christine said, the defunct mining town (aka living ghost town) is actually bustling, revivified as a hub for off-roaders. This form of recreation was completely off my radar, so it was interesting to see who does it--I saw mostly ruddied families wearing plastic gladiator gear. There was a sign in the OHV parking lot warning people not to take endangered desert tortoises as pets (you can adopt already captive ones)! We ordered burgers to go at the general store and ate them at the little town park next to the museum. This was really convenient, with public bathrooms and lots of shaded picnic tables. We ran into a lot of other people with dogs walking down the main street (Butte Ave). I found the town gorgeous and curious. I wasn't poking my head in everywhere with my dog, but at times I couldn't tell which businesses were open or closed, which houses were lived in and which were abandoned. There were shiny new cars and No Trespassing signs. I felt nosy. But I loved the vignettes people had created--broken sink basins as a garden border, bottle trees, historical fliers and quotes pasted up in windows--and the antiques and mining equipment on display. It's definite eye candy; amazing how well-preserved things can be in the desert. read more

We had a great visit to this very unique old mining town in Kern County. Randsburg is a true step back into history with many structures and mining tools are on display to see and understand the gold mining that put this town on the map decades ago. Make sure and have a lime phosphate during your visit. Very nice people, a lot of great photos on our corvette road trip from Orange County. Craig T read more

Went there for the first time last weekend. It was a cute little town. Everyone there seemed super relaxed and friendly. I was a little disappointed that the only saloon in town closed so early. Didn't see too many food places there either. I would go back for sure. Hopefully they keep the saloon open past 4pm. read more

What a wonderful little almost-ghost town, steeped in California history. Don't miss the General Store, The Joint, antique and gift shops. Really special people who love the area. Last population count-69! read more