The town soon supported three hotels, five general stores, a meat market, bars, brothels, and three restaurants and boarding houses.

[11][12] The discovery of the borate mineral colemanite in the Calico mountains a few years after the settlement of the town also helped Calico's fortunes, and in 1890 the estimated population of the town was 3,500, with nationals of China, England, Ireland, Greece, France, and the Netherlands, as well as Americans living there.

In 1951, Walter Knott purchased the town of Calico from the Zenda Mining Company and put Paul von Klieben in charge of restoring it to its original condition, referencing old photographs.

[18]: 102–104 [19][20][21] Using the old photos, and Walter's memory and that of some old-timers who still lived in the area, von Klieben was able to not only restore existing structures, but also design and replace missing buildings.

[18]: 106–108  Knott installed a longtime employee named Freddy "Calico Fred" Noller as resident caretaker and official greeter.

[4]: 52–53 Calico has been restored to the look of the silver rush era when it flourished, although many original buildings were removed and replaced instead with gingerbread architecture and false façades that tourists would expect to see in a Western-themed town.

[4]: 53  Most of the restored and newly built buildings are made of wood with a simple, rustic architecture and a severely weathered appearance.

[4]: 53  The one-time homes of the town's Chinese citizens exist as ruins only; only a portion of one rock wall remains of the former "family" residential area on a nearby bluff.

[24] Today, the park operates mine tours, gunfight stunt shows, gold panning, several restaurants, the historic[clarification needed] 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge Calico & Odessa Railroad, a Mystery Shack, and a number of trinket stores.