Inside the American ghost town with population ZERO - where tourists flock to snap selfies with iconic sign - as one lonely man fights to save its legacy after inheriting it from his father

This ghost town in the middle of the Mojave Desert has more famous signs than it does people - but it's owner is scrambling to do everything he can to bring the area back to its former glory.

Kyle Okura, 31, inherited all the businesses and assets inside Amboy, California - which has an official population of zero - from his late father last year, the Los Angeles Times reported. The town is right along the famous Route 66, and tourists love to take pictures with the iconic Route 66 emblem that's painted into the paved road.

Additionally, a 50-foot neon sign for Roy's Motel & Café, the only operational business in Amboy, has become the centerpiece for the town's revitalization efforts.

'It's in the middle of nowhere in the desert, but you see a multitude of different types of people in Amboy,' said Okura, who owns Roy's. 'That's what's so amazing. You hear stories from all different parts of the world.'

(Roy's was originally opened by Roy Crowl to serve as a rest stop for motorists traveling on what used to be the primary east-west highway in the US, Route 66)

This area has long been a stop for travelers, starting when it was established in 1858 as a mining camp. The grounds gradually grew into an actual town with a Atlantic and Pacific Railroad station that was named Amboy.

Nowadays, Amboy is dotted with empty houses and buildings, a shuttered post office, a church with no congregants and a school with no students.

The last remaining sign of life in the town is Roy's, which has cold drinks, snacks and souvenirs. Outside the storefront sit three mechanical pumps that require an attendant to dispense the gasoline, priced at $6.49 a gallon for regular in recent times.

But Roy's is much more than a gas station for some.

(Assistant Manager Nicole Rachel unlocks the small historic church for tourists)

(Pictured: Amboy's old school, now boarded up and abandoned)

(A dog wanders a deserted parking lot near Roy's gas station on May 24, 2024)

(Okura takes a selfie with girlfriend Crysta Bree out in front of Roy's as the sun sets)

(French tourists take a group selfie on National Trails Highway (Route 66) in front of the Roy's sign on May 24, 2024)

(Assistant manager Nicole Rachel works behind the counter at Roy's as tourists stop in for snacks on May 24, 2024)

Ref: Inside the American ghost town with population ZERO - where tourists flock to snap selfies with iconic sign - as one lonely man fights to save its legacy after inheriting it from his father (dailymail)

Photo Credit: dailymail