The year was 1859. Gold was discovered in South Park, a 900 square mile basin surrounded by Colorado's majestic Rocky Mountains. The gold rush was on! Hordes of gold-seekers spilled into the Park. The mountains were dotted with mining camps sporting names like Tarryall, Leavick, Eureka, and Buckskin Joe within a few short months. These camps grew to become thriving communities on the edge of the frontier. Gradually the mining dried up, and the people moved on, leaving their towns and camps to the elements until all that remained were decaying ghost towns.

South Park City is a remarkable representation of these early towns, preserving the history of our Nation's frontier while it educates and entertains the present. Located in Fairplay, Colorado, the museum accurately represents a mining town between 1860 and 1900. Forty-four authentic buildings are filled with over 60,000 artifacts. They portray most of the economic and social aspects of boom town life. Seven of the buildings are on their original sites. The other buildings were moved from abandoned camps and ghost towns in the South Park area. They contain period room settings and exhibits that illustrate the professions, trades, and industries that contributed to life in a 19th century Colorado mining town.