South Park City contains over 40
authentic buildings filled with over 60,000 artifacts of frontier Boomtown
life.
The year was 1859. Gold was discovered in South
Park and the rush was on! Hordes of gold-seekers spilled into the Park, and
within a few short months the mountains were dotted with mining camps spor
ting names like Tarryall, Leavick, Eureka and Buckskin Joe. These camps gre
w to become boom towns, thriving communities on the edge of the frontier. G
radually the mining dried up and the people moved on, leaving their towns a
nd camps to the elements, until all that remained were decaying ghost towns
.
South Park City is a remarkable restoration of th
ese early towns, preserving the history of our nation's frontier while it e
ducates and entertains the present. Located in Fairplay, Colorado, the muse
um is an accurate representation of a mining town between 1860 and 1900. Fo
rty-four authentic buildings filled with over 60,000 artifacts portray most
of the economic and social aspects of boomtown life. Seven of the building
s are on their original sites; the others have been moved from abandoned ca
mps and ghost towns in South Park, a 900 square mile basin surrounded by Co
lorado's majestic Rocky Mountains. The restored buildings contain period ro
om settings and exhibits illustrating the professions, trades and industrie
s that contributed to life in a nineteenth century Colorado mining town.
To give you just a taste of what you can s
ee and do in South Park City, take the short online South Park City Museum
Tour. Before planning to visit South Park City, be sure to look over the Mu
seum Info page to learn about our location, museum season and hours and adm
ission costs. For history buffs who want to learn even more, our website ha
s much to offer. Besides coming to visit our museum, browse the A Town Is B
orn page to learn a little more about the history of South Park City and th
e surrounding area. We also have a selection of informative history books &
amp; videos. Finally, enjoy the benefits of becoming a South Park City Muse
um Member, and help us preserve the past and educate the present at the sam
e time.
South Park City is open
daily to the public May 15 to October 15
