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 sporting names like Tarryall, Leavick, Eureka and Buckskin Joe. These camps grew to become boom towns, 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 restoration 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 is an accurate representation of a mining town between 1860 and 1900. Thirty-four authentic buildings filled with over 60,000 artifacts portray most of the economic and social aspects of boomtown life. Seven of the buildings are on their original sites; the others have been moved from abandoned camps and ghost towns in South Park, a 900 square mile basin surrounded by Colorado's majestic Rocky Mountains. The restored buildings contain period room settings and exhibits illustrating the professions, trades and industries that contributed to life in a nineteenth century Colorado mining town.

To give you just a taste of what you can see 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 Museum Info page to learn about our location, museum season and hours and admission costs. For history buffs who want to learn even more, our website has much to offer. Besides coming to visit our museum, browse the A Town Is Born page to learn a little more about the history of South Park City and the surrounding area. We also have a selection of informative history books & videos. Finally, enjoy the benefits of becoming a South Park City Museum Member, and help us preserve the past and educate the present at the same time.

Help Restore the Summer Brewery
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