Fairplay
Fairplay sits in the wide, high basin of South Park, a no-nonsense mining town on Highway 9 whose pride is South Park City: 44 authentic buildings and some 60,000 artifacts that recreate a Colorado boom town between 1860 and 1900.
Fairplay, Colorado: South Park City Museum
Gold was found in South Park in 1859, and camps with names like Tarryall, Leavick, Eureka and Buckskin Joe sprang up almost overnight. Fairplay itself was organized soon after and became the Park County seat; the stone courthouse and jail on Main Street date to 1874. The town’s name, according to the historical marker beside that courthouse, reflected miners’ determination that everyone get a “fair play” in the gold fields. Today Highway 9 still runs through a compact downtown of false-front buildings, the green Fairplay Hotel at 500 Main Street and the log Hand Hotel.
The must-see is South Park City Museum at 100 Fourth Street, run by the South Park Historical Foundation. Seven of its 44 buildings stand on their original sites; the rest were moved from abandoned camps around the park and furnished as a drugstore, saloon, schoolhouse, bank, chapel, mill and more. The Bank of Alma, Dyer Memorial Chapel, Garo Schoolhouse and a working-looking mining mill give the place the feel of a complete street rather than a single museum gallery. Nearby, Leadville sits over Mosquito Pass, Buena Vista and Twin Lakes lie south along the Arkansas, and Eleven Mile State Park is an easy water-and-wildlife side trip.
Insider tip: South Park City is seasonal—open May 15 through October 15 only. Peak hours (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day) have visitor-center ticket sales from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; shoulder-season hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $12 for ages 13 and up, $6 for ages 6–12 and free for kids under 6. The museum is closed from mid-October through mid-May, but Fairplay’s Main Street, courthouse and high basin views are there year-round. No food, drinks, smoking or vaping are allowed inside the museum.
Photo Gallery
Photo credits: South Park City – panoramio by Thomson M (CC BY 3.0); South Park City – panoramio (1) by Thomson M (CC BY 3.0); Fairplay 1480 by Chris Light (CC BY-SA 4.0); Morgue and Carpenter Shop by Wusel007 (CC BY-SA 3.0); BANK OF ALMA, SOUTH PARK MUSEUM, FAIRPLAY, COLORADO by JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD (CC BY-SA 3.0); Burro Room and Transportation Shed by Wusel007 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Historic Park County Courthouse in Fairplay, Colorado by ForgottenColorado (CC BY-SA 4.0); Fairplay Hotel by Jeffrey Beall (CC BY-SA 3.0); Hand Hotel – panoramio by Jacob Montgomery (CC BY-SA 3.0). Images via Wikimedia Commons.
News & Events
South Park City Museum closed for the 2026 season after October 15 and is scheduled to reopen May 15, 2027. When it is open, tickets are sold at the visitor center (peak season 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; shoulder season 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.), and the gift store stays open an hour and a half later. Check southparkcity.org before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Fairplay, Colorado?
Fairplay is the Park County seat in the high basin of South Park, on Colorado Highway 9 about 23 miles south of Breckenridge and roughly 85 miles southwest of Denver via U.S. 285.
What is South Park City?
South Park City is an outdoor museum in Fairplay with 44 authentic 1860–1900 buildings and more than 60,000 artifacts. It recreates a Colorado mining town; seven buildings are on their original sites and the others were moved from nearby ghost towns.
When is South Park City Museum open?
The museum is open each year from May 15 to October 15. Peak hours (Friday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day) are 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. for ticket sales; May 15 through the Thursday before Memorial Day, and the day after Labor Day through October 15, ticket hours are 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
How much does South Park City cost?
Adults 13 and older are $12, children ages 6–12 are $6, and children under 6 are free. Prices are listed on southparkcity.org and can change.
What is nearby Fairplay?
Leadville is over the Mosquito Range to the west, Buena Vista and St. Elmo Ghost Town are south in the Arkansas Valley, and Eleven Mile State Park offers fishing and camping on the South Platte.
Visit South Park City Museum at 100 Fourth St., Fairplay, CO 80440. Call (719) 836-2387, email southparkhistorical@gmail.com or see southparkcity.org. The town itself is along Highway 9 year-round.