Fairview Museum of History and Art

Sometimes, when you’re housesitting (affiliate link, btw) down in the middle-of-not-much Utah, you end up at a place like the Fairview Museum of History and Art. I’m all for random museums, and they don’t come much more random than this one!

I have the distinct impression that anything and everything that the folks in this area think is worth saving, goes into these two buildings. You’ll see everything from a full-sized wooly mammoth skeleton and world-class sculpture to native rocks and local art. It’s regional history, natural history, and an art museum all rolled into one. Let’s take a look around.

The Heritage Building

There are two main buildings that make up the Fairview Museum. The first we’ll talk about is the Heritage Building. Housed in the old schoolhouse, it’s architecturally interesting in itself. And each of the eight school rooms – plus every hallway, nook, and corner – is filled with artifacts from Fairview’s pioneer history.

There are photographs, clothes, furniture, kitchen appliances, old medical devices, a whole wall of phones, a closet set up like a bedroom. In one large wall nook is a whole dang “surry with the fringe on the top” complete with dusty mannequins. A space below it holds a pastoral scene with a waterfall. (Sometimes it’s even turned on.) Many of these artifacts were carted across the country in covered wagons, including one heavy-looking wood stove. Others illustrate what they made when they got here.

One classroom holds oversized religious art from the Mormon sculptor Avard Tennyson Fairbanks in a parlor-like setting. Another room holds several miniature scenes by amateur artist Lyndon Graham, including the Taj Mahal and Napoleon’s carriage and horses. There are spaces for area veterans and a hallway with antique fire-fighting equipment. One room holds a massive loom. If it has any historical value to the locality, it ends up in here.

The Horizon Building

Next door, the Horizon Building holds everything from a massive woolly mammoth skeleton to more of Avard Fairbanks’ amazing sculptures. Natural history items, like rocks and minerals, hang out on the far side of the woolly mammoth, while art of all kinds – contemporary abstract to amateur landscapes – covers almost every wall. If the Heritage Building contains everything of historical interest, the Horizons Building holds “everything else.” If the Heritage Building looks like a particularly well-stocked antique store, Horizon looks like an art gallery, with a side of paleontology.

The most interesting section here is more of Avard Fairbanks’ art. He not only focused on Mormon religious icons (as seen in the schoolhouse) but also had a particular interest in Abraham Lincoln, of which there are several examples. There’s also an oversized Greek figure and a “spirit of the frontier” type, both around 10 feet tall. One example is Fairbanks himself.

(And the reason why so many items of his work are here in Fairview? Apparently, he leased the schoolhouse as a workshop and display space for a time in the ’60s because his daughter-in-law lived in Fairview. Even though he abandoned the space after a year, he left behind many examples of his work. I imagine to avoid moving the largest pieces.)

Then, right next to these world-class statues is a case of glass clowns. So, this is the kind of place we’re dealing with. You can also find lots of paintings in different mediums, other smaller sculptures, and even a very fine collection of fancy spurs. There are two floors here as well, the upper floor and a massive window showing the woolly mammoth skeleton to its best advantage.

Outside

A large outdoor space behind the Horizons Building shows off several wagons like the ones that carried the pioneers into Utah. There are also Romany wagons and lots of large historic farm equipment. During my visit in March, a lot of it was under snow, but you can still get a decent look at the wagons, which are covered from the elements.

To Come: City Hall

According to the Fairview Museum website, the original Fairview City Hall from 1900 is being renovated to add to the museum’s collection. It sits right next to the Horizons Building, and will be open sometime in 2023.

Visiting the Fairview Museum

Admission to the Fairview Museum is free of charge, though there is a donation box. I think even the suggested donation is only a couple of dollars. There’s a volunteer at a desk in each of the two buildings if you have any questions.

Hours during the summer months (May-September 14) is Friday & Saturday 11-5, and Tuesday-Thursday, noon-5. They are closed Sunday and Monday. When I went in March, it was open by 12 on a Saturday, but I think it closed earlier, like maybe 4 pm. (Always check the website for updated hours.)

While there is an elevator in the newer Horizons Building, I’m not sure if there is one available at the older Heritage Building. You may need to be able to navigate some stairs to see the entire collection.

BONUS: Spring City

If you’re around Fairview to see the museum, you might as well stop in Spring City nearby. This cute downtown has several art galleries in the historic storefronts, plus a couple of great places to eat. It’s best to visit in the afternoon, between noon and 4:00. I showed up around 11:00 and while the irresistible Spring City Mercantile was open, none of the galleries were.

For food, I highly recommend Das Cafe and the Roots 89 Grill.