My daughter and I were stopping through Fairfield to see the state park and encountered this gem of…read morea museum that's a stone's throw from the La Quinta in Fairfield, TX.
We LOVED IT! This is definitely something to do if you're in the area with your kids or on your own. The incredibly low admission fee makes this a great value, too, for the whole family since children are FREE. Adult admission is $5. Less than a cup of Starbucks, folks! The museum is open on Wed, Fri, and Saturday at the time of this review.
The museum took about 2 hours or so for us to see but I can easily imagine it taking less or more time, depending on the type of museum-goer you are. Favorite highlights - the jail, the 1900s house that has all the furnishings, the telephone museum, the two log cabins with furnishings as well - the schoolroom, the old fire truck and the art car, the church with bootlegging equipment at the front. The main building also had thousands of things to see from old wedding dresses and tiny shoes to military uniforms from every major war I can think of! I also loved the old drugstore with all of the little concoctions and bottles of things with the old labels and everything. We got a great sense of Freestone County history, but it goes much farther than that. You'll walk out with a feeling like you traveled through time from the Spanish-American War, Texas Independence, Cotton, Slavery, Civil War, the Oil Industry, Railroads, Prohibition, and onward! The things you can see in the place from any of these time periods is phenomenal. This place has to be one of Texas's best-kept secrets, and I will recommend it to everyone I know who enjoys history, the great outdoors (as there is an awesome state park with camping nearby). Please don't miss it you come to Fairfield to visit or pass-through! Patricia, the curator, is also amazing, and it's obvious how much hard work she puts into the place to make it so amazing. Also, if you plan to go and you don't have cash, you can go to their website (freestonecomuseum.com) and pay online through the "Donate Online" button. We had cash on us by some miracle. But if you want to use your credit card, go to the website and use the "Donate Online" button to make your payment! The museum is a non-profit and shares its history with children in the area every year. Do not hesitate to give more than $5. This museum is the litttle museum that could, and does, in my mind! We must not forget where we were and how far we've come! Freestone County Historial Museum is one to put on the Must-Do list!