With so many stories and historic buildings to take in, the Frontier Homestead State Park is a great place to spend an afternoon! Visit the historic homes and buildings out in the grounds, climb inside a replica Wells Fargo & Co stagecoach, pan for gold, or enjoy a glimpse into the past through antique farming equipment. You're sure to find something cool along the way.
Here are 10 of our favorite things we always stop to see while visiting the museum.
1. The Iron Ore Shovel | SHE 22
Impossible to miss, this Iron behemoth welcomes visitors to the park with style. The cab of the shovel still smells like machine oil as you climb the wrought-iron stairs to the top. From here, you can see the many belts and gears within that kept the large shovel running (from 1936 well into the 1970s), and you can even take a turn sitting in the driver's chair! Weighing in at 250,000 pounds, the 275-horsepower motor-generator on SHE 22 was fueled by AC power via a trailing 23,000-volt electric cable.
*Side Note: The Iron Ore Shovel is home to a friendly hive of bees who live in the bottom left corner of the shovel.
If you see them buzzing about while visiting in summer, please give them space to work.
2. A Bullet Removed from the Green Stagecoach
Straight out of an old Western film, this one comes complete with a weathered sage-green stagecoach, worn leather seats, trunks and luggage strapped to the top, ready for adventure, and a bullet that was removed from the seat of the coach! Restored by Gronway Parry, this stagecoach is one of the pieces of the original collection that started the Frontier Homestead State Park, and we think it's one of the most interesting as well.
*Side Note: While the origin of the bullet in the stagecoach isn't known, the museum staff thought it was a great opportunity to talk about one of the most iconic aspects of the Wild West, stagecoach robbers and outlaws. Read more about Black Bart and his poetry here.
3. Fiber Arts, Weaving, Spinning & The "Weaver's Corral"
Fiber arts were an important aspect of pioneer life, and the skills these local weavers and fiber artisans show off at the museum are incredible! From weaving on the large pedal loom to demonstrating how to use a spinning wheel and the beautiful pieces they create, the "Weaver's Corral" is a must-stop spot in the museum. You get a chance for some hands-on knowledge and to see beautiful creations take shape while visiting.
*Side Note: The museum has "rag rugs" available in the gift shop that are woven on the loom inside the museum. These are put together from scraps of fabric from former exhibits and donations from park staff and partners, and are a cool piece of the Homestead to take home.
4. The Murals Inside (and Outside) of the Museum
Throughout the years, some incredible local artists have contributed to the exhibits and artwork inside the museum. This mural (above) depicts the iconic red hill that spans behind Cedar City with a pleasant high-desert landscape in front of it. While houses and a golf course, and businesses now occupy that space, it's a beautiful depiction of early Cedar City. The Gateway to the Parks Mural on the north exterior wall of the museum represents Cedar City's history in tourism, and a humorous mural located behind the horse-drawn hearse is a bit more playful.
5. The Horse-Drawn Hearse
The hearse pictured here (with Gronway Parry in the driver's seat) is now part of the Frontier Homestead State Park's collection. While it seems morbid, the detailed work on the hearse is truly beautiful, making this a stand-out piece in the collection. The color of the hearse is important, as black signified an adult while a white hearse carried children. The broadcloth drapes are original, and the casket displayed inside is of the period.
6. The Wood Cabin & Pioneer Laundry
The oldest log cabin in southern Utah, this cute little cabin is one of our favorite stops at the park. The small cabin was built in 1851 in Parowan by George Wood, one of the founders of Iron County. Through the years, it was home to many pioneer families as a kind of "starter home" when they were new to the area. It was the birthplace of 24 children as families began their life in Cedar City. Today, the cabin is displayed with a small bed, a table, and a kitchen set-up.
Side Note: Outside the Wood Cabin, you can find one of the many hands-on activities at the museum and try your hand at Pioneer laundry!
7. Utah's Own Language? The Deseret Alphabet!
Stepping into the Deseret Schoolhouse is impossible without pausing the ring the school bell outside! Once you've given the bell a ring, though, and step inside, a few things stand out in this single-room school. The dunce cap sitting in the corner is a fun photo-op now, the map of the U.S. on the wall looks a little different than what we normally see now, and the flag is missing a few stars. But on the whiteboard, there is something truly unique! A phonetic spelling form used for a short window of time in Utah history, this is the Deseret Alphabet. Creators hoped it would be a more phonetically accurate alphabet that could help immigrants learn to read and write English with less difficulty.
8. The Historic Hunter House
A stand-out among the buildings at the Frontier Homestead, this stunning sandy-brick home is a perfect example of early architecture in the area. Built by Joseph Sneddon Hunter for his family, the first part of the Hunter House (pictured here) was completed in 1891. The home is built in the Central Hall vernacular type with 1 and 1 1/2 stories. It uses local materials throughout and reflects local traditions in the arched windows, and a beautiful small mural above the front porch that resembles the landscapes around us. The details on this home are gorgeous and it's always worth a closer look.
Side Note: The Hunter House was originally located on Center Street in Cedar City. In 2005, it was relocated on the back of a flatbed truck to the museum. The portion of the house still standing was the original piece built in 1866.
9. Replica Fremont Pit House
The area around Cedar City has been home to people long before the pioneers arrived, and this cool site in the Native Heritage Exhibit is one of our favorites for exploring this history! Before pioneers arrived in Southwest Utah, there were a number of indigenous groups who lived in the area, including the Paleo-Indians, Archaic people, Ancestral Pueblo, the Fremont, and the Numic (Paiute) people. The Fremont Pit House (pictured above) is a space used for field trips and educational programs to demonstrate the way of life and structures of these early people.
Side Note: The Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Cedar City office, is a short drive from the Frontier Homestead. The spaces around Iron County are important ancestral homelands to the Paiute Tribe (whose members are very much still active and present in our community) and should be treated respectfully while visiting.
10. The Iron Blast Furnace & Gold Panning
They don't call us Iron County for nothing, so the Iron Blast Furnace is an important part of that history. Inside the blast furnace, there are exhibits set up that depict the layout of the original ironworks and how that operation performed, as well as some of the early camps made in Cedar City, like the wagon box camp. The diagrams depicting both of these historical sites are hand-made and show true craftsmanship in their design.
Side Note: Before you go into the Blast Furnace, don't miss the hands-on gold panning set up out front! With Fool's Gold (Iron Pyrite) sprinkled through the rocks and panning dishes available, it's a great activity to add to your visit.
Happy exploring
and don't forget to share your adventure at the Frontier Homestead with us @visitcedarcity!