The Fairbank Schoolhouse Museum

Out of Tucson took 10 East, then 90 south, then 82 east on the way to Tombstone. If you do this like we did you will pass Fairbank on your left. Don’t speed or you could pass it. Once there we found the schoolhouse was nice and there was a helpful (and interesting/​a little different) employee working there. Beyond the schoolhouse almost the entire town is gone. Unless you ask it is not obvious where the rail lines were or what the layout of the town really was. It is nice that Fairbank is not a mini-​Tombstone as nothing similar is needed. We would have walked around more if it is was not 48 outside with wind and rain showers. Some of the other buildings were also closed off, which was disappointing.

Stopping here to wander along the San Pedro river, we popped in this tiny little museum/​shop nestled snugly within the Fairbank historic townsite.
It’s one room, with a fine selection of regional books and treasures. The building is visually interesting and houses some original pieces from the mining days. There’s a chalk board to record your grand thoughts and inspirations, and tiny desks to sit and think about what you’ve learned.
If you’re very quiet you can hear the kids calling out to each other, racing in from town, as the school bell sings the morning alarm.