Attractions

by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children

Our visit to the Forest History Center held special interest for me, as I had just completed a photo album of my grandmother’s days growing up in a lumber camp.  Visiting the Forest History Center showed us what a lumber camp looked like in the early 1900’s.

Forest History Center

The Forest History Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, consists of a modern visitor center, which shows the “then and now” of the logging industry, as well as a preserved lumber camp.  Costumed interpreters met us in the cookhouse, entertained us in the bunkhouse, and gave us a ride on horse-drawn sleigh.

Forest History Center

We visited for a special winter program (do we get extra credit for being there when it was 15 below?); usually the camp is only open during the summer months while the visitor center is open year-round.  The fire tower is also only open during the summer, so our kids want to go back to climb the tower.

Forest History Center

The visitor center is family-friendly, with a hands-on area for kids.  We were surprised at how much we enjoyed it and stayed longer than we’d expected.

Forest History Center

If you’ve ever wondered about the life of a lumberjack or the timber industry, the Forest History Center is a good place to experience it.