Forest History Center — Attraction in Grand Rapids

Excellent place to visit. Don't pass up the opportunity to see this place. I highly recommend the kayak guided tour on the Mississippi River. Our guide, Chloe, gave us an excellent two hour tour. We stopped and looked at a bald eagle's nest. The parents weren't around, but we saw the young one peeking out at us. Later, it hopped out of the nest and onto a nearby limb. We got up close to a beaver dam and learned all about their life. Chloe had several show and tell items to present during her talks. She had a replica of a bald eagle's skull, their talons, a beaver pelt, beaver tail, beaver skull, etc. She explained the various parts of these animals' anatomy and how it favored their survival. We also paddled up to a nearby dam where we learn the history of this and the sister dam. It was a fun experience. Don't pass this opportunity up.

Also, there is a 100-foot fire tower on site that you are allowed to climb to the top. Do it! You won't regret it. High above the trees you can see forever.

Typical of the Minnesota Historical Society, the museum is excellent.

We didn't get a chance to see the logging camp. It was late in the day, and we were worn out from the kayak tour. So, we have a reason to go back again soon.

All in all,...

I have taken the tour 4 or 5 times over the years and it is a bit different every time, which I love. Weekends are going to give you a little more for your dollar as they usually have more staff to play all the parts.The staff are very friendly and extremely knowledgeable.

We have been fed pancakes (sweat pads), worked a saw cutting wood, helped fed the horses and even made nails with the blacksmith! (Just remember, not all the stations may be available when you come.)

The lookout tower is a great option for those who are fit enough for the climb and can tolerate heights, probably best to keep little ones on the ground.

The museum has some wonderful interactive items for kids to explore and a lot of info about the logging days of the area. There is also usually a video playing with additional information.

The gift shop is reasonably priced and has many time period items for sale as well as some new type of trinkets.

If you have a membership to the Minnesota Historical Society, you get in free with your membership. If you do not have one, you can purchase a membership or simply pay...

Great family fun! The Forest History Center is a great historical site to visit with the whole family. Very appropriate for kids from age 8 to 100+. The Center has a lot of interesting items to look at, including a video about a past fire, an old fashioned truck cab that kids and adults can sit in, and a gift shop and more. Then, you can go down to the camp to experience how it would have been back in the day. The professional Interpreters can include you in each scenario in the camp. There is the bunk house, the black smith, saw a slice of of a log with a two-person hand saw, visit the horse barn, and more. Highly recommended to visit often. Many times throughout the year, they have special days with specialized presentations for the whole family. There is also a fire watch Tower 🗼 you can climb to the top of the tower if you are not...