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Meet Draft Horse Teams at the Forest History Center
Meet draft horse handlers and see the animals in action at Real Horsepower Days
For immediate release
Dated: August 14, 2025
Contacts:
Nick Jungheim, 651-259-3060, nick.jungheim@mnhs.org or Allison Ortiz, 651-259-3051, allison.ortiz@mnhs.org
Location: Forest History Center
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. (August 14, 2025) – Northern Minnesota’s early logging camps relied on the hard work of draft horses. On August 22 and 23, visitors to the Forest History Center can see these impressive animals in action during Real Horsepower Days.
Guests will get to see how draft horses transported lumber through the woods and to river banks, which opened up the region to global commerce. Teamsters will hold demonstrations throughout the two-day event, including cross hauling logs onto a sled, skidding, and loading logs with an A-frame log jammer.
Visitors can meet the horses and chat with teamsters about the variety of work these animals continue to do in Minnesota. Additionally, logging demonstrations, trolley rides, and other fun activities will take place throughout the event.
For those who want more interactions with draft horses, horse-drawn trolley tours are offered at the Forest History Center throughout the summer and fall.
What:
Real Horsepower Days
When:
Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23, 2025
10 am–4 pm
Where:
Forest History Center
2609 County Road 76, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
Cost:
Free for MNHS members, or included with regular site admission.
More information is available at mnhs.org/foresthistory.
About the Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves, and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories, and connects people with history. with history.