The mission of the Maine Forest and Logging Museum is to celebrate Maine’s rich forestry and logging history through education, demonstration, preservation, and conservation. We aim to foster curiosity and enjoyment for all ages and to inspire others to join in our efforts to keep these stories alive.
Our Vision
We envision a community where everyone can engage meaningfully with the forest — past and present. Through immersive, hands-on experiences and living history events, we bring the stories of Maine’s woodsmen, settlers, and innovators to life. Whether it's sawing timber, forging iron, or simply walking through our historic grounds, we believe there’s a place for everyone in the woods.
Who We Are
Founded in 1960, the Maine Forest and Logging Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and interpreting Maine’s forestry heritage within its full cultural context. We are the only museum in the state that focuses on the forest as both a natural and human resource — past and present.
Our work is made possible by the dedication of volunteers from across the Maine Highlands and beyond. From Fryeburg to Houlton, from Millinocket to Milford, hundreds of supporters contribute time, talent, and energy to build and maintain our exhibits and programs.
What We Do
At Leonard’s Mills, our home site, we host school tours, public programs, and large-scale seasonal events. These include immersive living history experiences featuring:
- A fully operational “up-and-down” sawmill
- A working blacksmith shop
- A trappers’ line camp
- An 18th-century settler’s log cabin
- A covered bridge and timber structures
- Period watercraft like the batteau
Our goal is to make history accessible, engaging, and meaningful — showing how people lived, worked, and adapted with the forest.
Be Part of
Living History
Love Maine's heritage? So do we. Volunteers help operate the museum's working mills, lead tours, clear trails, and more. Your skills—old or new—can help preserve and share the past in a hands-on, meaningful way.
Become a Volunteer