Sleigh Ride at Leonard's Mills

By Melanie Brooks
Photos by Brian Brooks

On Sunday, my parents and I took my niece, Ayda, to Leonard's Mills in Bradley for a sleigh ride. A living history site, Leonard's Mills is the centerpiece of the Maine Forest and Logging Museum. In the summer and fall, the museum comes to life as an authentic pioneer milling community circa the 1790s. In the winter, the museum offers old fashioned horse-drawn sled rides.

There were two sets of horses and sleds this Sunday. We rode the black team of Ben and Bill.



We bought out tickets at the Blacksmith's Shop ($8 for adults; $4 for children). There was a lot of stuff to look at including old tools. Volunteers were heating up hot chocolate on the old cast iron box stove for visitors to warm up with after their ride.


The day was sunny but a bit cold. We brought some wool blankets to sit on and cover ourselves with for the ride, which proved to be a good idea. The ride lasted about 20 minutes -- just long enough for our cheeks to turn pink.


Looks like fun, right? Visit Leonard's Mills site and get more information. A schedule of horse-drawn sled rides for the rest of the winter is listed below. All rides are offered between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm.

January 24
February 7 & 21
March 7