Cumming Nature Center > Programs & Events
Frost Town Family Day
Get hands-on with history at Frost Town Family Day! From an archaeological dig to blacksmithing demos to old-timey games, you’ll learn about life at Frost Town, a 19th century sawmill town that once existed at the Nature Center.
At Frost Town Family Day, there will be activities for people of all ages to discover how the Nature Center landscape has changed in the past 250 years. You will explore the history of Frost Town, an abandoned 19th-century sawmill town, through hands-on activities, hikes, and exhibits.
Participants can…
- Work with archaeologists at an active archaeological dig
- Identify signs of historic human activity in the forests around the nature center during a guided hike
- Learn about childhood at Frost Town through games, dress-up, and other activities
- Explore life and craft through blacksmithing and timbersport demonstrations
Activities
10am-4pm | Archaeology Dig (hands-on activity)
Are you ready to get your hands dirty for the sake of history? Join students and archaeologists from the team at Frost Town Archaeology as we search for artifacts at the site of an old homestead. Participants will have a unique opportunity to get down in the trenches as they dig, brush, and sift the earth looking for objects that can tell us more about life at Frost Town. This is a family-friendly activity!
Wear clothes that can get dirty. Tools will be provided.
10am-2pm | Blacksmithing Demonstrations
Join blacksmithing instructor and reenactor Jonathan Bernard for live blacksmithing demonstrations to learn about the craft of blacksmithing in a historical context.
10am-4pm | Children’s Games & Family Activities
Learn to play old-fashioned games led by CNC educators! Pet a sheep, try on some pioneer-era garb, and maybe even spin some wool as you learn about childhood in 19th-century Frost Town.
11am-2pm | Timbersports Demonstrations & Activities
Do you have what it takes to be a lumberjack? Get hands-on with Frost Town history as you enjoy timbersports demonstrations and try your hand at the crosscut saw, log roll, and pulp toss.
10:30am & 2pm | Finding Hints of Frost Town in the Forest (guided hike)
It’s hard to imagine that the hills around the nature center were once clear-cut fields! This guided 2 mile hike will open your eyes to the many signs of human activity that still exist in the forests and along the trails of the nature center.
Ongoing | Frost Town: History & Ecology of a Ghost Town (exhibit)
Learn about the history of Frost Town through images, words, and interactive elements. This exhibit will delve into the history of how the landscape around the nature has changed over the last 250 years. It will focus on Frost Town, a 19th-century town built around the timber industry, and explore why this town was eventually abandoned.
EVENT Admission
$5 per person
Tickets available online or at the door.