Winter Frolic returns to Snake River Fur Post on Jan. 24; future of historic site discussed

The Snake River Fur Post will host its annual Winter Frolic event on Saturday, Jan. 24.

According to a news release from the Minnesota Historical Society, the event is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m., and will feature traditional games and activities, historical reenactors, and opportunities to snowshoe on the site’s trail system.

Entry costs $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, military members, and college students, and $8 for children.

Future of Snake River Fur Post under discussion

The Snake River Fur Post — located at 12551 Voyageur Lane — made changes to its programming in September as part of the state historical society’s efforts to address a structural deficit.

According to the MNHS, the fur post shifted its focus to "free, self-guided outdoor interpretive experiences and occasional special programming."

The Snake River Fur Post grounds are currently open daily from dawn until dusk; field trips are currently not available to the site.

At Wednesday's city council meeting, Pine City mayor Kent Bombard said there have been two meetings held with representatives from Pine County, Pine City, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Pine County and Pine City historical societies, the Minnesota Historical Society, and a state representative about the fur post's future.

"This group just got together and said, is there any interest in reopening it," said council member Gina Pettie. "And I think the consensus by all the parties was that there is definitely an interest, and so the next thing is to explore what that could look like."

Bombard explained that the historical society would have to form a partnership with a unit of government.

"We asked a lot of questions about finances and financials, and what's the cost to keep it open, and things like that, and they didn't really have a whole lot of great answers," Bombard said."

Pettie said the MNHS is paying the "lion's share" of the bill to keep the visitor center heated and plowed.

Bombard added that the facility is slated to get a new roof funded by the state in 2026; statute dictates the building has to be kept heated as if it was available to the public.

Council member Kyle Palmer suggested that the effort might be best taken on by Pine County, due to additional available resources.

"I certainly don't want to see it closed," Palmer said. "But, being that it's so far outside of city limits, any kind of staff time or financial time that's at the taxpayers' cost, I just struggle with that part."

Bombard added that discussions are "still very exploratory" at this time.

"I hope that's something that can come to fruition," said council member Dan Swanson. "Because I just think of the culture, and all the kids that aren't getting to go on a field trip to the Snake River Fur Post. I'm 48 years old, I think I went when I was 8, and that's still one of the highlights of my life."