Paul Bunyan Land is an amusement park in Brainerd,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, founded in 1950, which is today located on This Old Farm. Its

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...

is the animated and talking statue of

Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox. The character originated in the or ...

, weighing 5,000 pounds. As guests enter, Paul welcomes them by name.

History

The park, originally known as Paul Bunyan Center, was founded in 1950 by Sherm Levis. It was built around the statue of Paul that Levis and Roy Kuemicheal had purchased the previous year from the

Chicago and North Western Transportation Company The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

, which constructed them for an exhibit at the

Chicago Railroad Fair The Chicago Railroad Fair was an event organized to celebrate and commemorate 100 years of railroad history west of Chicago, Illinois. It was held in Chicago in 1948 and 1949 along the shore of Lake Michigan and is often referred to as "the last ...

. The city of Brainerd dedicated the statue, erected at the intersection of the 210 and 371 highways, with a parade and fireworks on July 30, 1950. In 1963, during the 20-week season it was open, the park had 200,000 annual visitors, and was pictured in Holiday,

Redbook ''Redbook'' is an American women's magazine that is published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the " Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines. It ceased print publication as of January 2019 and now operates an article-comprise ...

, and

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

magazines. The park grew over time to include over 40 rides surrounded by 30 buildings, among them the train depot built by

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

for ''

Iron Will ''Iron Will'' is a 1994 American adventure film. It is based on the true story of a 1917 dog-sled race from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Saint Paul, Minnesota, a 522-mile-long stretch and part of the "Red River-St. Paul Sports Carnival Derby." It is d ...

'', a movie filmed in

Duluth , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

Move to This Old Farm

In 2003, the park announced that due to the high cost of operation, it would be closing and that everything would be auctioned off. However, This Old Farm was interested in keeping the entire park and bought the statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox as well as the rides. The family-owned business moved the park onto its land six miles east of Brainerd on

State Highway 18 Route 18, or Highway 18, may refer to: International * Asian Highway 18 * European route E18 * European route E018 Argentina * Australia * Waterfall Way Canada * Alberta Highway 18 * British Columbia Highway 18 * Manitoba Highway 18 * Ont ...

. In August 2006, a storm blew over the 19-foot tall, 6,000 pound Babe statue.

References

External links

Official Site
{{Paul Bunyan Amusement parks in Minnesota Defunct amusement parks in Minnesota 1950 establishments in Minnesota 2003 establishments in Minnesota Buildings and structures in Crow Wing County, Minnesota Tourist attractions in Crow Wing County, Minnesota Amusement parks opened in 1950 Amusement parks closed in 2003