Say Hello to Paul Bunyan Land

It’s one of my most vivid memories, walking up to the 26-foot statue of Paul Bunyan. The animated lumberjack blinks, looks down at my 4-year-old brother and I and says “Hello, Rochelle come sit on my boot and take a picture.” I was floored. How on earth did he know my name? In shock, I climbed up on that boot and posed for the Polaroid picture with my equally as shocked brother. We spent the next few days trying to figure out how Paul was able to say hello to us at Paul Bunyan Land. This year, I wanted to recreate that memory for my boys, ages ten and seven. They are a bit older than I was during that 1985 visit but the magic was the same.

• 

Paul Says Hello

Located outside of Brainerd, MN we arrived at Paul Bunyan Land in early afternoon. The large Babe the Blue Ox statue welcomed us and we made our way to the building to purchase tickets. The daily admission fee offers unlimited access to over 15 rides as well as dozens of exhibits at the Pioneer Village and Museum. Don’t tell the kids but when you purchase tickets, the cashier discreetly slips you a paper that reads, “Names of Kids.” This is the secret to how Paul is able to say hello using their names. I clearly wrote out each boy’s name on the slip and slid it back to the cashier. As you exit the ticketing area, the Paul Bunyan statue is directly in front of you. I told the boys to walk up the steps and I’d get their picture. This is when the animated lumberjack came to life. He welcomed them and pronounced their names correctly! They were stocked.

• 

• 

Rides and Attractions

Still confused about how Paul Bunyan was able to personally greet them, we moved to the park’s rides. Of the dozen or so rides, about half of them were geared towards older kids. Rides like a mini roller coast, tilt-a-whirl and looping space shuttle were a couple of the boys’ favorites. If you have smaller children there were options for younger kids as well such as a merry-go-round and kiddie canoes. Perhaps one of the benefits of going to Paul Bunyan Land during a pandemic is that there were no crowds and no waiting for rides. It was very easy to social distance. There were times when the only riders on an attraction were my boys. The lack of crowds also meant the boys got to ride almost every ride in the park a few times in the 2-3 hours we were there.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Our afternoon at Paul Bunyan Land was a childhood memory I wanted my boys to experience. I’m still not sure how the slip of paper I gave the cashier at admission makes its way to the statue operator so quickly. However it happens, the magic of Paul saying hello to you by name lives on. Paul Bunyan Land is one of so many truly Minnesota experiences. Come check out our Minnesota Bucket List for more adventures that are so Minnesotan.

Happy Adventuring, Rochelle