Paul Bunyan's Friend

The Legend In Brainerd | Inside Paul Bunyan Land

Paul Bunyan is legendary in this part of the country. It is said it took 5 giant storks to deliver Paul to his parents and he could fit into his father’s clothes by the time he was a week old. When he was three weeks old, his rolling around at nap time would destroy 4 miles of timber.

Soon his parents moved out to Minnesota because the East was just too small for him. As a child, he had no interested in playing with balls and other toys. He wanted to play with axes and become a lumberjack.

Today there is a whole land just for him, Paul Bunyan Land.

Paul Bunyan Land Brainerd MN

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Paul Bunyan Land

To find Paul in Minnesota, all you have to is head up to Brainerd. There, Paul Bunyan’s companion Babe will greet out front of Paul Bunyan Land. After going through the welcome center, you are greeted by the legend himself.

At 26 feet tall, it is one of the biggest Paul’s around. This is where the magic begins. He says, ‘Hello’ and greets your child by name. It doesn’t stop there either. Paul will engage with the kids.

He encouraged them to come closer to get a picture with him. When my daughter was too scared to go up to him to get a picture, he promised her he would not speak while she was up there. He didn’t want to frighten her away.

Throughout the day, we would see staff actively engaging with Paul as they walked by like he was just another member of the team.

Later when we walked by him, he said ‘Hi’ again and remembered our kids’ names. It was that personal touch that made this such an enjoyable and memorable trip.

Paul Bunyand Land
Rides

Who is Paul Bunyan Land For?

They design Paul Bunyan Land for younger children. The best way to describe it is carnival style rides that have found a permanent home. We found that there were only a few rides that my oldest could not go on.

She is just over 42 inches. My youngest could get on over half of the rides. He is 34 inches. Both had a great time and didn’t want to stop riding even when it rained on us.

There was no waiting in line to get on rides. According to staff, this is a common feature.

Stuck in Jail at Paul Bunyan Land
Petting Zoo at Paul Bunyand Land

Pioneer Village

Besides the rides, Paul Bunyan Land has a small petting zoo and the Pioneer Village. The Pioneer Village is not historically specific to any time period. It didn’t stop us from having fun looking at all the treasures.

We seemed to time our visit pretty well with the light rain we had been experiencing. We were in the pioneer village when it rained so we had the village buildings were perfect for keeping us dry. The park doesn’t close for the rain, only if the conditions become unsafe.

Pioneer Village has been a family owned business for 37 years now. In 2003 when the popular Paul Bunyan Land needed a new home, they doubled the attraction by moving the theme park right next door.

You get to go to both parks with the cost of admission. The town of Brainerd was very excited to see that Paul and Babe would stay in their town.

Shopping Cart Art
Peter Pumpkin Eater

Collection of Obscure Statutes

Paul Bunyan Land has become a mecca for a lot of unique displays when they retire at other establishments in the community. They have acquired everything from a giant shopping cart to a herd of dinosaurs.

Despite their differences, it all seems to fit in well.  Along the way when new things become available, the owners jump at the opportunity to add in and grow.

When To Go?

The park is open Memorial Day to Labor Day, from 10am-6pm. They are open rain or shine, but if it’s too wet, they will stop the rides. Cost is $21.95 per person with Toddlers 2 and under free.

The price includes access to all the rides and Pioneer Village. They also have special haunting events in October and free light displays in Christmas. They also have some Holiday light display during December.

If you are heading up north and have young kids, you need to check out this park. Or if you are a selfie junky, stop by to get a picture with Babe.

As my daughter told everyone at daycare the next day, she loved getting to meet ‘the Bald Onion’… It wasn’t until her teacher saw the pictures before she figured out who she was talking about.

For more thrilling things to do in Brainerd, check out the Brainerd Zipline Tours.

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