Paul Bunyan knows your name!

As you enter Paul Bunyan Land, the famous lumberjack sits directly in front of you, 26 feet tall with eyes that blink and a head that swivels, and he greets you by name. After that, he answers any questions you may have.

We had a few – check out Paul telling us how old he is and what his favorite food is…

As much as we loved it, children are mesmerized. Watching from a short distance, nostalgia is in the air as parents and grandparents relive their own childhood memories with the plaid-shirted animated giant.

A local attraction and tradition in the Brainerd Lakes Area since the 1950s, Paul and his friends’ futures were looking bleak when the original amusement park, Paul Bunyan Amusement Center, closed in 2002 to make way for a Kohl’s department store. Hoping to obtain a few items from the park as it was sold off, the owners of Pioneer Village, located about 6 miles away, ended up purchasing the entire amusement park. Combining the two attractions, they relocated the rides, buildings, Paul, Sport, and Paul’s ox, Babe the Blue Ox, to their new home on 23 acres, which is now Paul Bunyan Land and This Old Farm Pioneer Village.

The park now has something for everyone, offering a day of fun and exploration for the entire family. Paul Bunyan Land has 40 rides and attractions, a petting barn, and the Pioneer Village is home to 30 buildings filled with the largest one-man collection of antiques from the late 1800s to early 1900s in Minnesota.

The amusement park

With 40 amusement rides and attractions, the kiddos will be entertained all day – and they can be because all rides are included in the admission price.

There are rides like the Flight Commander and Mini Roller Coaster for the little ones.

For the older family members, the Tilt-A-Whirl, Dodge-em-Cars, and Flying Cages provide whirls and thrills. And, for everyone in the family, climb on the Ferris wheel or explore the Magnetic Mine.

In addition to the amusement park, Paul Bunyan Land has a candy store and jail, which are conveniently, oh I mean curiously, next door to each other.

Paul’s petting barn

Paul’s petting barn is between the amusement park and the Pioneer Village and a chance to stop by and see the horses, chickens, and pigs up close.

This Old Farm Pioneer Village

Thirty buildings await exploration in The Pioneer Village, including a train depot, blacksmith, sawmill, fire station, church, sweet shoppe, log house, fire station, and many more.

The buildings are filled with antiques primarily from the collection of Dick and Marian Rademacher, who started the Village, and from other donors who wanted to see their collections enjoyed by the many visitors to the park.

Great care in preserving history is visible throughout Pioneer Village. The Rad’s Groceries building was the actual structure of the store operated about six miles away by Rademacher’s parents. The building was moved from its original location to the Village and then filled with period pieces from the Rademacher antique collection.

The train depot building was actually used in the making of the 1994 movie Iron Will starring Mackenzie Astin and Kevin Spacey. Following the movie, the structure was moved to Brainerd and re-constructed in the Pioneer Village.

Current owners, Lois Moon and Alan Rademacher, work to preserve the massive collection their father built over the years and to share it with the many park visitors. The collection is vast, with thousands and thousands of items ranging from glassware to antique cars to farm equipment.

Donations of items, such as a huge camera collection and the cannon shown below, have made their way to Pioneer Village, with the understanding that, once donated, the items will stay in the Village permanently.

Where to stay

There are a variety of lodging choices in and around Brainerd, but we recommend Madden’s on Gull Lake. A beautiful, luxury resort, Madden’s has stunning water views, two golf courses, a spa, fabulous dining, a beach and so much more.

Know before you go

Admissions. Here’s one parents should love. Admission includes unlimited rides for the day and entry to the petting barn and Pioneer Village. Season passes are also available and children under 2 are free.

Park hours. The park is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day. Additionally, the park operates Brainerd Lakes’ largest haunted attraction in October and free admission to the  Enchanted Holiday Pioneer Village during the holiday season in December. Visit the Paul Bunyan Land website for hours and dates.

Attire & height requirements and other policies can be found on the Paul Bunyan Land website.

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Disclosure & Disclaimer: Special thanks to Explore Minnesota, Explore Brainerd Lakes, and Paul Bunyan Land for hosting us as their guests. The opinions expressed are entirely our own. Reviews are based only on our assessment and we accept no responsibility for how the information is used. We do not accept paid posts although some posts may contain information regarding businesses where we have previously been compensated.