Ely Minnesota

Ely Minnesota is the gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and offers so many area attractions and things to do for our guests.

Shopping in Ely Minnesota

There’s something for everyone in Ely, from unique local shops to bait and tackle shops. Find a parking spot and walk around town: most shops are centrally located along the hill on Sheridan Street.

Dining in Ely, MN

Enjoy a walleye dinner, delicious steak or even a gourmet grilled cheese along Ely Minnesota’s main drag. Not quite looking for a full meal? Check out one of the area’s coffeeshops.

Ely Minnesota Attractions

North American Bear Center

The North American Bear Center is the only Science/Nature museum of its kind. Dedicated to replacing old myths with facts, it lets people learn from the bears themselves about bear behavior, ecology, and their relations with humans.

International Wolf Center

• Look a gray wolf in the eye from only inches away
• Thrill to the mesmerizing howl of our ambassador wolves
• Learn new and fascinating facts about wolves from our experts
• Explore wild wolf habitat and track them through radio telemetry
• Take amazing photographs of our Exhibit Pack in their natural habitat

Families, individuals, kids, groups, scouts, educators—there’s an hour-long, day-long or weekend-long adventure awaiting you at this multi-million dollar interpretive museum and exhibit.

Dorothy Molter Museum

The Dorothy Molter Museum is a memorial to the legendary last resident of the BWCAW, who died in 1986 after living most of her 79 years on Knife Lake near the U.S.-Canada border. Canoeists often stopped at Molter’s home to enjoy her hospitality and famous homemade root beer (she was often referred to as “the Root Beer Lady”) The museum’s log cabins were transported out of the BWCAW piece-by-piece and reassembled in Ely.

Ely, Minnesota Events

Blueberry Arts Festival

The Blueberry Arts Festival is Ely’s signature summer event and is held the last weekend of July in Whiteside Park. You can find wood and leather products, metal art, photography, paintings, jewelry and pottery, and many other unique hand-crafted items along with basically anything blueberry you could ever dream of. There are musical acts scheduled every day, so you’ll be sure to be entertained every day of this three day festival.

Harvest Moon Festival

Head on over to Whiteside Park the weekend after Labor Day and you will find the Harvest Moon Festival in full swing. This three day festival is filled with arts and crafts, food, live entertainment and activities to share with family and friends of all ages.

Photos by Snotty Moose Photography