Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox

Two concrete statues, an 18-foot-tall lumberjack named Paul Bunyan and his blue ox companion Babe, stand near the shore of Lake Bemidji.

The statues were constructed in 1937 for a winter carnival to promote tourism during the Great Depression, becoming a symbol of Minnesota's logging heritage.

The Kodak Company declared these figures the second most photographed statues in the United States, after Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

Visitors can access the statues throughout the year at the Tourist Information Center, where they can also explore photographs and artifacts about the folklore.

The original mobile Babe statue featured vehicle tail lights in its eyes and exhaust pipes in its nostrils to create the appearance of breathing in cold weather.

Location: Bemidji

GPS coordinates: 47.47042,-94.87889

Latest update: May 28, 2025 18:38