When the weather turns, Paul Bunyan Land is the move. It’s a delightfully old-school amusement park just up the road in Pequot Lakes, complete with a giant animatronic Paul Bunyan who greets kids by name, vintage carnival rides, and a museum’s worth of quirky roadside Americana under cover. It’s not a sprawling theme park — it’s small, walkable, and easy to enjoy even in a drizzle, with plenty of covered areas and indoor exhibits to duck into.
Kids tend to love the retro rides and the novelty of a talking giant lumberjack, while adults get a kick out of the nostalgia — this is the kind of attraction that’s been a Northwoods summer tradition for generations. There’s a snack bar on site if you want to make a half-day of it, and the pace is slow enough that nobody’s rushing you through.
It’s an easy, low-stakes way to fill a rainy afternoon without straying far from Gull Lake, and it tends to be a highlight for families traveling with younger kids.
