Dorothy Molter Museum - The Root Beer Lady (Tour)

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With its location between the tall red pines of the Jon Rozman Memorial Forest and the meadow-like environment of the Ely Cemetery, Birds' Landing at the Dorothy Molter Museum is ideally situated to attract a wide range of birds throughout the year. This community pocket-park offers a beautifully landscaped space to enjoy bird-watching year-round and observing the many other pollinator species visiting this space during the "green" season. Dorothy Molter was famous for much more than just making root beer; she was also known for her love of birds. A remarkable assortment of birds visited the feeders around Dorothy’s home on Knife Lake, and she easily went through 1,000 pounds of seed each season. Dorothy particularly enjoyed sharing her passion for birds with the many people that visited her. The museum also offers a selection of field guides for on-site reference and a free, take-home brochure featuring bird food recipes.

2. Interpretive Center & Gift Shop

The first building you encounter during your visit to the Dorothy Molter Museum is free to explore. Friendly staff are waiting to process Museum admission sales (free for members!) as well as offer a wide variety of merchandise related to Dorothy Molter (can you say KWITCHURBELIAKIN™?), the Northwoods and our very own Isle of Pines Root Beer served ice cold! Local and regional artisans, authors and artists are featured through our selection of products including art, books, apparel, decor, gifts and souvenirs. Copies of Dorothy's original guest registries (1955-1986) are available to look through along with rotating mini-exhibits and interpretive displays on the life of Dorothy. Currently, a photo/object mini-exhibit on Knife Lake Fisheries and a handicrafts display are available. This building also houses the Museum's spacious restroom with potable water.

3. Dorothy's Discovery Trail

This 1/4-mile nature trail is available to Museum visitors at any time, year-round. Although short, it meanders through a variety of eco-types common in the Northwoods starting in a 70+ year old red pine stand, meandering through a mixed conifer-deciduous patch and skirting a wetland. Interpretive signs highlight flora and fauna found in northern Minnesota such as the pileated woodpecker, sphagnum moss and the tamarack tree. A nature guide is available free of charge, which provides information about the coniferous biome of the Northwoods by pointing out specific features of the landscape along the trail. Pick up the trail guide on the north side of the Interpretive Center, next to the door or at the trail head, indicated by a sign. Dorothy’s Discovery Trail Backpack is also available for use with admission and includes a variety of field guides, tools and suggested activities to help you learn more about the natural world. The trail is on natural soil with some rocks and roots exposed. Pets are welcome if leashed, well-behaved and deposits are picked up.

4. Dorothy's Winter Cabin

Step back in time as you enter this 90+ year old tamarack log cabin which, was Dorothy's home during the winter months. In the porch, the original root beer making equipment she used is displayed to help you envision the process of providing thousands of bottles of root beer to Isle of Pines visitors each summer. As you continue into her kitchen and dining area, imagine stoking the wood stove, entertaining visitors with piping hot coffee, and crafting her famous Christmas ornaments by lamplight. This cabin features personal items, memorabilia and clothing of Dorothy’s as well as pictures of Dorothy with friends, family and visitors to Knife Lake.

5. Point Cabin & the Living in the Boundary Waters Exhibit

The Point Cabin, like the Winter Cabin, is a tamarack log cabin built nearly 100 years ago. Once a guest cabin on the Isle of Pines, it now houses the permanent exhibit "Living in the Boundary Waters" which illustrates how Dorothy Molter lived at the pace of the seasons and embodied the spirit and inspiration of the Northwoods wilderness. It features a combination of objects and photographs from the museum’s collection and a 15-minute video compilation from the 1987 documentary film Dorothy Molter: Living in the Boundary Waters.

6. Cady Cabin (Honeymoon Cabin) & Temporary Exhibit

The Cady Cabin was a guest cabin built sometime after 1945. Before it could be dismantled and moved to Ely for preservation, a tree fell on it so its current form is a one-room 8'x11' cabin. To celebrate the museum’s 25th anniversary in 2018, the Museum developed and installed a new temporary exhibit called Creating the Boundary Waters: 25 Objects, 25 Stories. This educational exhibit highlights the decades-long and often controversial process of how the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness was established as a federal wilderness. Visitors will learn how this process affected not only Dorothy, but residents and visitors to the area through a visual timeline featuring 25 collection items representing different eras.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

Dorothy Molter Museum - The Root Beer Lady

Created by Jess Edberg on April 15th 2020, 8:33:18 pm.

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Located in a stand of 70+ year old pines, the Dorothy Molter Museum features four historic log cabins, each representing a unique interpretation of Northwoods wilderness heritage through learning opportunities inspired by Dorothy Molter, the last non-indigenous resident of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Opened in 1993, the Museum offers guided or self-guided tours, children's camp, root beer making lessons, community events and wilderness canoe expeditions to Dorothy's former home on Knife Lake. As a private, non-profit organization representing part of the unique and rich history of northeastern Minnesota, the Dorothy Molter Museum strives to not only honor the legacy of its namesake but also, be an active and positive member of the Ely Area community and family of Minnesota museums.

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Dorothy Molter Museum - The Root Beer Lady

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