After years of towering over folks at the Minnesota State Fair, Paul Bunyan is moving on. The 17-foot statue of the lumberjack and woodsman folklore icon and legend of tall tales has been a Minnesota favorite for years.
The Star Tribune reports that after a long stint at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Eco Exhibit, the Paul Bunyan statue will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Bidding started at $50. As of the morning of Friday, August 23, the highest bid was $165. The auction runs until August 30 at 10 a.m. local time.
"I'll be a little sad to see him go," Bunyan statue creator Scott Andre told the Star Tribune.
The Tribune reports that the large lumberjack, outfitted with thrift store clothes and other recycled materials, was starting to look a little tired and faded. Whoever takes him in will have the chance to give new life to the beloved Land of 10,000 Lakes attraction. We just hope you have tall ceilings so ol' Paul won't have to stoop anymore.
Paul Bunyan Statues
Other statues of Paul can be found all around America. Perhaps the best known is Portland's 31-foot tall Paul, who's made of concrete and metal and has watched over the Kenton neighborhood with his trusty axe since 1959. Other Bunyan statues can be found in Bangor, Maine, Klamath, California, Ossineke, Michigan, Muncie, Indiana and Chesire, Connecticut. Each year, Oscoda, Mississippi holds their annual Paul Bunyan Days, which includes chainsaw carving, crafts, a pie eating contest and more.
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Paul Bunyan Statues in Minnesota
Minnesota really loves Paul Bunyan. There's a statue of Paul (alongside Babe the blue ox) in Bemidji and another set of statues of the dynamic duo within the amusement park ride Paul Bunyan's Log Chute inside Bloomington, Minnesota's Mall of America. Akeley, Minnesota and Brainerd, Minnesota also host their own tributes to the larger than life logger. It's safe to say this fella has been in the background of many selfies.
If you want to be the next proud owner of a Paul Bunyan statue, you can place your bids here.
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