Bemidji’s Iconic Paul And Babe Get A Fresh Coat Of Paint

Back in the day, when cars first became fashionable and affordable, the northern Minnesota city of Bemidji started to see a spike in tourism. A boom, in fact.

And then the Great Depression hit.

As a way to stimulate tourism, Bemidji civic groups in January 1937 sponsored a winter carnival to promote winter sports in the area. There, they unveiled the huge commissioned statues of Paul Bunyan and his Babe the Blue Ox, created as carnival mascots.

After all, Bemidji is the alleged birthplace of the lumberjack.

Over the years, the pair have been the subjects of millions of snapshots taken along the south shore of Lake Bemidji where they've greeted visitors for decades.

Paul and Babe are pretty famous.

In fact, Eastman Kodak has said Paul and Babe are the second most photographed statues in the United States, behind Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

So famous, in fact, that when you think of Bemidji, you probably think of the giant lumberjack and his ox. They are that deeply ingrained in Bemidji's identity.

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So that's why it's so important that Paul and Babe always look their best.

The pair have gotten touch-ups and new paint over their nearly 90 years. They even had to fix Paul's arm when it fell off in 2021.

Back in 2022, the statues and display site underwent a renovation project to raise Babe 15 inches and correct drainage on the plaza around the statues that was damaging the Blue Ox's feet.

And now Paul and Babe are getting a glow-up in 2026.

The 18-foot-tall lumberjack and his 23-foot-long ox friend got new coats of paint, just in time for the 2026 tourist season.

And while no official party plans have been announced yet, there's sure to be some gussying up the pair for next year -- their 90th anniversary.

Stay tuned.