A grove of pines on the eastern outskirts of Ely is the pleasant setting of a museum dedicated to the last resident of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness—Dorothy Molter. Known as the Root Beer Lady, Molter provided refreshments and medical assistance to thousands of canoers who visited her home on Knife Lake’s Isle of the Pines, 15 miles by water and portage from the end of the road.

Dorothy Molter Museum
P.O. Box 391
Ely, Minnesota 55731
(218)365-4451

Open weekends during May and September, daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day
Mon. - Sat 10:00a.m. - 5:30p.m.
Sunday Noon - 5:30p.m.

Located on the South side of Hwy 169 on the east end of town.

$4.00 - Adults
$2.00 - Children 6-12
Free - Children under 6

Molter lived on Knife Lake from 1934 until she died in her cabin in December of 1986. Instead of burning her cabins, as had been done with other dwellings within the federally designated wilderness, the U.S. Forest Service allowed her friends from Ely to dismantle the buildings and remove them using dog sleds and snowmobiles. Before spring ice-out, a crew of local volunteers took down the individual buildings and brought them out of the wilderness. A few years later, following the formation of a nonprofit organization, Molter’s homestead was recreated at the present site.

The museum tell the story of a life lived simply and well. Molter moved to the north country from Chicago, moving to Isle of the Pines when it was a fishing camp operated by Bill Berglund. A registered nurse, Molter used her medical skills to treat paddlers injured in various mishaps. Every year, she made and sold about 12,000 bottles of root beer to passing canoers. In the winter, her home was a popular destination for local snowmobilers, though the machines were eventually banned from the area.