Dorothy Molter Museum

Dorothy Molter Museum Inspiring the next generation of Northwoods citizens and stewards through the legacy of Dorothy Molter. Open to the public spring-fall.

Visit www.rootbeerlady.com for details. The Dorothy Molter Museum is located on the south side of Hwy 169 on the east end of Ely, MN. Reservations are required to explore the three historic cabins and their exhibits. Reservations are available online year-round depending on availability and snow conditions.

Kim Schultz returns to the stage in St. Paul, MN in her captivating one-woman play, "The Root Beer Lady" in July!Schult...
06/23/2026

Kim Schultz returns to the stage in St. Paul, MN in her captivating one-woman play, "The Root Beer Lady" in July!
Schultz tells the story of the indomitable Dorothy Molter, the last permanent, legal, non-indigenous resident of the Boundary Waters and reflects the beauty and hardships of Molter’s remote yet satisfying life.
The play, funny and passionate, explores her independence, fortitude, and love of nature. Molter pushes back against the premise that her time in the North Woods made her the “Loneliest Woman in America,” as the Saturday Evening Post claimed in 1952.
Back by popular demand, Dorothy’s story will delight all, young and old.
Supporters of the Dorothy Molter Museum can enjoy a discount on their admission with discount code RBLCP45 at checkout (seats limited, rules apply).
Perhaps we'll see you there!

Summer Tent Island was one of the satellite islands (eastern) of the Isle of Pines and was the most visited of the islan...
06/22/2026

Summer Tent Island was one of the satellite islands (eastern) of the Isle of Pines and was the most visited of the islands in the summer.
At the left is the root beer tent and the paddle plane is in the background. A group of people are talking to Dorothy, in the green shirt at the right, next to one of the paddle fences.
Dorothy would see around 6,000-7,000 visitors per summer season and sell 10,000-12,000 bottles of root beer to them - reusing the same bottles over and over again.
This photograph was taken in 1985 and is likely a familiar sight to many of those visitors.

Collection of the DMM 2012.001.1248.1225: Group of People Talking to Dorothy, 1985

Happy Summer Solstice AND Happy Father's Day!Dorothy Molter was an avid gardener and enjoyed tending to her flowers each...
06/21/2026

Happy Summer Solstice AND Happy Father's Day!
Dorothy Molter was an avid gardener and enjoyed tending to her flowers each summer.
Dorothy’s father John “Cap” Molter was a big influence on her life. He was the one to first introduce her to the Northwoods. He had brought Dorothy up to Knife Lake on a fishing trip while she was in nursing school in 1930. After Dorothy took over ownership of the Isles of Pines, Cap would continue to visit his daughter during all seasons of the year.
Although not much is left from Dorothy's Isle of Pines Resort on Knife Lake, there are still some of her flowers that bloom each summer - you can see them if you look close enough 🌹
In this photo, Cap is sitting on a beer can chair smoking his pipe. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was a mainstay at the Isles of Pines with Dorothy for many years.

📸 Collection of the DMM 2012.001.1248.447: John "Cap" Molter on a beer can chair
📸 Collection of DMM ID 2012.001.1248.855 - Old canoe flower bed with flowers
📸 Collection of DMM ID 2012.001.931 - Dorothy with pink, blooming flowers
📸 Collection of DMM ID 2012.001.1248.264 - Yellow flowers in a large metal pot

The Isle of Pines Fishing Resort was located on Knife Lake and was ran by Dorothy Molter. There were four cabins total: ...
06/20/2026

The Isle of Pines Fishing Resort was located on Knife Lake and was ran by Dorothy Molter.
There were four cabins total: Winter, Trapper, Point, and Cady. To make a reservation, you would mail in your request to Dorothy’s P.O. box in town or connect with one of her resort colleagues on Moose Lake.

Taken in 1979, this is an example of one of the beds in the front porch of Point Cabin. Not pictured is a similar bed on the other half of the porch. In cabins with porches, the beds would receive better airflow, keeping you cool in the hot summer heat.
Did you ever stay at the resort? Or did you just get root beer?

Collection of the DMM 2012.001.1248.1233: Point Cabin Porch, 1979

A popular game available to visitors on the Isle of Pines was the ring toss. It was a round board with nails sticking ou...
06/18/2026

A popular game available to visitors on the Isle of Pines was the ring toss.
It was a round board with nails sticking out at an angle, each marked with a set of points. Players would throw rubber canning rings at the nails and whomever got the highest score, won. Surprisingly, it was harder than it looked as the nails were at an angle!
Many visitors would play a game while waiting their turn for root beer or for a turn to talk to Dorothy. It was especially popular with the younger visitors.
This part of the collection is currently on display above the front door of Point Cabin and is not usable.
If you would like to play a game while visiting the museum, we have a replica of this game located near the Interpretive Center.

Collection of the DMM 2012.001.715a-c: Ring Toss

This unique design, modeled by our intern Dax, is based directly off the iconic plaid button-down shirts that Dorothy Mo...
06/17/2026

This unique design, modeled by our intern Dax, is based directly off the iconic plaid button-down shirts that Dorothy Molter wore during her life of adventure and self-sufficiency in the wilderness.

The front pocket features a label with "Dorothy Molter Museum" and the plaid pattern includes hidden icons representing part of Dorothy's life including a canoe, crossed paddles, root beer bottles, KWITCHURBELIAKIN or the state of Minnesota.
Made from 97% lightweight cotton and 3% spandex, this shirt is both comfortable and durable, perfect for everyday wear.

To see items like this and more, check out our online shop at shop.rootbeerlady.com

Bon voyage to the Dorothy Molter Experience: Women’s Canoe Trip heading out to Knife Lake today!May the wind be always a...
06/16/2026

Bon voyage to the Dorothy Molter Experience: Women’s Canoe Trip heading out to Knife Lake today!
May the wind be always at your back 🛶

The next cabin we would like to highlight is Point Cabin! Point was built to be one of the rental cabins of the Isle of ...
06/15/2026

The next cabin we would like to highlight is Point Cabin! Point was built to be one of the rental cabins of the Isle of Pines Fishing resort.
Dorothy Molter inherited the resort from Bill Berglund after he passed in 1948 in return for providing nursing care to Bill at the end of his life.
Point Cabin was located on the most western point of the islands and was the first cabin to greet visitors.
The back of this photo sums up one visitor’s feelings: “In my mind, no place will ever be as beautiful as the Point Cabin. DRB.”

Collection of the DMM 2012.001.1248.885: Point Cabin

Thank you to the Frisky Otter for a special treat this weekend of two ginormous cinnamon rolls!! They were delicious 😋 T...
06/14/2026

Thank you to the Frisky Otter for a special treat this weekend of two ginormous cinnamon rolls!!
They were delicious 😋
The Frisky Otter in Ely MN is a Dorothy’s Isle of Pines Root Beer, enjoy a cold one this summer on their patio!

Birds' Landing at Dorothy's is our pollinator and bird garden that was established to honor two of Dorothy's favorite pa...
06/14/2026

Birds' Landing at Dorothy's is our pollinator and bird garden that was established to honor two of Dorothy's favorite pastimes: flower gardening and bird feeding/watching.
This small area is on the south side of our Interpretive center and is open to the public year-round.
Follow along this summer as we document how the colors change, in both plant and wildlife species.
This weekend, the second in June, we see a LOT of green and a lot of insect activity. Perennials like bearded iris, false indigo, lupine and lilac are blooming - the purples are poppin'!
We are seeing oxeye daisies (volunteer plants) getting ready to bloom and Rockets (Ligularia stenocephala) preparing their stalks.
We've thrown in a few annuals for a splash of early color as well.
Goldfinches and chickadees are a daily visitor with a variety of woodpeckers and nuthatches heard in the pines.

Address

2002 E Sheridan Street
Ely, MN
55731

Telephone

+12183654451

Website

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