Things to do in Ely, MN

Ely's main sights are two wildlife centers on Highway 169, a museum about Dorothy Molter, who lived in the Boundary Waters for more than 56 years, and the wilderness itself. The International Wolf Center is open year-round ($18 adults). The North American Bear Center ($18 adults and teens) and the Dorothy Molter Museum are seasonal and closed as of November 2026. The Soudan Underground Mine tour, in Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park in Soudan, returns May 29, 2027. A paddling day trip into the Boundary Waters needs only a free self-issued permit, but parts of the Boundary Waters and areas along the Echo Trail north of Ely remain closed after July 2026 wildfires, under a Forest Service order in effect through April 1, 2027.

This guide is for planning a day or a weekend in Ely: what is open in which season, what each place costs, and what to check before you go. It covers the town's attractions, nearby day hikes and state parks, and the permit rules for a Boundary Waters day trip. Hours and prices are as of November 2026 and come from each attraction's own website or the managing agency.

Ely attractions compared

International Wolf Center

The International Wolf Center keeps a pack of "ambassador" wolves, viewed through windows overlooking their 1.25-acre wooded enclosure. Admission includes the daily programs, theater films, its two exhibits and the live wolves. The center says the wolves "will generally come out during a program," but because they are wild animals it "cannot guarantee" you will see them at a given time.

Hours (winter, October 19, 2026 to May 27, 2027): Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The center lists closures for November 27 to 29 (Thanksgiving weekend) and December 25 to 27.

Admission: adults $18, seniors 60+ and veterans $16, children 4 to 12 $12, children 3 and under free. Prices don't include fees and taxes, and the center says pre-registering saves on admission.

Extra programs: "What's for Dinner?" runs Saturdays 7 to 8 p.m., when the pack gets its weekly feeding. It has limited capacity and requires pre-registration ($12 adult non-members, $8 children 4 to 12). The center also lists an evening art program with the pack on set dates, including December 12.

North American Bear Center

The North American Bear Center calls itself "the only black bear and wildlife educational facility of its kind." Its site names its current bears as Lucky, Holly, Tasha, Koda and Jasper. As of November 2026 the center says it is "Closed for the Season" and will reopen in spring 2027. It has not posted a 2027 opening date. Admission is listed as $18 for adults and teens, $17 for seniors 60+ and military, $11 for children 3 to 12, and free under 3. The center is a nonprofit and says it receives no state or federal funding.

Dorothy Molter Museum

Dorothy Molter lived on the Isle of Pines on Knife Lake, inside what is now the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, for more than 56 years, until her death in 1986. The museum says she was "visited by as many as 7,000 people a year" and was known as the "Root Beer Lady."

Visiting: the museum is "Closed to the Public for 2026." It opens with limited hours during the Ely Winter Festival, February 4 to 14, 2027, and off-season private appointments are possible. Summer admission is $8 for adults 18 to 61, $7 for seniors 62+, $4.50 for youth 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and under and for active, veteran and retired military. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, guided programs run at the top of every hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum sells Dorothy's Isle of Pines Root Beer in its shop.

Soudan Underground Mine tour

The tour is in Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park. The DNR's directions say to "Take U.S. Highway 169 (or State Highway 1) to Soudan, MN and follow the signs," and that the mine "is located on the north side of the town." Per the DNR tour page, you ride "authentic, expertly-maintained hoisting equipment" 2,341 feet down to the 27th level, then take an underground train nearly a mile to the last working area of the mine.

• Season: daily from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September, then weekends to October 18. The DNR park record says tours resume May 29, 2027.
• Price: $15 ages 13 and up; $10 ages 5 to 12; ages 4 and under free but need a ticket. Tax extra.
• Booking: online or 866-857-2757. The DNR says tickets "often sell out."
• Dress: the mine is a constant 51 degrees F. No bags, backpacks or strollers underground.

You don't need a vehicle permit to park in the main lot at the mine visitor center. Elsewhere in the park you do: $7 a day or $35 a year (DNR permits).

Boundary Waters day trips

Ely is one of the gateway towns the Forest Service lists for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, more than one million acres with over 1,200 miles of canoe routes.

Permits for a day trip:

• Paddling or hiking day trip: a self-issued permit, required year-round, from the entry point kiosk or a Forest Service office. The Forest Service permit page lists the fee for these day-use permits as $0.00.
• Motorized day trip, May 1 to September 30: a quota permit, reserved through Recreation.gov or picked up as a walk-up permit at an issue station on the entry date or the day before.
• October 1 to April 30: self-issued permits for all day and overnight visitors.

Fire closures (check first): a Superior National Forest alert says that after wildfires from a July 7, 2026 lightning storm, "portions of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) and areas along the Echo Trail north of Ely remain closed for entering, being on trails, or camping" under Forest Order 09-09-00-26-11. The order is in effect from October 1, 2026 through April 1, 2027, or until rescinded. Its Exhibit A lists the closed places:

• Entry points: 14 (Little Indian Sioux River North), 15 (Sioux-Hustler Trail) and 19 (Stuart River), with their parking lots.
• Other closures: eight named portages, the Tick, Sundial and Weeny primitive management areas, and listed campsites on dozens of lakes, including Basswood Lake's Pipestone Bay, Crooked Lake and Lac La Croix.
• Echo Trail: "Portions of National Forest System land north along the Echo Trail remain closed to use."

Read Exhibit A and the order's maps before choosing an entry point.

Ranger station: the Kawishiwi Ranger District office is at 1393 Highway 169 in Ely, 218-365-7600. Its October 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027 hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Day hikes and state parks near Ely

The Bass Lake trailhead sits 2.6 miles up the Echo Trail from County Road 88 per the Forest Service. The closure order's Exhibit A does not name the Bass Lake Trail, but it does close portions of land along the Echo Trail, so confirm it is open with the Kawishiwi Ranger District before you drive out. See our Bear Head Lake State Park guide for camping details.

Ely by season

Before you go

1. Check the Superior National Forest alerts page for fire closures before any trip north of Ely.
2. Pick up a free self-issued permit at the entry point for a paddling day trip.
3. Book Soudan mine tour tickets ahead in summer; they often sell out.
4. Pre-register for the Wolf Center's Saturday feeding program, which has limited space.
5. Visiting in winter? The Wolf Center is open Friday to Sunday only, so plan the weekend around it.

Related guides: Boundary Waters and Iron Range guides · Things to do in Minnesota · Bear Head Lake State Park · Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park · Gunflint Trail

---

Sources

• International Wolf Center, Plan Your Visit: https://wolf.org/visit/plan-your-visit/
• North American Bear Center, Home and Hours, Admission and Location: https://bear.org/ and https://bear.org/visit-us/hours-admission-location/
• Dorothy Molter Museum, Home, Visit and Dorothy pages: https://www.rootbeerlady.com/ , https://www.rootbeerlady.com/visit/ and https://www.rootbeerlady.com/dorothy/
• Minnesota DNR, Soudan Underground Mine tours: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/lake_vermilion_soudan/tours.html
• Minnesota DNR, Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/park.html?id=spk00285
• Minnesota DNR, Bear Head Lake State Park: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/park.html?id=spk00109
• Minnesota DNR, Vehicle permits: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/permit.html
• USDA Forest Service, Superior National Forest, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/boundary-waters-canoe-area-wilderness
• USDA Forest Service, Superior National Forest, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Permits: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/passes/boundary-waters-canoe-area-wilderness-permits
• USDA Forest Service, Superior National Forest, Alerts (Post Wildfire Closures, effective Oct. 1, 2026): https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/alerts/post-wildfire-closures-effective-october-1-2026
• USDA Forest Service, Forest Order 09-09-00-26-11, Exhibit A, Described Areas: https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/nfs/files/r09/superior/publication/alerts/09-09-00-26-11%20Exhibit%20A%20-%20Described%20Areas-10012026.pdf
• USDA Forest Service, Superior National Forest, Bass Lake Trail: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/trails/bass-lake-trail