Planning Your Stay

There are many fun activities to do in Bemidji including sight seeing, movies, plays, science, animals, shopping, or just relax at comfortable lodging.
Where to stay
Bemidji Hotels, Resorts, Camping and Accommodations
Over 500 comfortable hotel and motel rooms ready to accommodate your visit to Bemidji.
Lodging & Hotels - Resorts & Campgrounds - Pet Accommodations at www.visitbemidji.com/lodging
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Things to do

1. Take a Picture at the second most photographed icon in the nation: Paul and Babe! 
Share it with us! We'd love to see your favorite bike picture with Paul and Babe posted to our Facebook page.

2. Northern Cycle:  218-751-BIKE (2453) 
Explore Bemidji's downtown, parks and trails by bicycle.

3. Theater at Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Bemidji's professional live production theater located downtown Bemidji.   Tickets: $22 adult, $12 Student
314 Beltrami Ave.  218-751-7270

4. Lake Bemidji State Park
Discover an enjoyable combination of Minnesota lake country recreation and the natural experiences of the northwoods forest.  Take the short hike or bike to the bluff overlook at Rocky Point on paved bike trail. Don't miss Minnesota's State Flower, the Showy Ladyslipper surrounding the Bog boardwalk - they may be in bloom!  The park has free GPS units and birding kits to check out. The fishing pier and canoe and kayak rental provide other opportunities to experience Lake Bemidji.

5. Headwaters Science Center: Create a monster bubble, view the human body--inside and out, hold a huge snake--if you dare - make a shadow that sticks to the wall, and so many other fun science activities await.

6. Paul Bunyan Animal Land: Lions, tigers, bears, camels, lemurs, kangaroos, monkeys, cougars...see them all at Paul Bunyan’s Animal Land, Minnesota’s largest wildlife park/petting zoo. Animal Land is home to nearly 100 animals representing every continent on earth.
 Located 5 miles south of Bemidji on US Hwy 2 East.

7.  Movie Night at the Waterfront: Bring the family and blankets and watch a family rated movie outdoors under the stars. Movie will begin at dusk. Free admission.
When: To be determined
Lake Bemidji Waterfront, 300 Bemidji Ave

8. Geocaching: Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. Sign up for free account at www.geocaching.com. and find treasures all around Bemidji and the world.  Explore MN"s Paul Bunyan Trail GeoTour

View more information about Bemidji at these community sites:
Visit Bemidji
Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce
Bemidji Downtown Alliance

More Bemidji Links
  • Mississippi River
    Mississippi River Bridge on West side: The Mississippi River Bridge, between Lake Irving and Lake Bemidji, built in 1916, was listed on the NRHP in 1989, as one of the earliest examples of a steel- reinforced concrete bridge. The 2004 re-alignment of the south entrance  into Bemidji, necessitated a new bridge to handle the traffic flow over the river.  The original bridge is currently used for city maintenance access only.
    Mississippi River Bridge on East side:  Paul Bunyan State Trail Rail-to-trail conversion. The river is in a well defined channel with floodplain area along side it upstream and downstream of the bridge. Stream flows are controlled by the downstream channel conditions and Power Dam.
  • Ruttger's Birchmont Lodge
  • Bemidji Town & Country Club 
  • Lake Bemidji: The lake is located in southern Beltrami County, near the city of Bemidji, which sits on its southwestern shore. Due to the shape of Lakes Bemidji and Irving, according to folk legends, Lakes Bemidji and Irving was formed in Paul Bunyan's footprint. The Ojibwe described the Lakes Bemidji and Irving collectively as a single lake being a bimijigamaa (lake that traverses another body of water), thus the Ojibwe name the lake as Bemijigamaag-zaaga'igan (Traversing Lake), since the lake is considered to traverse the Mississippi River.
  • Lake Bemidji State Park
  • Paul Bunyan Trail  
  • Bemidji State University