Paul Bunyan Statue and Birthplace

Akeley, Minnesota

The small town of Akeley was once known as the home of Paul Bunyan's Cradle, which was unveiled in 1949. The big Cradle is still here, but now it's a second-tier attraction behind a 25-foot-tall Paul Bunyan statue, erected in 1984, that bends down on one knee, his mighty axe in one hand, his other hand stretched down to the ground so that tourists can sit in his big palm for unique photos.

Akeley's claim to be Bunyan's birthplace is not rooted in any tall tale, but because Akeley was the home of the Red River Lumber Co., which first brought Bunyan and Babe to national attention as mascots in a 1920s advertising campaign.