Skip to Main Content

Alpena, Michigan: Kaiser Paul: Bunyan Made of Car Parts

RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report

Alpena Community College

Address:
666 Johnson St., Alpena, MI
Directions:
North edge of town, a half mile east of US Hwy 23, just off Johnson St. on the campus of Alpena Community College. From Johnson St. turn north onto the road between the main college building and the Besser Museum. Drive to the north end of the parking lot on the right; you'll see the statue there.
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
Save to My Sights
Kaiser Paul: Bunyan Made of Car Parts

Now nearly 60 years old, Paul is the mascot of Alpena Community College. He's built of old Kaiser auto parts salvaged from Detroit junkyards.

Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Visitor Tips and News About Kaiser Paul: Bunyan Made of Car Parts

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.

Car parts Paul Bunyan.

Kaiser Paul Bunyan

Kaiser Paul Bunyan has a nice new paint job, and proudly stands right next to the school.

[Mark Bauer, 09/15/2020]

Kaiser Paul formerly stood outside Paul Bunyan's Gas and Eat in Gaylord. He's built out of old Kaiser car parts, a company that stopped making cars in 1953.

Kaiser Paul , 2020.

Kaiser Paul - Bunyan Made of Car Parts

Right next door to the giant eagle head. Kaiser Paul sits in the back, but still is visible from the road.

[bordeauxbarb, 04/29/2020]

Paul Bunyan.

Kaiser Paul - Bunyan Made of Car Parts

Kaiser Paul was a little hard to find. He's not up against the road like the neighboring Giant Eagle Head. He's in a clearing in the back of the parking lot on the left side of the college buildings. There is a pile of logs beside him that makes him appear that his right foot is on top of them and a sign mentioning the 2014 refinishing. He's much taller then I thought he would be. Neat to read the past history about this sculpture!

[Ducks5921, 09/13/2018]

Paul Bunyan.

Paul Bunyan - The Journey

After the Gaylord gas station where it stood was closed, the Paul Bunyan statue was acquired by Glen Catt (then owner of the Glen's Market supermarket chain) and moved to a different Gaylord, Michigan location. It was about to be torn down and it was acquired by a Grayling real estate company in the late 1970s...and then moved to Grayling, Michigan, where it stood along the I-75 business route. It was then acquired by Alpena Community College and relocated to the college, where it now stands.

I know this because I was a reporter for the Gaylord newspaper and did a story about its relocation to Grayling. Just a few years ago we did another story about its newest location in Alpena.

[Frank Michels, 08/30/2011]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Big Bald Eagle HeadBig Bald Eagle Head, Alpena, MI - < 1 mi.
Maritime Center, Century of ShipwrecksMaritime Center, Century of Shipwrecks, Alpena, MI - 1 mi.
3D Fish Mural3D Fish Mural, Alpena, MI - 1 mi.
In the region:
Elk Capital of Michigan, Atlanta, MI - 34 mi.

Latest Tips Across Roadside America

Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.

Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!

Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Save Cool Vacation Destinations! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Michigan Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Easter Island Moai in America (Mar 25-31, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings

Favorite Quirky City Sights