Dorothy Molter Museum

09/16/2026

One of the most remarked upon things spoken by guests when walking into the museum is “Wow, it smells like root beer in here!” You too can have your home smell like root beer with one of our custom, locally-made wood-wick candles!

These candles are handcrafted in small baches by local Ely business
We offer Dorothy's Root Beer and Dorohty's Isle of Pines scents made with a coconut-bees wax blend with a wood wick that gently crackles when lit.

These two scent profiles are sure to elicit a sense of nostalgia and bring up memories of your time in Ely or the Boundary Waters, whether you knew Dorothy or not!

Find these and more both in-store and online at shop.rootbeerlady.com

09/14/2026

This is the boathouse that was located on the Isles of Pines. Before the motor ban of 1978, taking motorboats or placing motors onto square stern canoes was a normal way to experience the Boundary Waters. This photograph was taken in 1962.

This boathouse did not exist in 1986 and therefore was not a part of the selvage effort after Dorothy passed away.
In 1967, the Forest Service ordered Dorothy to clean out this boathouse so that it would be destroyed as it was “unsightly.” Based on the letters we have in our collection, there was a miscommunication and Dorothy had been granted an extension on the deadline until September of that year.

Collection of the DMM 2012.001.1248.346: Boathouse, 1962

09/11/2026

09/10/2026

This metal sign that proclaims “CELERY QUEEN” was originally on the gunwale of the flower boat that sat atop the northernmost outcrop on Summer Island. It was cut out during the salvage effort as the boat was too far gone to salvage completely.

According to Dorothy’s nephew, “Celery Queen” was Dorothy’s sister’s, Ruth’s nickname. His memory recalls friend Bob Cotton calling Ruth that name after she quit smoking and would eat a stalk of celery every time she had a craving.

Collection of the DMM 2025.004.001: Celery Queen Sign

09/09/2026

Modeled by 2026 intern Dax, this KWITCHURBELIAKIN ¾ sleeve shirt is giving vintage vibes and is the perfect transitional piece as the seasons change from summer to fall. Priced at $30 it's a great value!

This shirt comes in Vintage Navy/Heather Grey (seen here) or Vintage Burgundy/Heather Grey and youth sizes come in Royal Blue/Heather Grey.
See all of them and more in our online shop at shop.rootbeerlady.com

09/08/2026

In the early years of the Isle of Pines, there was a diving board located on the north-west side of the main island, near Point Cabin.
This photo was likely taken in 1937 when Dorothy was still only visiting the Isles of Pines Fishing Resort. Here she is photographed with one of her friends whom she brought with her, and another young woman in the background. Have you ever gone swimming in Knife Lake?

Unfortunately, this photograph is damaged, which is seen by the white lines across the two women and by the black splotches across the top of the photo. Regardless, it's a wonderful piece of history in our collection.

Reminder that we are now operating on fall hours:
🍁September 8-30 - Friday-Sunday - 10am-4pm
🍁October 1-31 - Friday-Saturday - 10am-4pm

Collection of the DMM 2025.015.073: Two Women on Diving Board

09/07/2026

We are sad to announce that due to a packaging production delay of 7.5 weeks, we are out of root beer at the Museum.
Many of our retail and distribution partners are also out of stock.

❓Could this come at a worse time? Technically, yes.
Practically, not really.
However! We are making the best of it and are packing up DIY root beer kits ( shop.rootbeerlady.com ) with Dorothy's recipe, co-hosting a meat raffle fundraiser at this Friday September 11, and planning an October open house fundraiser to get us back on track.

❓When will root beer be restocked?
We anticipate receiving our needed packaging on or about October 1 with a brew as soon as possible after.

We apologize for this, especially to our supporters who stop in every September to get their fix and to take some home to last until their next trip to Ely.

❓ Did you know we ship our root beer?
We can ship practically anywhere in the Continental U.S.!
Online ordering of cases is turned off until we have root beer here at the Museum.

09/07/2026

Happy Labor Day! Today we honor the historic fight by unions for fair wages, safe workplaces, 8-hour workdays, and weekends - this this past weekend.

Did you know that the volunteer salvage team that invested their free time from work did so on many weekends in the late-winter of 1987?

Without their dedication, we would not have Dorothy's cabins and the objects, archives and photos that help the Dorothy Molter Museum preserve and interpret her amazing story and legacy.

Many of you remember her paddle fences and because of these volunteers, we have many of them on display in the Point Cabin exhibit.

If you have visited the Museum, you have seen our own paddle fences, honoring those who strengthen the Museum through Membership.

Today, we are starting Membership Mondays - dedicated to sharing the importance and value of being a Museum Member, highlighting Member contributions and featuring Member benefits.

To kick it off, we would like to highlight our Paddler Levels!. These supporters not only contribute to the Museum's success but also enjoy a hand-painted paddle placed on the Museum’s Paddle Fence.
Paddles can be painted by a staff member or you can design and paint your own paddle! The Miller Family painted their own paddle with meaningful icons of loons, fish and other Northwoods symbols in an intergenerational activity that represents their family.

All memberships include free admission to the museum, a 10% discount on all merchandise, including root beer, and the quarterly newsletter, and member’s only seasonal discounts and special offer! Memberships are on an annual basis.

There are several Paddler Membership options that include individuals and families, organizations and businesses, lifetime and sustaining levels.

Reach out today to get your Paddler Membership at https://www.rootbeerlady.com/membership/

09/06/2026

Dorothy lived half of the year in the Summer Tent and the other half in Winter Cabin. Most visitors came during the summer so remember her in her tent, some never knew she had another living space.
The Summer Tent was a wooden base structure with several tarps on top as a roof and a screen door. It changed over the years but commonly on the inside, there was a stove, shelves, and a table with chairs. On the outside, there was a wash stand with a mirror hanging over it.

On the back of this photo, there is “We should all be so lucky as to spend a year, even a week with Dorothy in her quaint cabin.” Were you ever lucky to spend a week with Dorothy? In her Summer Tent or Winter Cabin?

Collection of the DMM 2012.001.1248.907: We Should All Be So Lucky