Dorothy Molter Museum

08/01/2026

This month, we will focus on you, the visitors!
Without visitors, both Dorothy’s living in the Boundary Waters and the Dorothy Molter Museum would not have been possible. The museum is still open 7 days a week, from 10 am to 5 pm and we currently plan to keep that schedule through Labor Day as planned - Please stop by!

In this photo from June 1964, we can see Dorothy and a few visitors in front of McGee's Tent, or the “Root Beer Tent.” Next to Dorothy is the ring toss game that many visitors used and above that is a sign that reads “Even a fish can stay out of trouble if he keeps his mouth shut.” Did you ever see these in person?

Collection of the DMM 2012.001.1248.790: Dorothy Near Ring Toss, 1964

07/30/2026

Reminder! Ely is safe, open and as beautiful as ever!
As mentioned previously, the museum and our wonderful community of small, locally owned businesses and organizations are feeling the crunch during what is usually our busiest tourist month of the year due to a lack of actual tourism.
If you’re able to visit, please do.
If you’re able to support us from afar, it will help make a difference.
If you’re able to share posts like this and others from the Ely area community, we truly appreciate that.

To support the Museum directly, please peruse www.shop.rootbeerlady.com

07/29/2026

Do you love history? Do you love museums? So do we!!
Show your love with these shirts that are new in our gift shop this season!
Our "Proud Musuem Person" and "American Needs Historians" shirts are modeled by our Small Museum Management Interns, Dax and Erin.
In addition to shirts, we also have buttons with these shirt sayings as well as "America Needs Archivists," and magnets and stickers with "Proud Museum Person."

Shop online at shop.rootbeerlady.com or in our gift shop daily 10am-5pm

07/28/2026

The Paddle Plane (mentioned yesterday) was an art sculpture made by Bud Molter, Dorothy’s brother.
It was another way to use the broken paddles given to Dorothy by visitors. Bud made many of the humorous signs around the Isle of Pines.
This plane was located on Summer Tent island, and is currently in the Museum’s off-site storage due to indoor exhibit space constraints.

Collection of the DMM 2012.001.1248.253: Paddle Plane Photo
Collection of the DMM 2012.001.803: Paddle Plane

07/27/2026

As mentioned previously, Dorothy would frequently use broken paddles to decorate her fence line.
In the back, you can see the “Paddle Plane,” which was also a way to use those paddles.
The museum has four of the paddles in this picture on display. Can you spot them?
Hint: we featured them last week!

The Museum still decorates our fences like Dorothy. All Paddler Level Members get to have their own paddle on the fences - either decorated by a staff member or themselves.
Memberships are an excellent way to help support the museum and preserve the legacy of Dorothy Molter. Learn more at rootbeerlady.com

Collection of the DMM 2012.001.1248.741: Paddle Fence and Paddle Plane

07/26/2026

SPECIAL TODAY!
One of our valued sticker vendors donated these fantastic stickers to the Museum as a gesture of support and we created a mini-fundraiser with them!
🌟Each sticker is $10 withh 100% of proceeds supporting the Dorothy Molter Museum! 🌟
Stop in today for our open house and get yours today - supplies are limited!!
We are so grateful for Little Rocks Design's generosity 💖

07/26/2026

TODAY we host our annual community open house "Donuts at Dorothy's" in partnership with makers of Crapola!
We've been preparing for this event all summer and although we are working hard to fundraise to offset declines in visitation the last two weeks we:
🍩 Need a little normalcy and joy
🍩 Want to give back to our amazing community and visitors for the outpouring of support
🍩 Already planned to reduce prices on merchandise to make room for new products next year
Donuts at Dorothy's celebrates Dorothy as the generous host she was and her tradition of always having a pot of coffee on the wood stove for visitors.
The Coffee 'an tradition - socializing over a cup of coffee, usually with bars, baked treats or doughnuts - brings people together. In our case, we'll have "donut muffins" which are essentially baked doughnuts from Brainstorm Bakery along with piping hot coffee (and lemonade if it's hot).
Please stop out TODAY from 10am-5pm to enjoy FREE admission, socialize, explore, enjoy some hot coffee 'an and celebrate the spirit of Dorothy and community with us ☕️
Can't make it? Our sale is in-store AND online (with shipping or in-store pick-up) but ends at midnight tonight! shop.rootbeerlady.com

07/24/2026

Did you know you can support us from outside the Ely Area in-person? You can!
Did you know that purchasing Dorothy's Isle of Pines Root Beer directly supports the Museum? It does!

Our interactive root beer map is available online at rootbeerlady.com (scroll down to "Where else can I buy Dorothy’s Isle of Pines Root Beer?")

Our distribution areas include the North Shore, Duluth/Superior Areas, the Iron Range, almost all L&M Fleet Supply stores, the Brainerd Lakes Area, the Twin Cities Metro, the Museum of Root Beer in Wisconsin Dells, WI along with several food trucks and a soda shop in Kansas City, Missouri!

Our root beer is the most effective vehicle for sharing Dorothy Molters increadible story AND in financially supporting the Museum.

By purchasing our root beer from one of our retail partners, or becoming a retailer, you are directly supporting the Museum!

🛶 Find the interactive map at https://www.rootbeerlady.com/home/root-beer-retailers/

🛶 Are you a retailer or distributor and want to learn more about selling Dorothy's?
https://www.rootbeerlady.com/contact-us/wholesale/

🛶 Learn more about the history of Dorothy's root beer making at
https://www.rootbeerlady.com/dorothys-root-beer/

07/24/2026

There are so many wonderful efforts for mutual aid and support, here is an opportunity to get creative and do something nice for the fire crews working in our community

💌 Community Card-Making for Firefighters 💌

Join us tomorrow (July 24th) at 1:30 PM at Carbonation for a special afternoon of creativity and gratitude.

Evelyn Kuzma and Wendy Norcross will lead a free community card-making session and are generously providing the supplies for the event. Together, we'll decorate the front of blank cards while leaving the inside blank, so firefighters can write personal messages home to their loved ones.

❤️ All supplies are provided.
❤️ No experience is needed.
❤️ Come make one card or stay and make several!

A handwritten letter home has become one of the most meaningful gifts we've been able to provide. Let's help make sure every firefighter who wants to write home has a beautiful card waiting for them.

Whether you're 5 or 95, we'd love to have you join us.

📍 Carbonation
🕜 Tomorrow • 1:30 PM
💙 Free • All ages welcome

This event is made possible through the generosity of Carbonation, the Dorothy Molter Museum, proPrint, Evelyn, Wendy, and our amazing community.

07/23/2026

There are so many community support efforts in Ely! Here is one for those folks who, like our Director Jess, has a stationary problem where she can’t help herself purchasing artist made note cards to use… Someday.
If you have note cards laying around or perhaps stationary and envelopes available that you will likely never get around to using them all - This is a great opportunity to donate them for a worthy cause 📝
The museum is able to take donations of stamps, note cards or stationary with envelopes during open hours daily 10 to 5.

💙 Our community can make a difference in a very simple way.

Over the past week, Carbonation and the Dorothy Molter Museum quietly set up a place where firefighters could write letters home. We provided postcards, stationery, pens, and stamps—and the response has been incredible.

We've heard from firefighters that being able to send a handwritten letter home has been one of the most meaningful gifts they've received.

Now we need your help to keep it going.

We're looking for:
* Books of Forever Stamps
* Blank postcards or notecards
* Monetary donations to help purchase stamps and writing supplies

Ways to donate:
📍 Drop off items at Carbonation or the Dorothy Molter Museum during regular business hours.

📬 Mail stamps or supplies to:
Carbonation
229 E Sheridan St
Ely, MN 55731

💻 Prefer to donate online? The Ely Community Center is serving as the fiscal sponsor for this community project. Donations can be made here:
https://givebutter.com/help-firefighters-write-home-jt2xy9

If you're outside of Ely—whether you're in Minneapolis or anywhere else—you can still help by mailing stamps or making a donation online. Every contribution makes a difference.

Every stamp helps another firefighter send a little piece of home to the people they love.

Thank you for continuing to show what this community does best: taking care of the people who are taking care of us. ❤️