At Ely Outfitting Company and Boundary Waters Guide Service, sharing the wilderness is our passion. We are committed to ensuring you and your friends and family have the best possible Boundary Waters canoe trip! Our friendly, trail-wise staff provide personalized canoe trip outfitting, expert advice, and quality guided trips so that families and friends of all backgrounds and experience levels may enjoy the rejuvenating spirit of the outdoors in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park.

The purpose of Incredible Ely is to revitalize Ely’s downtown and support innovative growth in the Ely area by connecting businesses, people, knowledge, ideas, and resources. IE’s vision is a dynamic, innovative, and distinctive community with a diversified and seasonally-balanced economic base. Explore our projects and join our beautification efforts while supporting innovative growth. Like many rural communities, the Ely area has struggled to maintain a vibrant economy in the wake of the 2007-08 economic recession. Empty storefronts are a visible reminder of the challenges we face in attracting and retaining young people and ensuring that they have employment opportunities throughout the year – not just during the summer tourist season. Yet there are signs of an Ely renaissance — in the re-opening of Wintergreen Northern Wear, in the expansion of Steger Mukluks, with the opening of the Folk School, and especially in the property developments being undertaken by the Ely Economic Development Authority. The Ely area has no shortage of talent, and it’s many volunteer organizations are enthusiastically adding to Ely’s offerings in the arts, recreation, and tourist attractions. Incredible Ely (IE) in conjunction with the City and the Chamber of Commerce is part of the community-wide effort to make the area a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

The Ely State Theater is a historic movie theater in Ely, Minnesota, United States. The State Theater was built in 1936 by the Swanson family in Ely. Its designer was a noted architecture firm called Liebenberg & Kaplan, who had designed many theaters in Minnesota and other northern states. In 2008, the recession caused the State Theater to close its doors to the public. By 2014, The State Theater had fallen into disrepair and was purchased by Alley A Realty. They are a family business who specializes in historic preservation and redevelopment. They are working with the State of Minnesota and the U.S. Department of Interior to restore the exterior and interior to its original condition.

Happy Days is a family cooperative preschool, created more than 40 years ago by a group of parents who realized the importance of early childhood education in the community. We are licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

Evergreen Restaurant Start your morning right with a hearty breakfast, take a break for lunch, or finish a busy day with a satisfying dinner at Evergreen Restaurant, a full-service dining establishment. Among the most popular options in Ely, MN dining, Evergreen provides a relaxing place to settle in for authentic Minnesota cuisine with a dash of creativity. As you enjoy your meal, take in stunning views of Shagawa Lake. Our distinctive brand of Ely dining is available all day, and our chef has carefully crafted menus to suit every taste. Enjoy an Outfitters Breakfast, a stack of Wilderness Blueberry Pancakes, or Grand Stuffed Potatoes. For lunch, savor one of our Border Lakes Burgers or a local favorite like the Walleye Land of 10,000 Lakes sandwich. The expansive dinner menu boasts an array of delectable dishes, like Caesar Prime Rib Sandwich, Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Chicken Florentine, Apple Cognac Grilled Pork Chop, or Bacon-Wrapped Pistachio Chicken Breast. Prime Rib and Walleye are also available nightly. Reward yourself and finish off any meal with a sweet selection of cheesecake, pies, and specialty cakes. Settle in with friends and family and enjoy a taste of Minnesota at Evergreen Restaurant with our grand menu options.

Ely Community Resource…helping make Ely a great place to grow up! Our mission is to foster positive youth development through activities designed to increase self-esteem, build a sense of community, and provide positive adult relationships that allow effective interventions.

At Ely’s Old-Fashioned Candy you can step back in time, be a kid again or have your kids experience something NEW that’s OLD. Featuring candy from as early as the 1800’s up to favorites of today and a touch of history. Select from over 100 bulk candies and Salt Water Taffy to create a personal mix. Handcrafted Chocolates, Truffles, Cotton Candy, Popcorn, Maple Syrup, old time pure cane sugar Sodas, Wildflower Honey, Jams and more. Our candies are sorted by the decade in which they were invented. Come see historic photos of Ely and read interesting stories/facts about how your favorite candy came to be… let us make your day a little sweeter!

How about getting away from cell phones and the shuffle of the city for a day or a week, more? Come on up north and catch more fish than you can imagine. With over a million acres of true wilderness and thousands of lakes to choose from, we have undoubtedly the best smallmouth fishing in North America. Wilderness walleyes? Nothing beats the reward of a little extra effort to get to those “secret” fishing holes. Experience an ‘age-gone-by’ traditional campfire cooked shore-lunch with freshly caught walleye. Then see some pristine waterfalls, northern lights or pictographs, maybe a moose? Northeast Minnesota has some of the best wing shooting for Ruffed and Spruce Grouse in the nation. Endless trails and solitude. Check out my package prices and discover the incredible value that Bushey Guide Service has to offer due to our lifelong experience in fishing, camping and guiding in the Northwoods and multiple referrals to prove it, I will create an experience that works for you.