Naniboujou Lodge and Restaurant

Going to Naniboujou Lodge and Restaurant is like stepping back in time to the 1930’s. We stopped at Naniboujou for lunch after a morning hike to Devil’s Kettle waterfalls at Judge C. R. Magney State Park. The vibrant colors and patterns are eye catching and definitely get your attention. The dining room is an amazing piece of artwork. The beauty can be seen in photos but pales in comparison to being there and seeing it in person.

The History of Naniboujou

Built in the late 1920’s, Naniboujou Lodge and Restaurant is named after the Cree spirit of the outdoors. Originally a membership was sought and members included celebrities like Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, and others. Financial hard times came during the Great Depression and led to foreclosure in 1930’s. Most of the land became part of Judge C. R. Magney State Park, but the lakeshore property on which the original Lodge is located remained private property. Throughout the years the Lodge has been owned and operated by a variety of corporations and individuals or families. Naniboujou has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places to keep it protected for all to enjoy for the future.

Naniboujou today

The Lodge and Restaurant is located fifteen minutes north of Grand Marais, Minnesota on Highway 61. The Lodge and Restaurant are located along the shore of Lake Superior. Some of the rooms at the lodge come with views of the lake and all the visitors can enjoy a stroll along the waters edge. The restaurant has incredible food to go with the amazing dining room.

Between the two of us, we ordered a Wild Rice Burger with mushrooms and a Naniboujou Club Sandwich. We split our food so we could experience the taste of each meal. Our meals were so delicious and full of flavor; even though we were both getting full at the end, we couldn’t leave until our plates were clean. Naniboujou Lodge and Restaurant is a great place to get some food and take in some history at the same time.