The Big Fish

The Big Fish, three miles west of Bena near Lake Winnibigoshish in northern Minnesota, is a 65-foot wooden building shaped like a muskie and one of the state’s best-known roadside attractions. Built in 1958 by Wayne Kumpula as the Big Muskie Drive-In, it drew travelers on U.S. Route 2 with food served inside the fish-shaped structure. Its restaurant role ended quickly, becoming a souvenir stand in 1963, and after the Big Fish Supper Club opened beside it in 1972, the fish was used mostly for storage. Despite that, it gained renown as a distinctive example of Minnesota roadside architecture, was restored after serious deterioration, and remains a popular local landmark.

Minnesota · United States