I've driven by this place numerous times and I've been wanting to stop by for some time now. Today…read moreI stopped by because I had other errands to do. From first glance you may think this might be some antique or thrift store but it's not quite that at all. It's an art gallery and most of the items are made from separte dealers. There is so much to look at from dishes, to home decorations, pieces of art to hang on the wall, jewlery, magnets, and other great things to fill your home. The service here was wonderful and I managed to find a nature themed picture frame that had bark all around it. Cant wait to ad it to our nature area in our home from all of our hikes and kayaking trips. My only one complaint is that it is an art/ thrift store and they charge for the "fine" art that is there. It's a bit on the spendy side so if your looking for a cheap gift, it's not going to be here, but it sure will make a pretty one. Thanks for reading. #Schroyerfamilydaily #schroyersgarage

Not sure what more you could ask for in an antique/thrift store other than more more more…read more Wandering in, I found it well-appointed, neat, and tidy with a wide selection. Especially standing out were collections of smalls. Check out my post at tundrabites.com

Piragis bookstore was a great place to browse. Quiet, well lit with lots of interesting unknown and…read morealso known titles. Books seemed thoughtfully chosen; a good nature section and kids section. Will return!

Was in town, shopping for souvenirs. I probably should have purchased the hot sauce they were…read moreselling, but at $6 a bottle, I thought it was overpriced. I would have been thrilled if you could get all 3 bottles for a discount, but that wasn't happening. They have a ton of t shirts for sale here. We picked up one for Ely, MN for about $25. They have a men's side and a women's side. The women's side had a ton of apparel. I found a cute shirt and shorts on sale. The fitting room is right there by the stairwell. I love a good sale. These times were not for Ely, they were just hiking/camping brands of clothing, but that's ok. A lot of the women's stuff was fairly plain. The back of the store has restrooms, art, and camping/fishing supplies. The front of the store has weapons and shoes. In fact, the gal who makes the moccasins was right there in the store, putting them together in real time! It was so cool to see how she was manipulating the leather. We did not take the stairs up to the second level; it appeared to be more of a bookstore up there. Parking is on the street.

The best shopping around! Anytime I have a quick gift need, timeless Scandinavian ideas are found…read morehere. Stop if you can!

Exceptional gift shop including Scandinavian tableware, Le Cruset cookware, cooking tools, gourmet…read morefood ítems, jewelry, sauna accessories.

I've done a run with Chilly Dogs in December 2021 and December 2025, and both were incredible! The…read moremost recent time we took our almost-6 year old and our 2.5 year old. The youngest fell asleep on me in the sled, he was so relaxed! Definitely beautiful scenery, great time meeting the dogs in the kennels before the trip. Jake and Jessica and their whole family do a really great job of sharing how the dogs live and train, and dispelling any myths about sled dogs and dogs in general. We travel to Ely often, so we will be back for years to come!

The family has been coming to Ely for the last 80 years for summer vacations. Today was our first…read moretime coming to Ely in the winter. What a wonderful experience chilly dogs gave us. They are extremely professional and give you a peek into a world we would have never been able to experience. Jake, his guides and family are wonderful. Big shout out to Lilly who was my guide on my sled was amazing. If you looking to have the winter experience of sled dogging use Chilly Dog Sled dogs with Jake his family and guides to take you. They explain how the experience will be and really listen to you. They are the experts listen to them on winter clothing and how to pilot your sled of dogs. The story of giving retired race dogs is amazing and what a great cause to support while enjoying the beautiful winter wonderland of MN.

I don't have enough great things to say about Steve and Ginny and the rest of the crew at Spirit of…read morethe Wilderness. We were out on Knife Lake on Tuesday July 14 2026 (the day of the closure and evacuation of the wilderness). I had rented a one way Spot and picked up my permit from Spirit. Unfortunately with the device we had no one could communicate with us, but the crew at Spirit was tracking us and keeping everyone back home aware of our situation. After we got back into Ely, they even offered a bunkhouse for us to stay the night before heading home.

Five stars isn't enough for this crew. We fish with Craig at Lake Vermilion Fishing Guides just…read moreabout every year, and our Boundary Waters trips into Basswood are the ones we talk about all winter. From the first phone call he asks the right questions about what you want out of the day, then builds the whole trip around it. Getting into the BWCA on your own takes real planning, but Craig handles all of it, and once you're out there you've got world-class fishing with almost nobody around. He reads the water, adjusts constantly, and genuinely cares that everyone on board catches fish. He handles the big fish with real care too, quick photos and healthy releases. This is what a professional guide service should be. We're already planning next year's trip.

First of all, there's very little "Surplus" here, as during my recent visit, the merchandise looked…read moreall well stocked and new. The person at the counter subsequently informed me that the current owner kept the name when it was purchased from the previous occupant. Nonetheless, I found what I needed quickly, thought the price was reasonable, and was pleased both as I left, and subsequently when I put them to use. What did I buy? Knee high rubber boots. Our Moose Track Adventures canoe trip guide had a pair on that I admired, and since I needed a pair for an upcoming trip to the Peruvian Amazon, that was good enough for me. At the end of the Amazon trip, we were asked whether we wished to donate the boots. I liked the fit, comfort, and versatility of my LaCrosse boots so much that I declined in favor of my next Earthwatch adventure.

An excellent place to go for the basics when you're up north. Every time I'm in Ely, I swing by…read more Prices are generally better than your typical REI, etc. Not exactly what I would call "surplus" since most of the items seem to be new. The space is also pretty small, so it can seem cramped with other people in the store.

Beautiful showroom, attentive assistance, excellent product display, human engineered product fit,…read moreand assured product maintenance materials. Superior product design offers the utmost in comfort under the coldest temperature conditions.

For those of you that live where the weather turns frigid and frost bite is a real danger, these…read moreboots are for you! I've spent extended time outside is temperatures well below freezing and my feet stayed toasty warm in my Mukluk boots. You can order online, but it is well worth your time if you get near Minnesota to venture to the quaint northern town of Ely and get fitted for the perfect pair of boots. I spent a week chaperoning middle schoolers in -20 degree cold in northern Minnesota and my Steger Mukluks saw me through. My eyelashes were frozen, but my feet were warm and comfy in my "Arctic" Mukluk boots. You have perhaps seen "Mukluk" brands at some chain department stores and that's fine, but for true hardcore outdoor boots Steger Mukluk is the place to visit.