Retired Minnesota Zoo Monorail Cars Transformed Into Private Cabins

The Minnesota Zoo Monorail in 1998Photo: Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune (Getty Images)

Ten years ago, the Minnesota Zoo decommissioned its monorail after 34 years of service. The dated facility attraction was taken down after reaching the end of life with no options at the time to replace it. However, many of its components were still worth something. A St. Paul resident bought one of the monorail’s trains and converted it into a set of vacation cabins.

KMSP reported that Gabe Emerson bought a monorail train for $1,000 and then spent another $6,000 to move the cars to a friend’s property in western Wisconsin. Emerson converted the six cars into lodging cabins for weekend trips with friends while the driver’s cab is now a personal museum to the monorail’s tenure at the Minnesota Zoo.

Emerson was inspired by conversion projects that have turned decommissioned airlines into homes. He told the TV station:

“Originally we kind of wanted something like a jet fuselage, but this was a little more local and easier to obtain than all the jets out in the southwest somewhere. It’s a little harder to get a hold of one of those.”

“I think it’s pretty fun. I’ve always been into history and I enjoy being able to preserve something that’s a part of local history here and have it stay at least somewhat local, if not right in Minnesota, then at least it’s nearby.”

Minnesota Zoo Treetop Trail Concept

Minnesota Zoo for its part has found a new purpose of the monorail’s disused tracks. The zoo decided to convert the elevated line into a pedestrian path overlooking the facility. The Treetop Trail was inspired by other similar projects, like the High Line in New York City. The 1.25-mile path opens tomorrow.