The Big Fish is a roadside attraction located three miles west of Bena, Minnesota in the unorganized territory of North Cass.
[3] The idea of constructing a large fish to act as an attraction for tourists was conceived by Wayne Kumpula, owner of a bar on busy U.S. Route 2.
[6] Kumpula designed and built the Big Muskie Drive-In in 1958; the restaurant originally served hamburgers and ice cream.
[9] The Preservation Alliance referred to the fish as "the superlative example of Minnesota's biggest aquatic life form, the muskie.
[12][4] A postcard image of the fish also appears in the opening credits of the 1983 film National Lampoon's Vacation.