Hanger Hits The Road: Moose Lake

City Is Home To World's Largest Agate

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In this edition of Hanger Hits the Road, we check out Moose Lake, where it’s got a world-record title besides its world class lakes, as FOX 21’s Dan Hanger reports.

Like many Northland communities, the city of Moose Lake has all of the outdoor recreation Minnesota has to offer.

But with a population only around 2,700, Moose Lake has a different type of hidden gem you can’t find anywhere else in the world!

“It stays right there. It’s not a traveling exhibit. Not at 108 pounds,” explained Craig Prudhomme, with the Moose Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.

Just inside the doors of First National Bank downtown is the world’s largest agate on record.

It’s just another reason this city is known as the agate capital of the world — located 45 minutes south west of Duluth in Carlton County.

“I would bet could be sold for a couple thousand dollars, at least,” Prudhomme explained of the big agate.

If you didn’t know, agates are semi-precious gemstones that are formed with minerals in empty pockets of rocks over hundreds — if not thousands — of years.

“The beautiful, smooth concentric layers can be anywhere from white to green to purple to blue to red — and people just love them,” Prudhomme said.

The city is so into its agates. residents even hold an annual Agate Stampede” downtown on Elm Avenue where thousands flock from all over the country to get their hands in on the fun.

“I hate to say, occasionally people fight over them,” Prudhomme said with a little laughter.

So for Moose Lake, it’s the small-town charm in the land of 10,000 lakes where you can also see the historic piece of gemstone — and it’s all just a short stop off Interstate 35.