Porky's, the St. Paul drive-in that recently closed after decades of serving up burgers and onion rings, was being slimmed down Monday in preparation for a move to near Hastings as a tourist attraction.

An online auction last week emptied the building along University Avenue of its contents. The famed smiling pig sign was put in storage.

The fate of the red-and-white checkered building, which preservationists feared would be reduced to rubble soon after its last day of business on April 3, was left unresolved until Monday.

The smallish structure has been sold and will be erected at the Little Log House Pioneer Village in Marshan Township, said Steve Bauer, whose family operates the 160-acre site south of Hastings.

"It is being prepped for removal," said Porky's owner Tryg Truelson, who is selling the land to the neighboring Episcopal Homes senior housing facility on University. "Little Log House will be preserving the building [and carport] to its original condition. We are happy with the outcome."

While the 24-year-old village's title might suggest an emphasis more on horse and buggy rather than horsepower, "We have a wide range of eras going on, from the early 1800s to car garages that are from the '50s and '60s," said Angie Bauer, Steve's daughter.

Star Tribune, Star Tribune
Porky's is moving from University Avenue in St. Paul to Hastings, where it will be a tourist attraction.

Steve Bauer said he's confident that Porky's will receive its first public visitors by the end of July.

But first, the Bauers must partly dismantle Porky's so it can fit on the road for the 30-mile trek.

At the time of closing, the building was 40 feet long, 34 feet wide and stood about 30 feet tall at its very tip, Steve Bauer said. He said the building's length is OK, but that it is 2 feet too wide and 16 feet too tall to clear the stoplights.

The estimated two-hour move will happen this week, but it must be at least one hour after the bars close and before dawn, he said, adding that the State Patrol will determine the exact route.

"The [Truelson] family really want to see this saved, so they were very agreeable" about the building's sale price, Steve Bauer said. "We are extremely thankful that they were willing to work with us to preserve this for generations to come."

Erin Hanafin Berg, whose Preservation Alliance of Minnesota spearheaded a hastily arranged campaign to save Porky's, said, "We would rather see them keep [the building] closer to the original location, but it's definitely better than seeing it in a landfill."

Once public visits to Porky's new home start, Steve Bauer said, there might even be Porky's-style food served "on special occasions."

The Bauers' village has long been a favorite for weddings, and he said there is "no question" that Porky's will be a setting for nuptials.

And what about the big pig sign?

Tryg Truelson, and his mother, Nora, are hoping to establish some kind of Porky's food booth in time for the next State Fair. Nora Truelson said she hopes that the iconic sign would be part of a fair presence.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482