Things to Do in Duluth, Minnesota

Canal Park is the heart of Duluth, joining the fabulous lakefront with the modern, busy city’s downtown. Much of what the city has to offer is related to Canal Park, one of the best things to do in Duluth, Minnesota. It is the gateway to Park Point, and it links the convention center with the Bayfront Park. It has a range of quaint art galleries, shops of all kinds, excellent restaurants, indoor and outdoor cafes, luxurious hotels, and all kinds of businesses.

From Canal Park, you can watch the Aerial Lift Bridge and giant freighters crossing the lake. You can also climb Vertical Endeavors, throw a ball at Adventure Zone, explore the art sculptures along the path, jog, stroll, bike, rollerblade, or even run a Grandma’s Marathon.

394 Lake Avenue South, Suite 314, Duluth, Minnesota, Phone: 218-722-6911

The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center is a museum located on South Lake Avenue near the Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth. Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the center overlooks the entrance to the Duluth-Superior harbor and is one of the best Duluth attractions. Established in 1973, the center includes exhibits that focus on the history and operations of commercial shipping in the upper Great Lakes as well as information about the Aerial Lift Bridge.

Some of the items in the center include a three story steam engine, a pilothouse, historically accurate replica cabins, 50 scale models of ships, the historic 1901 Fresnel Lens, and much more. The center has several education outreach programs and also hosts special events.

600 South Lake Avenue, Duluth, Minnesota, Phone: 218-720-5260

Attractions for Couples

Glensheen, the Historic Congdon Estate is a historic house museum operated by the University of Minnesota Duluth and one of the best things to do in Duluth, Minnesota. Sitting on more than seven acres on Lake Superior, the house contains 39 rooms. Built in the Jacobean style between 1905 and 1908, the mansion was the home of Chester Adgate Congdon and his family.

The house is surrounded by English style landscapes and formal terraced gardens; there are also trails and a vintage pier on the lake. One hour house tours are offered and tours of the grounds are also available. The facility can be rented for dinners, parties and weddings.

3300 London Road, Duluth, Minnesota, Phone: 218-726-8910

SS William A. Irvin is a lake freighter that is located on the waterfront of Lake Superior adjacent to the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center on Harbor Drive. It was the flagship of U.S. Steel’s Great Lakes Fleet. Launched in 1937 during the Great Depression, the ship served from 1938 until 1978 carrying coal and iron ore to U.S. Steel’s ports around the Great Lakes.

The ship also contained four private luxury cabins, a dining room, and a lounge for company guests of U.S. Steel. Today, visitors can tour these beautiful spaces decorated with oak, walnut, and brass. Visitors can also see the steam turbine engine and other parts of the ship.

The Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium of the University of Minnesota at Duluth was built in 1967 with a donation from Marshall William Alworth. The planetarium offers a range of one hour long public shows using the Spitz A3P Star Machine, which allows visitors to enjoy a splendid view of the night sky.

If you are wondering what to do in Duluth, Minnesota with kids, this is a great place to visit. With the GeoDeome Evolver projector, the planetarium staff takes visitors around the Solar System using Uniview software and gives them a tour of our moon or the entire Cosmos. Professional staff or volunteer members of the Arrowhead Astronomical Society present live shows.

1023 University Dr, Duluth, MN 55812, Phone: 218-726-7129

Located at the Historic Union Depot on West Michigan Street, the Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a historic railroad museum in Duluth. Built in 1892, the depot was a busy place during most of the 20th century: at one time as many as 50 trains a day left the depot. The depot closed in 1969 and restoration began in 1973 to create a museum.

The collection includes cabooses, diesel locomotives, electric locomotives, passenger cars, steam locomotives, and much more. The museum also operates the North Shore Scenic Railroad. This is a heritage railroad that takes passengers from the depot through Duluth, Canal Park, and along the shore of Lake Superior.

Historic Union Depot, 506 West Michigan Street, Duluth, Minnesota, Phone: 218-727-8025

The University of Minnesota Duluth Tweed Museum of Art is a teaching and art collecting institution. The seed of its collection of more than 9,000 art objects was the collection of 19th and 20th century American and European paintings donated by art collector Alice Tweed after the death of her husband. She also donated the funds for the current museum building, which opened in 1958.

The original collection and many subsequent acquisitions and gifts today represent many periods of art history and a range of cultures. The Tweed Museum of Art is now a major educational and cultural resource for Duluth and the Upper Midwest.

University of Minnesota Duluth Campus, 1201 Ordean Court, Duluth, Minnesota, Phone: 218-726-8222

Recommended Activities for Families

The Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is a nature preserve and hawk watching area located on East Skyline Parkway in Duluth. Established in 1951, the first migratory hawk watch lasted for just a few days. Later, this was increased to several months. The Duluth Audubon Society donated funds in 1972 to the City of Duluth to buy acreage at the top of Hawk Ridge; more land was purchased in 1973 and today the nature preserve is made up of 365 acres.

The observatory focuses on education and on protecting birds of prey and other migratory birds. Special programs are held at the education lecture area and the observatory also hosts hawk watching workshops.

3980 East Skyline Parkway, Duluth, Minnesota, Phone: 218-428-6209

What better way to learn than through imaginative play. The Duluth Children's Museum, located in Clyde Park, offers a range of interactive programs and fun facilities that kids and their parents can enjoy; they can play with a robot dinosaur, dig for ancient fossils, become royalty, and even explore the universe.

Duluth Children’s Museum has a collection of 25,000 unique historical artifacts. The museum allows children to experience theater, enjoy story time, get dirty with science, and so much more. Kids come to the museum, but the museum also comes to the kids by visiting schools and organizing field trips. If you are looking for fun activities in Duluth MN with kids, this is a great stop.

2125 W Superior St, Duluth, MN 55806, Phone: 218-733-7543

Spirit Mountain is an outdoor recreation area that was established in 1974, offering mountain biking, skiing, and snowboarding. Some of the slopes have views of Lake Superior and St. Louis Bay. Added in 2010, Timber Twister is an Alpine Coaster, the first in the Midwest.

Since then, several other attractions have been added: these make up the Spirit Mountain Adventure Park and include the Timber Flyer Zip Line, a nine hole mini golf course, and a snow tubing park. The Chalet on Grand Avenue houses the Riverside Bar & Grill. Programs include skiing and snowboarding lessons for various age groups.