Duluth, MN Travel Guide
Port city situated on the north shore of Lake Superior at the westernmost point of the Great Lakes, Duluth is the largest metropolitan area and by far the largest and busiest port on the Great Lakes
Places to See in Duluth
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Aerial Lift Bridge
Landmark in the port city of Duluth, Minnesota began life in 1905 as the United States' first transporter bridge where span was converted to a vertical-lift bridge and continues to operate today
No machine-readable author provided. Jakes19 assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted
Canal Park
Recreation-oriented district connected by the Aerial Lift Bridge across the Duluth Ship Canal to the Park Point sandbar and neighborhood is largely a conversion of an old warehouse district into restaurants, shops, cafés, and hotels
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Enger Tower
80-foot (24 m), five-story stone observation tower atop Enger Hill
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Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Railroad museum focusing on railroading in the Lake Superior region and operates the North Shore Scenic Railroad, which runs excursion trains using historic rail equipment
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Minnesota Point
Long, narrow sand spit that extends out from the Canal Park tourist recreation-oriented district of the city of Duluth
Duluth is a port city in Minnesota. Duluth is about 65 miles south of the Superior National Forest and the Sawtooth Mountains.
Duluth forms a metropolitan area with neighboring Superior, Wisconsin; together, they are called the Twin Ports. The city is named for Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, the area's first known European explorer.
Situated on the north shore of Lake Superior at the westernmost point of the Great Lakes, Duluth is the largest metropolitan area (and second-largest city) on the lake and is accessible to the Atlantic Ocean 2,300 miles (3,700 km) away via the Great Lakes Waterway and St. Lawrence Seaway. The Port of Duluth is the world's farthest inland port accessible to oceangoing ships, and by far the largest and busiest port on the Great Lakes.
A tourist destination for the Midwest, Duluth features the United States' only all-freshwater aquarium, the Great Lakes Aquarium; the Aerial Lift Bridge, which is adjacent to Canal Park and spans the Duluth Ship Canal into the Duluth-Superior harbor; and Minnesota Point (known locally as Park Point), the world's longest freshwater baymouth bar, spanning 6 miles (10 km). The city is also the starting point for vehicle trips touring the North Shore of Lake Superior toward Ontario, Canada.
The Aerial Lift Bridge (earlier known as the "Aerial Bridge" or "Aerial Ferry Bridge") was built in 1905 and at that time was known as the United States' first transporter bridge—only one other was ever constructed in the country. In 1929–30, the span was converted to a vertical lift bridge (also rather uncommon). The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Duluth's canal connects Lake Superior to the Duluth-Superior harbor and the Saint Louis River. It is spanned by the Aerial Lift Bridge, which connects Canal Park with Minnesota Point (or "Park Point"). Minnesota Point is about 7 miles (11 km) long, and when included with adjacent Wisconsin Point, which extends 3 miles (4.8 km) from the city of Superior, Wisconsin, is the largest freshwater baymouth bar in the world at a total of 10 miles (16 km).
The city is popular for tourism. Duluth is a convenient base for trips to the scenic North Shore via Highway 61 and to fishing and wilderness destinations in Minnesota's far north, including the Superior National Forest, Lake Vermilion and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Tourists also may drive on the North Shore Scenic Drive to Gooseberry Falls State Park, Baptism Falls (Minnesota's largest waterfall), the vertical cliff of Palisade Head, Isle Royale National Park (reached via ferry), Grand Portage National Monument in Grand Portage, and High Falls of the Pigeon River (on the Canada-US border). Thunder Bay, Ontario, can be reached by following the highway into Canada along Lake Superior.
The Historic Old Central High School, built in 1892 of locally quarried sandstone, houses an 1890s classroom museum. It features a 230-foot (70 m) clock tower with chimes patterned after Big Ben in London; the clock faces are each 10+1⁄2 feet (3.2 m) in diameter, overlooking the Duluth harbor.
The Aerial Lift Bridge, spanning the Duluth Ship Canal into Duluth's harbor, is a vertical lift bridge. It was originally an exceedingly rare aerial transfer bridge—a bridge that slides a basketlike "gondola" back and forth to transfer people and vehicles from one side to the other.
The Lake Superior Railroad Museum is in the Duluth Union Depot. It has seven steam, 14 diesel, and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock. The collection includes the William Crooks, the first locomotive to operate in the state of Minnesota, and the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway Number 227, a "Yellowstone" locomotive that was among the largest steam engines ever. Only 18 Yellowstones were ever built, and Duluth exhibits one of the three that remain.
Minnesota sits in the path of many avian flyways, and migratory birds pass over the state in great numbers. Hawk Ridge, on Skyline Parkway, is one of the nation's top spots for viewing migratory raptors.
Enger Tower is an 80-foot (24 m), five-story blue stone observation tower atop Enger Hill in Duluth. The tower providing panoramic views of the Twin Ports. Each of the tower's levels has a lookout accessible by stairs. A green beacon mounted atop the tower can be seen for many miles. Free admission and near unlimited access to the tower during park hours make this attraction popular among visitors and locals.
The North Shore Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad that operates between Duluth and Two Harbors, Minnesota. It is owned by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum and offers several different types of passenger excursion trains between May 28 and October 15 each year. The railroad was started in 1990, using the Lakefront Line once owned by the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway.
The original brewery was built in 1857 on a stream that came to be known as Brewery Creek; it was purchased by Michael Fink in 1881 and moved downstream to its present location on Superior Street. Fink's Lake Superior Brewery hired a new brewmaster, August Fitger, a graduate of one of Germany's premier brewing schools, and the brewery was renamed A. Fitger & Co. / Lake Superior Brewery. The brewery was successful and stayed in operation even through prohibition but finally closed in 1972 after 115 years of continual operation, making it the oldest business in Duluth. The complex was reopened in 1984 and contains a craft brewery, several restaurants, hotels, shops, and a museum. Fitger's Brewery Complex is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Canal Park is a district with recreation activities, restaurants, cafés, hotels, and shops, especially those dealing in antiques. Formerly a warehouse district, the area converted to a recreation-oriented district following the decline in manufacturing in the 1980s. A 2.6-mile (4.2 km) walking path offers views of Park Point's sand dunes and swimming beaches. Attractions include a lighthouse pier, Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, Great Lakes Aquarium, the William A. Irvin floating ship museum, and the annual Bayfront Blues Festival in Bayfront Festival Park.
The Glensheen Historic Estate, on the shore of Lake Superior, was built as the family home for wealthy businessman Chester Adgate Congdon. Glensheen sits on 7.6 acres (3.1 ha) of lakefront property, has 38 rooms and is built in the Jacobean architectural tradition, inspired by the Beaux-Arts styles of the era. The building was designed by Minnesota architect Clarence H. Johnston Sr., with interiors designed by William French. The formal terraced garden and English-style landscape was designed by the Charles Wellford Leavitt firm of New York. Construction began in 1905 and was completed in 1908. Aside from its architectural significance, Glensheen is noteworthy for the murders of Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse on June 27, 1977. The mansion is open to tours year-round.
Duluth has numerous parks, including six parks on Lake Superior: Brighton Beach Park, Leif Erickson Park, Canal Park on Park Point, the Lakewalk (connecting Canal Park and Leif Erickson Park via the lakeshore), Lafayette Park on Park Point, and Park Point Recreation Area near the end of Park Point, where a sand beach invites swimming in the lake. Park Point Pine Forest, located at the tip of Park Point, is popular for bird watching in the spring and fall when numerous shore birds use the area as a resting point during their migration.
Duluth's other parks include Lester Park, Congdon Park, Hartley Park, Chester Park, the Rose Garden (next to Leif Erickson Park), Bayfront Festival Park, Cascade Park, Enger Park, Lincoln Park, Brewer Park, Fairmount Park, Indian Point Park, Magney–Snively Park, and Fond du Lac Park, as well as some small neighborhood parks and athletic fields. Lester Park, Congdon Park, Hartley Park, and Chester Park have trail systems, and three of these parks—all except Hartley—also have waterfalls, as does Lincoln Park. Hartley Park also has a nature center. Lester Park and Enger Park have public golf courses. Fairmount Park has the Lake Superior Zoo.
Located within Leif Erikson Park and overlooking Lake Superior, the Duluth Rose Garden is a formal English style garden with more than 3,000 rose bushes and 12,000 non-rose plantings, including day lilies, evergreen shrubs, mixed perennials and an herb garden. The rose varieties are labeled and there are signs that give information on the rose's history and culture. The six acre garden grows in soil resting over a highway tunnel that encloses the termination point of the freeway entering Duluth. Brick walkways connect all of the beds and there are many benches in the garden that resemble stone sofas. There is an antique horse fountain and a marble gazebo. The garden is a popular place for summer outdoor weddings.
Jay Cooke State Park is a Minnesota state park located about ten miles (16 km) southwest of Duluth. The park is situated along the Saint Louis River, and is the site of a canoe portage used by Native Americans, European explorers, fur traders, Voyageurs, coureurs des bois, and missionaries of the 18th and 19th centuries. The river was a vital link connecting the Mississippi River waterways to the west with the Great Lakes to the east. The park is noted for its Rustic Style historical structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1933 and 1942. All the major landmarks in Jay Cooke Park are built with local basalt or gabbro stone and dark planks and logs. Three districts of the park are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The park offers camping, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and kayaking. Park rangers hold over 400 naturalist outreach events each year including nature walks, evening campfire talks, snowshoe-building lessons, and geocaching.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Duluth, Minnesota" which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0