Some Favorite Places
Hill Annex State Park Mine Tour
Calumet: on Hwy. 169
218-247-7215, mnstateparks.info
Bus tour descending into open pit mine;
also, fossil tours. In summer, Wed.-Sat.
$$ plus state park permit.
Minnesota Discovery Center
Chisholm: Hwy. 169
800-372-6437, mndiscoverycenter.com
History and heritage of Iron Range;
museum exhibits, historic homesteads,
folk art demonstrations, trolley tours.
Tues.-Sun. (Trolley is seasonal.) $
Glensheen Estate
Duluth: London Rd. north of downtown
888-454-4536, glensheen.org
Tours of 1908 Congdon mansion,
carriage house, gardens. Daily Memorial
Day weekend to mid-Oct; weekends rest
of year. $$$
Great Lakes Aquarium
Duluth: 353 Harbor Drive
218-740-3474, glaquarium.org
Lake Superior fish, birds, otters; touch
tanks and interactive exhibits.
Open daily. $$$
Great Lakes Floating Maritime Museum
Duluth: Harbor Drive, Canal Park
218-722-7876, duluthfloatingmuseum.com
Guided tours of the William A. Irvin ore
freighter. Daily late Apr. through Sept. $$
Vista Fleet Cruises
Duluth: Harbor Drive, Canal Park
218-722-6218, vistafleet.com
Narrated sightseeing and dinner cruises
in Duluth harbor. Daily mid-May
through mid-Oct. $$$
Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center
Duluth: 600 Lake Ave. So., Canal Park
218-720-5260, lsmma.com
218-722-6489 Boat Watchers Hotline
Films, model ships and exhibits on
commercial fishing on Lake Superior.
Open daily spring-late Dec.; Fri.-Sun. in
winter. Free
International Wolf Center
Ely: Hwy. 169 east of downtown
218-365-4695, wolf.org
Excellent exhibits on wolves, resident
wolf pack, interpretive programs, field
trips. Daily mid-May through Sept.;
Fri.-Sat. rest of year. $$
North American Bear Center
Ely: 1 mile W on Hwy. 169
877-365-7879, bear.org
Videos, exhibits and programs on
bear behavior; live bears in wooded
enclosure. Daily May-Oct. Fri. & Sat.
Dec.-Apr. $$
Grand Portage National Monument
Grand Portage: Off Hwy. 61
218-475-0123, nps.gov/grpo
Reconstruction of a 1780s North West
Company stockade with interpreters in
historical clothing; focus on fur trade
history and Ojibwe Indian culture. Open
daily Memorial Day weekend to
mid-Oct.
High Falls of the Pigeon River
Grand Portage State Park
Grand Portage: 6 mi. north on Hwy. 61
218-475-2360, mnstateparks.info
Half-mile easy trail to overlooks of scenic
120-foot waterfalls, the highest in
Minnesota.
Forest History Center
Grand Rapids: Co. Rd. 76, off Hwy. 169
& Hwy. 2
218-327-4482, mnhs.org
Recreated 1900 logging camp with
costumed characters, fire tower, 1930s
ranger cabin. Tues.-Sat. in summer. $$
North American Bear Center
Voyageurs National Park
International Falls: Four entry points
off Hwy. 53
218-283-6600, nps.gov/voya
Naturalist programs, boat tours, hiking
trails, exhibits at visitors’ centers. Park
open year-round. Fees for cruises.
Lutsen Mountains
Lutsen: Off Hwy. 61
218-406-1320, lutsen.com
Alpine slide, mountain tram ride, hiking
center; largest downhill ski area in
Midwest. Daily mid-June to mid-Oct.;
skiing daily in winter. Fees vary by activity.
North West Company Fur Post
Pine City: Hwy. 7 west of I-35
320-629-6356, mnhs.org
Replica of 1804 winter fur post and Ojibwe
encampment. Thurs.-Mon. in summer
(for special events in winter). $$
Soudan Underground Mine State Park
Soudan: on Hwy. 169
218-753-2245, mnstateparks.info
Mine tours with stories of mining a century
ago; also tour an underground physics lab.
Daily Memorial Day weekend through
Sept. $$
Bois Forte Heritage Center
Tower: Off Co. Rd. 77 at Fortune Bay Resort
218-753-6017, boisforte.com
Exhibits on Bois Forte Ojibwe Indian history
and culture. Tues.-Sat. year-round. $
Split Rock Lighthouse
Two Harbors: Hwy. 61 20 mi. NE of
Two Harbors
218-226-6372, mnhs.org
Tours of 1910 lighthouse, fog-signal
building and light keeper’s home;
visitors’ center with film and exhibits.
Open daily mid-May to mid-Oct. $$
Soudan Underground Mine
Admission fees (based on regular adult admission): $=$5 or less $$=$6-10 $$$=$11-15 $$$$ =$16 and up
