The Coolest Visitor Center In Minnesota Has A View Of The World's Biggest Lake
By Trent Jonas|Published July 22, 2023
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Trent Jonas
Author
Trent Jonas came to Minnesota to attend college - and never left. He's a Twin Cities-based writer with a BA in English and a MFA in creative writing, a Minnesota Master Naturalist, and the proud father of two adult children. With more than a decade of freelance writing experience under his belt, Trent is often out exploring his favorite topics: Minnesota's woods, lakes, and trails. Rhubarb pie is his weakness, so discovering new diners is also a passion.
One Duluth, Minnesota visitor center may just be the coolest visitor center in the state. The Army Corps of Engineers’ Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center is located right on the water in Canal Park, and it’s really a spot worth exploring the next time you’re in Duluth.
The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center is located directly on the canal in Duluth's Canal Park district.
You may notice the ship in the background of this photo. When foreign-flagged vessels wish to enter the port, they must lie at anchor on the lake until they clear customs and are granted permission to enter.
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Inside the visitor center, you'll find a museum with exhibits about the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior, Great Lakes shipping and ecology, and information about the ships, themselves.
On the upper floor of the visitor center, you can even take the wheel in the pilothouse of a lakeboat - with a view of the canal and the lake before you.
The visitor center's biggest crowds arrive whenever a ship passes under the lift bridge in the canal. Crowds line the breakwall, as the visitor center announces the vessel and some fun facts about it. It's always a spectacle worth planning for!
To see what I mean, check out this video from YouTuber Vibe With Mike:
Whenever I go to Duluth or onward to the North Shore, I stop in at the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center and try to time my visit with the arrival or departure of a ship. The visitor center offers a shipping schedule on its website, along with a ton of other information. If you plan to stay in Duluth and want to be close to the water, there’s a fantastic carriage house on VRBO that you may want to check out. You’ll also find plenty of other accommodations in the Canal Park area.
Have you visited the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center? What are some other awesome visitor centers in Minnesota? Let us know in the comments!
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