Historic Attractions
Duluth
Clayton, Jackson, McGhie Memorial
Second Avenue East & First Street
www.claytonjacksonmcghie.org
The Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial was dedicated on October 10, 2003 to the memory of three African American men who were wrongfully accused of a crime they did not commit. On June 15th, 1920, they were lynched for this crime. The memorial found in Downtown Duluth is the only United States monument of its scale dedicated to victims of lynching.
Glensheen, the Historic Congdon Estate
3300 London Road
Duluth, MN 55804
218-726-8910
www.glensheen.org
Glensheen, the historic Congdon estate, consists of a 7.6-acre expanse of wooded land that enfolds the 39-room Jacobean Revival mansion. “The interiors of the mansion have endured, boasting nearly all of the same furnishings and décor that graced the rooms when estate was completed in 1908.” Guided tours are offered year-round and the mansion may be reserved for events ranging from business meetings to weddings.
Karpeles Manuscript Museum
902 East First Street
Duluht, MN 55805
218-728-0630
www.rain.org/~karpeles/dulfrm.html
The Karpeles Manuscript Museum “is located in a former Christian Scientist Church building built in 1912. The structure is a beautiful building with a large main floor exhibit hall. As the ceiling is high, the acoustics are excellent and the building is very suitable for musical concerts and other programs.” The museum provides lectures to schools in the region as well as providing a School Outreach Program allowing duplications of original documents to be displayed in schools throughout the greater Duluth area.
Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center
600 South Lake Avenue
Duluth, MN 55802
218-727-2497
www.lsmma.com
The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center is free and open to the public. Located on the waterfront in Canal Park, it looks upon the historic Fresnel Lens which once lit the Inner Range Light on the South Pier of the Duluth Ship Canal right across from the Maritime Center. Within the museum, visitors can enjoy a look around at the many scale models of ships as well as interactive displays for all ages.
Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad
71st Avenue West & Grand Avenue
218-624-7549
www.LSMRR.org
The train ride along the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad follows the last six miles of the 1870s track of the first train into Duluth. This route runs from the Grand Avenue ticket office along the St. Louis River, allowing for excellent views of nature and wildlife on the fully narrated tour.
Lake Superior Railroad Museum
506 West Michigan Street
Duluth, MN 55802
218-733-7590
www.lsrm.org
The Lake Superior Railroad Museum works in conjunction with the North Shore Scenic Railroad to offer one of the richest historic experiences in railroading available. The beautiful French Chateauesque building was completed in 1892 and contains, along with the trains on display, the Depot Square which is a 3/4 scale re-creation of Duluth’s downtown in 1910.
North Shore Scenic Railroad
506 West Michigan Street
Duluth, MN 55802
218-722-1273
www.northshorescenicrailroad.org
On the North Shore Scenic Railraod, history comes alive for riders. During the summer equipment from the Railroad Museum transitions from its place on display to become part of a working railroad. Several trains each day depart throughout the season from the historical Union Depot. They take a trip along the Lakefront through Downtown Duluth, Canal Park, and along the shore of Lake Superior into the majestic North woods. The historic tour offered is fully narrated for full enjoyment and education of visitors.
St. Louis County Historical Society Museum
506 West Michigan Street
Duluth, MN 55802
218-733-7585
www.thehistorypeople.org
The St. Louis County Historical Society Museum serves St. Louis county as well as greater Northeastern Minnesota with a purpose of “discovery, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge about the history and prehistory of St. Louis County and the State of Minnesota.”
S.S. William A. Irvin Ore Boat Museum
350 Harbor Drive
Duluth, MN 557802
218-722-7876
www.decc.org/ omnimax-irvin/william-a-irvin.html
www.duluthhauntedship/com
The S.S. William A. Irvin provides entertainment in the form of an ore boat with a 2,000 horsepower steam turbine engine that also contains an array of delicate antique fixtures. The ship is docked along the waterfront of Lake Superior next to the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center and near the Aerial Lift Bridge and provides tours from May through September with a special Haunted Ship featured in October.
Top Hat Carriage Service
408 1/2 Canal Park Drive
(Canal park Drive & Morse Street)
Duluth, MN 55802
218-269-3251
Downtown, in the tourist area of Canal Park business district, throughout the busy tourist season tourists can enjoy a leisurely ride from the Top Hat Carriage Service. Weather permitting, these rides give a beautiful view of Lake Superior along their path. Also offered during the winter months are dogsled rides, which can be arranged by appointment.
Veterans’ Memorial Hall
506 West Michigan Street
Duluth, MN 55802
218-733-7500
www.vets-hall.org
Veterans’ Memorial Hall is housed within the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center (aka the Depot) and is a joint project of the St. Louis County Historical Society and the United States Military service veterans of northeastern Minnesota. The hall serves as a place to display the collected veterans’ stories and artifacts in a permanent exhibit which provides an education to the public and preserves the rich human experience of veterans.
Minnesota North Shore / Eastern Arrowhead
Chick-Wauk Museum and Nature Center
28 Moose Pond Drive
Grand Marais, MN 55604
218-388-9915
www.chick-wauk.com
The Nature Center is composed of a network of nature trails which crisscrosses Chik-Wauk’s 50-acre grounds. Interpretive and interactive displays in the museum present the Gunflint Trail’s cultural and natural history from its prehistoric beginnings to the development of today’s unique, rural community. The Museum and Nature Center is open daily from 10-5 from Memorial Day weekend – mid October. Admission is $3 for an individual, $6 for a family. Members of the Gunflint Trail Historical Society may go through the museum free of charge.
Cook County Historical Society Museum
8 South Broadway
Grand Marais, MN
218-387-2883
www.cookcountyhistory.org
The museum is in Grand Marais and is located at 8 South Broadway in the Lighthouse Keeper’s House on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Cross River Heritage Center
7932 West Highay 61
Schroeder, MN 55613
218-663-7706
www.crossriverheritage.org
The Cross River Heritage Center brings out the heritage of the North Shore. Located in Schroeder, MN on the North Shore of Lake Superior, it has a distinguishing Tudor-style architecture and was originally built in 1929. Its unusual architecture makes it the only Tudor building in Cook County since its construction.
Finland Minnesota Heritage Site
5653 Little Marais Road
Finland, MN 55603
www.finlandmnhistoricalsociety.com
The Finland Minnesota Heritage Site is a site for variety. It is home to many attractions including the Heritage Museum (built by volunteers), John Pine Homestead, Fenstad Utility Building, the Heritage Site Marlis Runnberg Memorial Orchard, Original Park Hill School, Heritage Sauna, and Blacksmith Shop, as well as an updated Visitor Center and Hiking Trailhead.
Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center
170 Mile Creek Road
Grand Portage, MN 55605
218-475-0123
www.nps.gov/grpo/index.htm
The Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center opened on August 10, 2007 with a commitment to honor the area’s history, people and culture. The 16,600-square-foot, $4 million building is located on a rocky hill overlooking the reconstructed fur-trading post. It features pine pillars that rise from the basement to the roofs pointing out the Four Cardinal Directions important in Ojibwe culture. The building houses exhibit galleries about Ojibwe culture and the fur trade, a bookstore, multi-media programs, park offices, archives and a classroom.
North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum
7136 Highway 61
Tofte, MN 55615
218-663-7050
www.commercialfishingmuseum.org
“The North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum welcomes tour groups, the culturally curious traveler, families and children of all ages and even the virtual visitor from across the globe.” It is dedicated to preserving the maritime heritage of the people who reside in the area. Events are held throughout the year to model the dedication of fishermen that defines the area.
Split Rock Lighthouse Museum
3713 Split Rock Lighthouse Road
Two Harbors, MN 55616
218-226-6372
www.mnhs.org/places/sites/srl/index.htm
Split Rock Lighthouse offers tourists the opportunity to tour the lighthouse, walk the trails, and spend time in the Visitor Center which displays an exhibit area of artifacts and history as well as a film. Children and adults alike are provided with hands on learning.
Tom’s Logging Camp
5797 North Shore Drive
Duluth, MN 55804
218-525-4120
www.tomsloggingcamp.com
Tom’s Logging Camp is a restoration of the past for pleasure as well as education of visitors. The end of the era of the large logging camps was marked with the removal and replacement of the camps, horses, and men with machines, power saws, and trucks. Here can be observed an authentic duplicate of a Northern Minnesota Logging Camp, containing all the building and articles, original tools, and equipment from the lost era.
Minnesota’s Iron Range / Western Arrowhead
Boise Forte Heritage Museum
1500 Boise Forte Road
Tower, MN 55790
218-753-6017
www.boisforte.com/divisions/heritage_center.htm
The Boise Forte Heritage Museum is dedicated to preservation through the telling of the Bois Forte Ojibwe story. It contains award winning displays as well as a birch bark dwelling, tipi, and a path that leads to the remains of an 1866 gold mine.
Carlton County Historical Society
406 Cloquet Avenue
Cloquet, MN 55720
218-879-1938
www.carltonCountyhistory.org
Dorothy Molter Museum
2002 East Sheridan Street
Ely, MN 55731
218-365-4451
www.rootbeerlady.com
The Dorothy Molter Museum is dedicated to preserving the memory of Dorothy, who was an integral part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Ely’s history. She was a kind and strong woman with traits that the founder of the museum believes all should aspire to achieve.
Eli Wirtanen Farm
Highway 4
Makinen, MN 55763
218-638-2859
www.wirtanenefarm.org
Friends of the Wirtanen Pioneer Farm was started by a group of concerned citizens who wanted to preserve the Eli Wirtanen Farmstead in Markham, MN in order to restore the history of the farm. Many friends and volunteers have been involved in the restoration of the historic site.
Ely-Winton History Museum
Vermillion Community College
Ely, Minnesota, 55731
218-365-3226
www.vcc.edu/ewhs
The Ely-Winton History Museum aspires to provide an understanding of the land and what it offered to those who inhabited it. “The museum interprets what these people experienced in this land, what they strove for, how they coped with problems, what they achieved, and what they have passed down to their descendants. Using photographs, maps and artifacts, the displays present the different phases of 12,000 years of local history from prehistoric to the present.”
Finnish Heritage Homestead Tours
Highway 135 & 21
Embarrass, MN 55732
218-984-2084
Finnish Heritage Homestead Tours give the opportunity for guests to enjoy a 15-mile, three-hour guided tour through rural Embarrass that permits a glimpse into the live of the Finnish pioneers in the early 20th century.
Forest History Center
2609 County Road 76
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
218-327-4482
www.mnhs.org/places/sites/fhc/
The Forest History Center, located in Grand Rapids, offers exhibits such as a state-of-the-art timber harvest simulator, a multimedia theater show about forest fires and an array of other interactive exhibitions, a re-creation of turn-of-the-century logging camps, and self-guided trails for visitors to enjoy.
Grand Mound State Park
Highway 11
Devlin, Minnesota
Koochiching County
Grand Mound Historic Site, found near International Falls, is the site of the largest burial mound found in the upper Midwest. It contains exhibits describing the lives of those who lived there.
Greyhound Bus Museum
1201 Greyhound Boulevard
Hibbing, N 55746
218-263-5814
www.greyhoundbusmuseum.org
Visitors can tour the eighteen buses found on display in Hibbing, the town recognized as the birthplace of the auto industry. The buses range from dates spread throughout the whole 20th century. After the tour, there is also a beautiful rose garden for viewing on the site.
Hibbing Historical Museum
23rd Street & 5th Avenue
Memorial Building
Hibbing, Minnesota 55746
218-263-8522
www.hibbinghistory.org
Iron Range Historical Society Museum
19 South Broadway
Gilbert, MN 55741
218-749-3150
The Iron Range Historical Society Museum contains an extensive collection of photographs, weekly newspapers, news articles, family histories and biographies, directories, books, etc. for the public to enjoy and delve into.
Iron Range Mining History Attractions
Iron Range Tourism Bureau
Visit www.ironrange.org for information on the following iron mining attractions:
Bruce Mine Headframe
Hwy 169
Chisholm, MN 55719
800-422-0806
The Bruce Mine Headframe is the last standing headframe from the earliest period of underground mining on the Mesabi Range. The steel structure was constructed in 1926 is one of the remaining three in the entire state and is listed in the National Register of Historic Sites.
Finntown Overlook & Park
Laurentian Chamber of Commerce
403 North First Street
Virginia, MN 55792
218-749-2717
Located in Finntown Overlook and Park, “the mining canyon expands nearly three miles long, a half-mile wide and 450 feet deep.” It began as underground shafts and produced more than 300 million gross tons of iron ore within the Virginia district. The park provides recreation in the form of biking trails and access to more than 2,000 miles of scenic groomed snowmobile trails.
Hill Annex Mine State Park
880 Gary Street
Calumet, MN 55716
218-247-7215
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us
The Hill Annex Mine State Park offers two differing tours of its mine, both of which last one and a half hours. There is a fossil hunt in which visitors can search for fossils made during the Cretaceous era and keep their findings. The Historic Mine Tour is a bus tour which traces the route miners took in order to gain access to the mine. The descent into the mine allows a view of the inner workings and buildings of the mine.
Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine View
401 Penobscot Rd
Hibbing, MN 55746
218-262-4166
The Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine is the largest operating open pit iron ore mine in the world as its dimension measure three miles long, two miles wide, and an amazing 535 feet deep. Also known as the “Grand Canyon of the North,” it is designated the first strip mine on the Mesabi Range.
Iron Ore Miner Statue
Hwy 169
Across from Minnesota Discovery Center
Chisholm, MN 55719
800-422-0806
Chisholm’s Iron Ore Miner Statue has the title of the third largest freestanding statue in the nation. It was built as a tribute to the iron ore miners of the Mesaba, Cuyuna, and Vermilion Iron Ranges of northeastern Minnesota.
Leonidas Overlook
Hwy 101
Eveleth, MN 55734
218-744-1940
Named for Leonidas Merritt, a member of the family who discovered the Mesabi Range, the mine began its production in 1908. Visitors to the site can see former, as well as active, mine sites. The 15 mile expanse of scenery seen from the point is breathtaking.
Longyear Drill Site
CR 666
Hoyt Lakes, MN 55750
218-749-3150
The Longyear Drill Site features a quarter-mile of wilderness nature trail which leads directly to the 1890 drill site. The hike itself is an adventure and allows for leisure with benches along the way and two foot bridges. E. J. Longyear’s historic first diamond drill site is preserved as it shows the beginning of the new era of mineral exploration. The steam engine, with its diamond-bitted drill, was driven 1,293 feet into the ground here.
Mountain Iron Park & Wacootah Overlook
Locomotive Street
Mountain Iron, MN 55768
218-735-7570
The Mountain Iron Park & Wacootah Overlook offers visitors the opportunity to view “class S-4 Baldwin switcher 1910 steam locomotive weighing 82 tons, which was last used in the Mountain Iron Open Pit in 1955.” Additionally, found on-site are a power shovel, bulldozer, large mining truck tire and a mining shovel bucket. This Registered National Historic Landmark contains a beautiful park gazebo for visitors to enjoy at their leisure.
Soudan Underground Mine State Park
1379 Stuntz Bay Road
Soudan, MN 55782
218-753-2245
www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/soudan_underground_mine/index.html
The Soudan Underground Mine State Park is often referred to at the Iron Range’s hidden jewel. Visitors are allowed to be lowered into Minnesota’s first underground mine in a cage that goes a half-mile into the Earth to the heart of the mine.
Mineview in the Sky
Hwy 53
Virginia, MN 55792
218-741-2717
The 20-story overlook known as the “Mineview in the Sky” gives tourists a panoramic view of the Rouchleau group of mines, which is one of the deepest in the area. Visitors can see the mine from the tower in its colossal state as it is three miles long, a half-mile wide, and 450 feet deep.
Minnesota Museum of Mining
701 West Lake Street
Chisholm, MN 55719
218-254-5543
At the Minnesota Museum of Mining, visitors are able to climb aboard equipment used in the mining process. The museum also contains a 1907 steam locomotive, tour replicas of an underground mine, and a working diorama of the Great North Railroad.
Minnesota Discovery Center
1005 Discovery Center Drive
Chisolm, MN 55719
800-372-6437
www.mndiscoverycenter.com
Minnesota Discovery Center’s Museum is a 33,000-square-foot facility that houses artifacts, examines mining methods, explores regional geology, and hosts traveling exhibits that help illuminate the spirit and sensibilities of Iron Range pioneers and their descendants. A special area of the museum is dedicated to the life and work of Minnesota Governor Rudy Perpich, a Hibbing native.
The Tower-Soudan Historical Center
404 Pine Street
P.O. Box 465
Tower, MN 55790
218-753-5021
www.towersoudan.com
Tower Train Museum
Old Train Station
404 Pine Street
Tower, MN 55790
800-Tower-MN
The Tower Train Museum tells stories of life at the turn of the century as it is “filled with old pictures, logging and mining artifacts.” Also to be discovered on the grounds is the President McKinley Monument set to honor the president after his assassination in 1901 as well as a two-room trapper’s log cabin, picnic area, restrooms, gift shop and information center.
Virginia Area Historical Society Museum
800 9th Avenue North
Virginia, MN 55792
218-741-1136
Superior, Wisconsin
Fairlawn Mansion & Museum
906 East Second Street
715-394-5712
www.superiorpublicmuseums.org
Superior’s Fairlawn Mansion and Museum is the estate of the second mayor of the town, Martin Pattison. It overlooks the bay and Lake Superior giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy the view as well as the extravagance of the mansion. Its 42 rooms allow recollection of “the elegance and prosperity of Superior’s early boomtown days, as well as the mansion’s unique 42 year period as a children’s home.”
Old Firehouse & Police Museum
402 23rd Avenue East
715-394-5712
www.superiorpublicmuseums.org
Visitors to the Old Firehouse & Police Museum, which was built in 1898, can enjoy a unique look at historic firefighting equipment as well as police memorabilia in one of the last nineteenth century fire halls still existing. The Firehouse originally housed five horse drawn rigs, including the city’s first steamer.
Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center
305 Harbor View Parkway
Belknap & Highway 2/53
Superior, WI 54880
715-392-7151
www.bvhcenter.org
The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center is dedicated to honoring the memory of Major Bong and all the veterans of WWII and later conflicts whose sacrifices maintain our Freedoms. It serves as an educational resource that collects and preserves the tangible legacy of these veterans and their home front supporters. The Center is open year round for visitors to come share their respects and enjoy the collection and oral histories offered.
S. S. Meteor Whaleback Ship Museum
Barker’s Island (enter at Highway 2/53 and Marina Drive)
715-394-5712
www.superiorpublicmuseums.org
The S. S. Meteor Whaleback Ship Museum allows visitors to tour and experience the last remaining whaleback ship in the world. The ship has an extensive history of traveling the Great Lakes and was brought to Superior to remain permanently on Barkers Island in 1972. In addition to the historic whaleback, the museum feature exhibits of Twin Ports shipbuilding history and Great Lakes shipwrecks.
Wisconsin’s South Shore
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
415 Washington Avenue
Bayfield, WI 54814
715-779-3397
www.nps.gov/apis/index.htm
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore provides an unlimited supply of entertainment to the avid outdoorsmen including half-day, full-day, and extended trips. The offerings include many hiking trails, a 55-mile Grand Tour cruise, options for boating, camping, hunting, kayaking, scuba diving, and fishing. This area can be enjoyed independently or through guided activities depending on preference.
Ashland Historical Museum
509 West Main Street
Ashland, WI 54806
715-682-4911
www.ashlandwihistory.com
The Ashland Historical Museum currently includes three major exhibits: the Northern State Bank, the Dolls of Yesteryear, and Aladdin Lamps- Community Nook Collection. They are dedicated to creating a connection with the past through the collection and preservation of memorabilia and artifacts and the re-telling of stories and traditions.
Bayfield Heritage Center Historical Museum
30 North Broad Street
Bayfield, WI 54814
715-779-5958
www.bayfieldheritage.org
The Bayfield Heritage Center offers guests the opportunity to experience the history of Bayfield through exhibits and tours as well as providing educational programs and informational seminars. The programs and events change yearly and with the seasons. Upcoming events include, Manoominike: Harvesting the Good Seed, Underwater Archeology of the Apostle Islands, and Booth Fisheries’ C.W. Turner’s Eastern Apostle Island Adventure.
Bayfield Maritime Museum / Apostle Island Cruises
2 North Front Street (at the City Dock)
Bayfield, WI 54814
715-779-9919
715-779-3925
www.apostleisland.com/4.htm
The Apostle Island Cruises feature two boats on which to tour: the 70-foot Island Princess and the 49-foot Ashland Bayfield Express. Both tour boats offer different tours tailored to individual visitors needs. Captains and crew members are dedicated to achieving a pleasant atmosphere and come with experience to assist in the safety and enjoyment of the tour.
Cornucopia Historic Museum
aka The Green Shed
The Marina on Lake Superior
Cornucopia, WI 54827
cornucopiawisconsin.net
The Cornucopia Historic Green Shed Museum is open June-Labor Day from Thursday thru Sunday. It offers a variety of exhibits for all types from the baseball fanatic to the artist and obviously the history enthusiast. Many artifacts including an organ and wood stove are present for viewing.
Madeline Island Museum
226 Colonel Woods Ave
PO Box 9
La Pointe, WI 54850
715-747-2415
www.madelineislandmuseum.wisconsinhistory.org
Madeline Island Museum has a range of structures which allows visitors to perform a range or enjoyable and educational activities. They can relive the island’s history in the American Fun Company Building, examine tools of the early trades in the Old Jail, view local relics and artifacts in the Pioneer Barn, explore domestic life in the Old Sailors’ Home, enjoy the panoramic view in the Walkway Gallery, attend a lecture and view an exhibit in the Casper Center, and lastly view larger artifacts in the Stockade and Grounds.
Northern Great Lakes Visitors Center
29270 County Highway G
Ashland, WI 54806
715-685-9983
www.northerngreatlakescenter.org
The Northern Great Lake Visitors Center provides entertainment along Lake Superior’s South Shore in the form of interactive exhibits, a five-story observation tower, the boardwalk, and interpretive trails. It is also a place of education with information presented on the first men and women who explored the land as they trapped, fished, logged and farmed the once rugged country.
Port Wing Historical Society Museum
P. O. Box 113
Port Wing, Wisconsin 54865
Washburn Cultural Center
1 East Bayfield Street
Washburn, WI 54891
715-373-5591
www.washburnculturalcenter.art.officelive.com
The Washburn Cultural Center is “dedicated to fostering, presenting and preserving the cultural, artistic and historical life of Washburn and the surrounding Chequamegon Bay area. Membership is open to all who desire to participate in the preservation of our historic brownstone bank building and the culture of the area. We are a community resource, encouraging and promoting activities and events of regional interest.”
