Can’t Miss Fun Things to do in Duluth, MN (6 are FREE!)

Minnesota has a lot to offer in terms of natural beauty, but few cities compare to Duluth.

I have been taking road trips up to Duluth since before I can remember. My Grandpa grew up in this beautiful town, and my Great Grandpa operated the famous Aerial Lift Bridge.

My parents honeymooned in Duluth. My husband and I even honeymooned in Duluth. So I guess you can say it’s in my blood 😉

I’m sharing some must-see ideas for your next road trip up to Duluth, MN. These ideas come from many, many years of experience and are just the tip of the iceberg. Duluth has SO MUCH to offer you’ll want to make it an annual destination!

Can’t Miss Fun Things to do in Duluth, Minnesota

Visit the Lake Superior Zoo

For as many years as I have been coming to Duluth, I had yet to experience the Lake Superior Zoo. And boy am I glad I finally did! We were given complimentary admission to the zoo for our family during our latest fall Duluth trip.

The Lake Superior Zoo is home to over 140 species of animals in both indoor and outdoor habitats. It is a GORGEOUS zoo with so much to see! Plus, they have a handy dandy walking tour app that you can download on the zoo’s complimentary free wifi.

After visiting all of the exhibits, I asked Bean what her favorite area was and she quickly answered, “the lizards.” 😀

The Lake Superior Zoo is open 7 days a week ALL year long, so no matter what time of year you’re in Duluth you can visit the zoo.

Go Geocaching

If you’ve been reading this blog for some time, you might already have heard about my love of geocaching.

If not, I’m about to open you up to a whole new world.

You can read more about geocaching in my initial post here, but in short, geocaching is basically a GPS based treasure hunt.

There are millions of geocaches around the world, and you’d be surprised to learn that there are probably hundreds in your town alone.

We like to geocache because it brings us to sites and areas of cities that most people would never know about. Some of my favorite geocaches that we’ve found have been in Duluth, which happens to have hundreds.

Walk Around Canal Park and the Aerial Lift Bridge

Canal Park is one of those areas of Duluth that EVERYONE knows about and visits during their trip. Nonetheless, it’s still worth braving the crowds.

We like to visit the shops in Canal Park, watch ships enter the harbor, tour the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, and my personal favorite, drive across the Aerial Lift Bridge and down Park Point.

Go Hiking

Duluth and hiking go hand in hand. There are miles upon miles of trails, both paved and rugged, that the city has to offer.

We aren’t necessarily hikers for the sake of hiking, we like to add the element of geocaching to the mix 😉

But if you’re a fan of hiking, you could spend days exploring all of the hiking trails in the Duluth area.

Visit the many independent Breweries, Cideries, & Distilleries

Duluth is host to more breweries per capita than any city in Minnesota. You can choose to visit a few on your own, or you can take one of many Duluth brewery tours offered.

If beer isn’t your thing, Duluth has 2 cideries to offer. We got to visit Wild State Cider during our last Duluth trip and it was so hard to pick a favorite!

Plus, they served fresh apple cider in adorable aluminum cups for kids. Bean approved.

Take a train ride through the city

One of my favorite memories of Duluth as a kid is the time we took a short train ride through the city. You get to see so many sites and sides of the city that you just couldn’t see if you were in the car.

The North Shore Scenic Railroad offers many different lengths of rides, including one that travels all the way up to Two Harbors.

Lake Superior Beach Glass Picking

A lot of people think of combing the beaches of Lake Superior for the agates.

We like to look for beach glass 🙂

Sometimes we’re successful, sometimes it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.

There’s something so beautiful about the fact that these pieces of glass were tumbled and tossed in the waters of Lake Superior from anywhere between 20 and 50 years!

Thrifting and Antiquing

If you’ve read this blog for any amount of time, you would know that I’m all about thrifting and antiquing 😉

And the Twin Ports area has some of the best thrift and antique shops!

Some of our favorites are in the town of Superior, WI which is just a few minutes drive from Duluth.

Climb to the Top of Enger Tower

Enger Tower is a five-story tall observation tower that sits atop Enger Hill. It’s a bit of a workout to climb all the way to the top, but boy is it worth it.

The views are breathtaking. And not just because you climbed 5 stories 😉

Tour the Glensheen Mansion

It took 25 years for me to finally have the privilege of touring the Glensheen Mansion.

Granted, I’m not sure I would have wanted a tour back when I was a kid. But I was always fascinated with the exterior of the house and it was a must-do during our honeymoon in Duluth.

The Glensheen Mansion is a gorgeous, 39-room mansion built between 1905 and 1908 on the shores of Lake Superior. But it’s not just the fact that it’s an old, beautiful house that drew me in.

In 1977, a double murder was committed in the house. SSDGM 😉 And you better bet I paid close attention to spot the locations of the murders during our tour.

Drive Along Skyline Parkway

Skyline Parkway is a scenic byway that runs along the gorgeous hillside of Duluth. There are lots of overlooks and sites to see along the way, including some of my favorites:

• Seven Bridges Road
• Hawk Ridge
• Bardon’s Peak
• and Enger Tower

Keep in mind, the western and eastern ends are closed during the winter.

These are just some of the best ways to enjoy my favorite city in Minnesota. I’ve only just begun to scratch the surface, and I could talk for days about all that Duluth has to offer.

No matter if you’re visiting in the summer, fall, winter, or spring, you will fall in love with Duluth!

Don’t just take my word for it, check out our vlog from our fall trip to Duluth. Despite not so fantastic weather, we had a great time: