Maritime Visitors Center

The Maritime Visitors Center is operated by the US Army Corp of Engineers who are responsible for maintenance and operations of the Aerial Lift Bridge.  The center is free of charge and includes several exhibits about shipping in the Great Lakes.  This is a must stop for visitors to Duluth.

The center has monitors displaying the schedule of ships coming in and out of the harbor. There are usually a handful of ships that go under the bridge each day at any given hour. 

It's an incredible sight to see 1000-foot ships coming in and out of a harbor. We spent a lot of time here checking the schedule and waiting for ships. We ended up seeing two 1000-foot boats, one carrying ore and another carrying coal. We also saw a 700+ foot boat from Lithuania hauling grain.

In order for the boats to leave or enter the harbor, the Aerial Lift Bridge has to rise. For the big ships, it has to rise to its full height of 138 feet in the air. For sailboats, cruise ships and some large fishing boats, it just raises part of the way up.  

If you see a ship go through during the visitor center hours, they announce details about the boat over a loud speaker system. They usually tell how big the ship is, what its cargo is or will be and where it's from.  The visitor's center includes a replica pilothouse, various pieces of equipment from different ships, maps, information on the types of cargo carried and a very informative short film describing the loading process.  They also having a pair of telescopes/looking glasses to view ships anchored in the harbor.

Thoughts/Recommendations

• This is a must-see for visitors to the Duluth area. It is free and it is pretty amazing to see. 
• It's hard to comprehend just how big a 1000-foot ship with a 5-6 story tall pilothouse is until you see it in person.
• The ship schedules are posted and updated regularly. Frequently the schedule changes. Sometimes ships are ready early, other times they are running late. Be patient and enjoy the area. It is a beautiful park with lots of gulls, lighthouses and the museum. We found it to be very relaxing here. 
• The bridge is beautiful when lit up at night. It's worth a look in the evenings too.