Northern Minnesota

Split Rock Lighthouse operated from 1910 until 1969. The Split Rock Lighthouse is located in Two Harbors, Minnesota. The lighthouse commands a panoramic view of Lake Superior from the 130 foot cliff from which it stands on. Built after a 1905 fierce storm that sank one ship nearby and more than 30 others on Lake Superior. Superior is the most unpredictable, deepest, and coldest of the Great Lakes.





Each year Split Rock Lighthouse marks the anniversary of the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald with a public program that includes a reading of the names of the 29 men who lost their lives on the Fitzgerald on November 10th, 1975. The lighthouse, an aid to Lake Superior navigation for 59 years (1910 - 1969 ), is normally closed during the winter, but is reopened for this one day event and the beacon is lighted at dusk.

The Glensheen Historic Estate is a historic mansion on Lake Superior owned by the University of Minnesota Duluth. Glensheen sits on 7.6 acres of lake front property, has 38 rooms and is built in the Jacobean architectural tradition, inspired by the Beaux-Arts styles of the era. The mansion was constructed as the family home of Chester Adgate Congdon. The building was designed by Minnesota architect Clarence H. Johnston Sr., with interiors designed by William French and the formal terraced garden and English style landscape designed by the Charles W. Leavitt firm out of New York. Construction began in 1905, and completed in 1908.

Ely is a community of about 4,000 people. There are many unique commercial businesses lining the streets of Ely. Prepare for a shopping extravaganza ranging from some the most distinct shops in the state of Minnesota. You can find souvenirs and gifts for everyone on your list. Starting with a furniture gallery, whimsical gift shops, quality musical instruments, photography galleries, flower shops, greenhouses, cabin decor, original art works, fabrics, outdoor equipment, collectables and more.

Ely is known as the "Canoeing capital of the world." It rests in the heart of the Superior National Forest, 15 miles south of the Canadian border and only minutes away from the famous Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

This outdoor recreational area has something for everyone, with over 1500 miles of canoe routes, over 100 public boat landings, many picnic areas, 400+ miles of designated hiking trails, 450+ miles of groomed cross-country ski trails and one of the finest networks of snowmobile routes in the nation.

There are over 1,000 clear water lakes in this million+ acre wilderness. It makes up the finest canoeing area available. With the immense Boundary Waters out your front door you will have thousands of miles of waterways to explores.







Here is the web site for your guide to the wonderful area of ELY

Nestled in a quiet grove of pines, just outside of Ely, Minnesota, are the cabins and museum of one of the northwoods dearest and most colorful individuals, Dorothy Molter. Some remember her fondly as the "Root Beer Lady" while others recall her as the "Nightingale of the Wilderness" or simply, Dorothy.

Dorothy carved out her legacy in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) located within the Quetico-Superior National Forest. Dorothy lived on the Isle of Pines on Knife Lake for more than 56 years where she paddled, hiked, fished, and snow shoed this pristine area, until her death in 1986. She was visited by as many as 7,000 people a year.

Dorothy Molter Museum

The Aerial Lift Bridge, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Minnesota, was constructed in 1904-1905 as the Aerial Ferry Bridge. Before that time, Park Point was only accessible by ferry boats and, during the winter months, a temporary suspension bridge. The original Aerial Ferry Bridge consisted of much of today's structure but, instead of the lift span, a suspended car, or gondola, ferried people and vehicles on a one-minute trip across the canal. The gondola could carry the equivalent of a loaded street car, two loaded wagons with teams, and 350 people. The gondola made twelve trips per hour between 5:00 a.m. and midnight and two trips per hour from midnight until morning. The lift span was added in 1929-1930 to handle increased traffic. At that time, the bridge operators moved from running the gondola to working in the control house in the center of the span. The bridge first lifted for a vessel on March 29, 1930. The Aerial Bridge lifts an average of 5,500 times a year, and over forty times a day during the summer months. It is owned and operated by the City of Duluth.

Two Harbors is known for the annual Beargrease Dog Sled Race. Two Harbors is filled with fun and exciting things to do for the whole family. Explore the different links below to discover an exciting area of the North Shore that you'll find priceless time and time again.

The name came from "John Beargrease, the son of a Chippewa Chief, is most remembered for his legendary mail delivery runs. From 1887-1900 he hiked, sailed, rowed, and during the winter, traveled by dog sled, delivering the mail up the North Shore between Two Harbors and Grand Marais. The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, a dog sled race along Lake Superior's North Shore commemorates the life of John Beargrease. It is a tribute to his memory and a celebration of life along the North Shore".

The Two Harbors Light is the oldest operating lighthouse in the US state of Minnesota. Overlooking Lake Superior's Agate Bay, the lighthouse is located in Two Harbors, Minnesota. The construction of the Lighthouse began in 1891. The construction of the lighthouse was completed in 1892, the first lighting of the Two Harbors light was on April 14, 1892.The first Two Harbors Keeper was Charles Lederle and there were normally three Keepers assigned to make sure the light was lit 24 hours a day. The Lighthouse was built to provide safe passage into the Agate Bay Harbor during the early 20th century, as Two Harbors was the major shipping point for the iron ores of the Mesabi Range, far surpassing Duluth in importance.



Two Harbors Lighthouse on the western edge of Lake Superior helped guide huge iron-ore ships around the Great Lakes. The square redbrick tower attached to the keeper's house directed ships into the busy harbor at Agate Bay. Two Harbors is the oldest continuously operated lighthouse in Minnesota. A stay at the picturesque Two Harbors Lighthouse combines a unique lighthouse accommodation with a sense of history and a chance to participate in the preservation of an important aspect of America's maritime history. The lighthouse inn, operated by the Lake County Historical Society, looks as much like an old redbrick schoolhouse as it does a lighthouse, except for the lens room atop the tower. Guests become assistant lighthouse keepers during their stay, learning about the history of the lighthouse and participating in helping to maintain the structure. Guests are asked to perform various keeper's duties, including sweeping the tower stairs, gardening, raising the flag, and making weather observations.