Duluth sits on the edge of the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, so it makes perfect sense that the city is home to one of the most distinctive aquariums in the United States. The Great Lakes Aquarium is one of the few aquariums in the country that focuses primarily on freshwater exhibits, making it a genuinely unique destination. Located on the Duluth waterfront and opened in 2000, the 62,000-square-foot facility features animals and habitats found within the Great Lakes basin, as well as worldwide ecosystems ranging from the Amazon River to Pacific reefs. Whether you’re a lifelong Duluthian or a first-time visitor, the Duluth Aquarium offers something educational and memorable at every turn.
After your visit to the Duluth Aquarium, the Canal Park neighborhood is packed with reasons to stay. You could spend a full day, or even two, exploring the Lakewalk, watching massive freighters pass beneath the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge, sampling craft beer at Canal Park Brewing, and browsing local boutiques and galleries. Bayfront Festival Park hosts some of the region’s most beloved events throughout the year, including the popular Bayfront Blues Festival each August. The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center and Leif Erickson Park provide even more things to do in Duluth.
After a day like that, there’s nothing better than returning to a comfortable, welcoming home base. Our Duluth Bed and Breakfast sits just a short walk across the Aerial Lift Bridge from all of it. We offer elegant guest rooms with stunning Lake Superior views, warm hospitality from dedicated innkeepers, and a gourmet breakfast each morning to fuel your adventures. Let us help you make the most of everything Duluth has to offer. Book your stay today!
What Makes the Great Lakes Duluth Aquarium Worth Your Time
Most aquariums lean heavily on ocean life: sharks, rays, and coral reefs. The Great Lakes Aquarium does something far more interesting: it makes freshwater compelling. Many of its main exhibits are based on actual habitats within the Lake Superior basin, so visitors get up-close “slices” of the Saint Louis River, the Baptism River, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Kakagon Slough, Isle Royale, and Otter Cove. There’s a regional authenticity to this approach that you simply won’t find at most aquariums.
The centerpiece of the Duluth Aquarium is the Isle Royale exhibit. This 85,000-gallon tank is the main exhibit at the center of the building, extending to both the first and second floors so visitors can view it from many different angles. Inside, you’ll find native Minnesota fish, including perch, panfish, trout, lake sturgeon, and gar; species most visitors have heard of but rarely seen face-to-face in such an immersive setting. Watching a massive lake sturgeon glide past at eye level is a genuinely awe-inspiring moment.
Speaking of sturgeon, they’re something of a specialty here. The Unsalted Seas exhibit features the largest sturgeon touch pool in North America, where visitors of all ages can get hands-on with these ancient, prehistoric-looking fish. It’s one of the most talked-about experiences at the aquarium and a highlight that sets it apart from nearly every other facility in the country.
The river exhibits are equally fascinating. The Baptism River exhibit recreates a cold, fast-moving aquatic habitat based on the real Baptism River, an hour north of Duluth, which flows through Tettegouche State Park and is home to a variety of trout species. The Saint Louis River exhibit, by contrast, depicts a slow-moving river habitat with perch, walleye, sturgeon, channel catfish, and other native species. Seeing these two very different river environments side-by-side tells a rich story about the region’s aquatic diversity.
Not everything here is freshwater. The Oceans Alive exhibit immerses visitors in ocean habitats, including seagrass meadows with seahorses and weedy seadragons, vibrant coral reefs, and sandy shore environments, and a standout addition is an underwater cave home to a giant Pacific octopus. Hands-on areas throughout the exhibit explore the connections between ocean health, climate, and local habitats; a reminder that even landlocked Minnesotans are deeply linked to the world’s oceans.
Two of the Duluth Aquarium’s most beloved residents are Agate and Ore, a pair of North American river otters. The two female otters, believed to be sisters, arrived at the aquarium in 2014 after being captured near a crayfish farm in Louisiana through a special program to relocate otters that might otherwise have been exterminated as “nuisance animals.” Watching them swim, tumble, and belly-flop off the rocks in Otter Cove is pure delight for visitors of any age.
What also distinguishes the Great Lakes Aquarium is its commitment to education and conservation that goes well beyond the exhibits themselves. The aquarium houses rescued animals that cannot be released back into the wild, giving creatures like Mose the turkey vulture a permanent, enriching home. Newer additions like the Lava to Lakes exhibit trace Minnesota’s geological origin story back to a time before land, when the region was covered by ancient seas; proof that the Great Lakes Aquarium keeps evolving.
The Merrill Lynch Fine Arts Gallery is one of the aquarium’s most distinctive features, hosting regular exhibitions of work by local and regional artists, a surprising and wonderful touch that connects the natural world to the creative community.
Plan to spend two to three hours at the Duluth Aquarium. There’s more to discover than most first-time visitors expect.
Stay on the Lakeshore at Our Bed and Breakfast in Duluth, MN
After a full day at the Great Lakes Aquarium and exploring Canal Park, you’ll be ready to settle in somewhere that feels like a true retreat. At our Duluth Bed and Breakfast, guests enjoy elegant rooms with views of Lake Superior, warm and welcoming common spaces, and a gourmet breakfast each morning to start the day right. We’re just a short walk from the Aerial Lift Bridge and everything Canal Park has to offer, which means you can head out on foot, explore at your own pace, and come home without a long drive at the end of the day.
As one recent guest wrote on TripAdvisor: “The inn and room were beautifully decorated and solidly built. Our room overlooked the shore of Lake Superior; even in the winter, the view was awesome… The inn is easily within walking distance of the Duluth Aquarium and Canal Park, with its wide range of attractions, shops, and restaurants. Hosts Mary and Brian were extremely kind and accommodating to dietary needs. We would definitely recommend this place for a romantic weekend.”
We can’t wait to host you. Your Lake Superior getaway is waiting. Reserve your room now!
