While this is one of the Duluth’s pricier attractions, visitors appreciate the Great Lakes with fresh eyes after exploring this aquarium. Divers sink into two-story tanks loaded with sturgeon, salmon, trout and other freshwater fish, and staff brings in buckets of snow, ice and treats for the playful river otters.

Exhibits include touch tanks and aquariums with a variety of fish, stingrays and sharks, a live shorebirds exhibit, a tree house for climbing, and a hands-on model of the Great Lakes with boats and locks kids can play with. Check the daily schedule for feedings and programs to make the most of a visit. Also good to check: Arriving or departing ships from the Duluth Harbor viewable from the aquarium.

Look for discounts during Toddler Tuesdays in the off-season. The museum also has Sensory Friendly Days on the last Saturdays of each month when they turn down the lights, turn off waterfalls and decrease the volume on displays for kids who get easily overstimulated. The museum and the Autism Society of Minnesota also have a social story online that explains the aquarium step by step for kids who may be anxious about new experiences and what to expect.

Admission
Free for kids 2 and under; $10.50 for ages 3 to 12; $12.50 for 13 to 17; $13.50 for seniors over 62: and $16.50 for adults. $5 for parking.