Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center
Encyclopedia
The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center is a museum operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
. The museum is located near the Aerial Lift Bridge
in Duluth, Minnesota
and overlooks the entrance to the Duluth-Superior harbor.
The museum and grounds are all property of the U.S. federal government. All visitors are welcome to visit this museum without paying. Donations are accepted by the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association, and support general maintenance and upkeep of the building, new exhibit development and acquisition, and staffing.
Exhibits demonstrate the history and operations of upper Great Lakes commercial shipping and the Aerial Lift Bridge. Many visitors particularly enjoy the three historically accurate replica cabins and a pilothouse
from typical ships which ploughed the waves of Lake Superior in years past. A three-story steam engine, 50 scale models and many interactive displays are available for visitors to explore.
Thousand-foot-long freighters
pass within 200 feet of the building, underneath the Aerial Lift Bridge, which lifts up to allow them to pass through.
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
. The museum is located near the Aerial Lift Bridge
Aerial Lift Bridge
The Aerial Lift Bridge is a major landmark in the port city of Duluth, Minnesota. The span is a vertical lift bridge, which is rather uncommon, but it began life as an extremely rare transporter bridge—the first of just two such bridges ever constructed in the United States...
in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
and overlooks the entrance to the Duluth-Superior harbor.
The museum and grounds are all property of the U.S. federal government. All visitors are welcome to visit this museum without paying. Donations are accepted by the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association, and support general maintenance and upkeep of the building, new exhibit development and acquisition, and staffing.
Exhibits demonstrate the history and operations of upper Great Lakes commercial shipping and the Aerial Lift Bridge. Many visitors particularly enjoy the three historically accurate replica cabins and a pilothouse
Pilothouse
A pilothouse or pilot-house is a glass-enclosed room from which a ship is controlled by the ship's pilot. The pilothouse also is known as the wheelhouse....
from typical ships which ploughed the waves of Lake Superior in years past. A three-story steam engine, 50 scale models and many interactive displays are available for visitors to explore.
Thousand-foot-long freighters
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
pass within 200 feet of the building, underneath the Aerial Lift Bridge, which lifts up to allow them to pass through.