Greater Minnesota - Duluth
*This archived article was originally published in Summer 2008.
Duluth
Get to know one of northern Minnesota’s top destinations. The thriving port city of Duluth has much to offer.
BY Ellie M. Bayrd
Photos courtesy of Visit Duluth and Seaquest Photography
Located 150 miles northeast of the Twin Cities and set aside the world’s largest freshwater lake, Duluth is a favorite getaway location for business meetings and family-friendly events. The city has such a draw that Outside magazine named it a “top 10 dream town” in 2001 and again praised the city by placing it on its 2007 list of the “top 10 best towns.”
Downtown Duluth works well for groups of all sizes due to its walkability. The city features a 3-mile skyway system, much like the Twin Cities’ own, which connects the convention center with numerous hotel rooms, shops, restaurants and other great meeting venues. But it’s the city’s harbor location that really draws in visitors. Along the Lakewalk, a 4.5-mile cityside trail, you can check out Canal Park, watch boats go under the Aerial Lift Bridge, take in the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials and smell the flowers of the Rose Garden.
The city’s 4,200 hotel rooms, more than 50 restaurants and 100 skyway-connected shops prove quite convenient. As is the Duluth International Airport, which offers 11 flights daily, with service from Detroit and Minneapolis (if the 2.5-hour drive from Minneapolis-St. Paul proves too daunting). To navigate the choices available in the Duluth area, the staff at the Visit Duluth DMO are ready to help. As a free service, staff members such as senior sales manager Julie Johnson, help planners find the best accommodations, venues and activities for their event.
Planners benefit from hosting events in Duluth because it is a destination market, Johnson says. “Most of the time your numbers will increase coming to Duluth,” she says. Since the area offers a variety of attractions and special events, many people bring their families and mix conventions or meetings with a family trip. And, she notes, there are no hotel attrition clauses in Duluth.
The city works well for all seasons, as it’s close to skiing at Spirit Mountain, golfing at Nemadji Golf Course (in Superior, Wis.) and hiking on the 205-mile Superior Hiking Trail. However, it serves planners well to check when major events are in town—the city can really get crowded during Grandma’s Marathon (June 21), the Bayfront Blues Festival (Aug. 7-10), the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon (late January) and other annual events. This summer Duluth celebrates Minnesota’s sesquicentennial during its Maritime Festival, when three “tall ships” hit the harbor (Aug. 1-3).
The larger your group, the more likely you are to head to the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC), the state’s second largest convention center. With 250,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, the DECC is equipped for larger conventions and expos. The DECC recently won the governor’s MnGREAT award (Minnesota Government Reaching Environmental Achievements Together). The award recognizes the environmental achievements of government employees. The DECC’s efforts to reduce waste, increase energy conservation and improve recycling, among other factors, led to the achievement. The DECC aims to build a green hockey rink in the future—it would be the first LEED-certified hockey rink in the nation. “It’s an ongoing process,” says Johnson. “The convention center is continually seeking new ways to be better environmentally.”
Besides being eco-friendly, the DECC is a high-tech center with great views and space for many different styles of events. Choose between the Edmund Fitzgerald Hall, the Arena, the Lake Superior Ballroom or any number of other large and small spaces. Check whether the room you pick has a harborside view or cityside view—and then pick whichever is more appealing to you. The venue also offers in-house catering and technical services, a complimentary convention Web page and wireless Internet. Johnson says the chef at the DECC is excellent and the catering staff is very willing and able to fulfill dietary needs. The vegetarian options include more than just salad, she says.
Beyond meeting space, the DECC also offers an attached 270-seat OMNIMAX Theatre, which showcases nature and adventure films on its big screen. The DECC is also set next to the Great Lakes Floating Maritime Museum, and the Coast Guard Cutter Sundew and the S.S. William A Irvin, which are open for tours.
Follow the attached skyway from the DECC through the adjacent OMNIMAX Theatre and find yourself in the heart of downtown, where numerous hotels are skyway accessible. The Radisson Hotel Duluth Harborview offers 268 elegantly appointed and spacious guestrooms and suites as well as 9,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The hotel can accommodate groups of four to 400. A few blocks away is the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Downtown Waterfront, Duluth’s largest full-service hotel. Renovated in 2003, the hotel features 13 floors and 345 guestrooms. The hotel’s 6,800-square-foot Great Lakes Ballroom divides into smaller sections. In addition to the ballroom, the hotel offers 14 other rental spaces, allowing the hotel to host small groups or meetings up to 600 people.
Two new hotels also offer meeting spaces. The Sheraton Duluth Hotel opened in May 2007 and the Canal Park Lodge followed soon after, both within walking distance of the DECC in downtown Duluth. The Sheraton features 147 guestrooms and three meeting spaces, and can host up to 150 people, depending on the room and the seating style. Restaurant 301 is located on the first floor of the Sheraton. Award-winning Senior Executive Chef Bob Bennett leads this American restaurant, which provides fireside dining. Canal Park Lodge, located along the Lakewalk with views of the harbor, provides 116 upscale, smoke-free units for guests and two small meeting spaces, which can hold up to 60 people. The beloved Grandma’s Restaurant provides the catering.
Another nearby hotel is the Inn on Lake Superior. The expanded meeting rooms in this 175-room inn hold up to 300 people (in the Northern Lakes Ballroom) and feature catering by Duluth-Superior-based Savories Catering. The inn offers great ways to relax, whether it’s on the heated rooftop pool overlooking the harbor or beside a campfire with s’mores.
In addition to its hotels, the Duluth area offers many unique entertainment venues. Planners can reserve rides on the Vista Fleet cruises and enjoy Lake Superior with groups of 20 or more. Johnson says that groups often choose to kick off events with creative celebrations on board. Cruises average two hours in length (though half-hour increments can be added to any private charter packages). Vista Fleet provides catered meals and knowledgeable tour guides. The narration offers a look at the exciting history of the Twin Ports Harbor and the great ships in port. Vista Fleet celebrates its 50th season in 2009.
History and entertainment also combine at the Duluth Depot. This landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features French chateau-style architecture. The Great Hall of the Depot has an 88-foot-high ceiling and two brick fireplaces. From the Depot, groups can depart for a tour on the North Shore Scenic Railroad, which takes two rides daily in the spring and summer and on weekends in the fall. The track runs 26 miles between Duluth and Two Harbors, and the rides, which vary in length, provide stunning views of the lake, harbor and downtown Duluth skyline. The nearby Lake Superior Railroad Museum offer planners another fun activity for attendees. The museum recently welcomed George Clooney and Renée Zellweger when they arrived by train to promote Leatherheads, the film based on Duluth’s football history.
For family-friendly entertainment, the downtown area has the Great Lakes Aquarium. The venue offers great views of the harbor and can accommodate up to 300 people for a sit-down dinner and 500 people for a reception. The lobby features a 24-foot lighted water wall and accommodates small groups with seating for 80 guests. Great Lakes Aquarium is the only aquarium in the United States that focuses on freshwater exhibits.
Another exciting option in the downtown area is Fitger’s Inn & Brewery Complex. Besides its 62-room accommodations, the complex features various entertainment, shopping and dining options. Midi Restaurant, a Mediterranean restaurant, offers on-site catering in five different meeting areas. Fitger’s is the area’s only Four-Diamond Hotel.
Outside of the downtown area, visitors often head to the Edgewater Resort and Waterpark for family entertainment. This venue houses 235 resort-quality rooms and suites plus three new lakeview conference rooms and a remodeled ballroom, with six options for large and small meetings. The largest meeting space can hold up to 250 people. In addition to the meeting space, the resort features Tiki Tom’s Oasis & Grill and Tiki Tina’s Pizzeria, plus the 35,000-square-foot water park and a nine-hole miniature golf course. The water park features two four-story slides, a vortex pool, the lazy river and a children’s splash playground. Savories Catering provides food for events at The Edge.
Perhaps the most intriguing venue in Duluth is Glensheen, the Historic Gongdon Estate. Set on 7.6 acres of woods, the 39-room Jacobean Revival mansion is Minnesota’s premier historic house museum. Each room features gorgeous furnishings, and the gardens outside are extraordinary. Currently operated by the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the estate offers narrated tours year-round. The Congdon mansion is often best known as the scene of the infamous murders of heiress Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse, Velma Pietila. The estate can be rented for private events. The interior winter garden, rec room and formal dining room are all available for rent. The Winter Garden can seat 120 people. The grounds of the estate are also perfect for events and the gardens can seat up to 300 people. Groups receive free tour admission with rental fees. Glensheen has catering partnerships with Black Woods, Savories Catering and Coco’s to Go.
