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    Split Rock Lighthouse

    4.7 (57 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Split Rock Lighthouse Photos

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    Scott P.

    This is a beautiful state park in Northern Minnesota on the coast of Lake Superior. I'm told it gets very crowded in warmer months, but we visited on a cold, windy Monday in April and just about had the place to ourselves. It's an incredibly well-maintained facility. A beautiful visitors center tells the story of the lighthouse in a small museum and 13 minute video, and a guide gave us a free twenty minute tour of the grounds. I was bummed that at this time of year there was no access to the lighthouse itself or the keeper's house unless you pay triple the price of a grounds pass for a private, 60 minute tour. Starting on April 27th, general admission for $15 will get you access to these two buildings. These two buildings were what I wanted to see the most, and it's a shame the cost prohibited us from doing so. But it's still a beautiful area rich in history, and that history is told well (and inclusive of Native American history as well), and definitely recommended.

    View of Lake Superior
    Edward S.

    Great place to learn about the history of the lighthouse, nearby shipwrecks and also have some great views of Lake Superior. There walking trails are fun if you're looking for a hike too! The price is a bit expensive to get in but I recommend getting a Minnesota History yearly pass if you live in or travel often to the twin cities as that gets you into many museums in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

    Suzie R.

    Spectacular and historical location. Suggestion - get there early! Parking lots fills up fast. We arrived roughly around 10:45am on a Saturday. We enjoyed the video presentation and walking up to the top of the lighthouse. If you are claustrophobic you might want to pass on going inside the lighthouse. We also checked out some of the houses where the lighthouse keepers lived. Great views!

    View from split rock light house
    Kripa M.

    This historic landmark is a must see when you are at the North shore. It's been on my list for years and I was finally able to make it happen this fall. There's plenty of parking at the site. There's a small fee for self guided tour of the light house. The scenic views from up there are unbelievable. It's a must go destination.

    Split Rock Lighthouse, Minnesota
    Bruce K.

    Split Rock Lighthouse is more than just a lighthouse. They have a state park here and an entire museum around the base so that you can learn all sorts of background and history. This is a destination trip along the north shore of Lake Superior. The lighthouse was built in response to a big storm in 1905 that damaged or destroyed dozens of ships on the lake. At cost of $75,000, the lighthouse is on a 133-foot tall cliff. What's interesting is that back in 1905, there was no road from Duluth to here. The video shows how they brought in the supplies by water and used a crane to lift them to the top of the cliff to build. It's such a beautiful and picturesque spot and drew so many tourists to come see it that they built the road! On June 30, 2011, the lighthouse was designated as a National Historic Landmark. And it's well worth whatever they're charging to enter and tour the site. Expect it to be super busy on a beautiful day. There is free parking. This is my 50th lighthouse review https://www.yelp.com/collection/GLWJhPZloUBCLUFSYgLw4g/Lighthouses and the first for Lake Superior! [Review 17888 overall - 108 in Minnesota - 1409 of 2022.]

    Keeper's house
    Jpb T.

    They participate in the Bank of America Museums on Us Program. The State Park and the Lighthouse Museum tour are both must sees. You can tour the inside of the lighthouse. The lighthouses keepers house is also park of the Museum Tour. I travel frequently and actually getting to go in a historic lighthouse was an AWESOME experience.

    View of the Lake Superior coastline from near the lighthouse
    Molly M.

    Split Rock Lighthouse was closed the day we visited but we hiked around the lighthouse area instead (that was worth the drive to Two Harbors). We had to stop here since we are Minnesotans, and, well this is OUR lighthouse (pride in our state, etc). We had a lovely walk up & down the stairs as well as around the lighthouse. Other hiking in the area is closed due to hunting season but we found enough to enjoy here.

    Awesome views everywhere.
    John H.

    At first I was disappointed that the lighthouse was not open for entry, but I was here, so I might as well see what they have to offer. Very enjoyable, especially for the $8 entry fee. Video every 30 minutes, big museum at at visitor's center and mini museum by the lighthouse. Walking trails with spectacular views all over.

    Kara D.

    Split Rock Lighthouse is a must-see if you're planning a trip anywhere near Duluth or north up Lake Superior. It's a beautiful landmark that reminded me of growing up in New England. In fact, when I was posting photos, my friends thought I was a big ol' jerk and didn't tell them I was home in Maine! There is free parking when you visit the lighthouse, and it is $10 to go inside it. You buy your ticket at the info center, which is really well maintained with bathrooms, a little gallery, films, and gift shop. I think you can forgo the $10 if you just want to walk the trails by the lake to view the lighthouse from afar, but I am all about supporting this site regardless. The lighthouse itself is pretty cool and still is mind boggling to even need one on a lake. Inside there are a few historic items to view and then it's an easy climb up a staircase to the top. There is an exhibit house and Lightkeepers' homes nearby to explore too. But the best part is taking the trail through the woods down to the lake. How I love the smell of the fauna and lake! It's so scenic with lots of wild growth, including picturesque wild mushrooms and birch trees. The view from Superior up at the lighthouse is impeccable. I hear it's one of the most photographer lighthouses in the country! No surprise there.

    A long long way down the former tram line.
    John S.

    This is one of Minnesota's prime attractions and the large and extended parking lots fill quickly. The trails are easy so this is more of a quick walk rather than a rough hike, but there are connections to the gitche gumee trail and some rougher trails if you venture far enough providing plenty of scenic views from the Superior shoreline. Aside from the lighthouse there are some surprises along the trail such as the tram remnants. Many years ago the access was by boat and the steep hill was accomplished with a flat rail car hoisted up the rails. There is a stairway down the old tram way. Better to the take the steps down and continue on the lower trail than to have to climb the steep steps. Another surprise was the site of a former Norwegian fishing village. Little Two Harbors is long gone, but if you walk out on the cove and check the shore you will see an old cable attached to what was an abutment lodged into the ground. That's all that is left of the village, but take a look at the pictured sign to see how the area looked early in the 20th. There is a large main building used mostly as a gift shop and people can sign up for tours and activities and pay to enter the lighthouse for another tour.

    Michael H.

    Since we now feel like Minnesotans, we often ask of all the historic and scenic sites in Minnesota what is the most familiar and best loved. Opinions vary from the headwaters of the Mississippi River to Minnehaha Falls but the Split Rock Lighthouse stands at the top of the list for many. Its our personal favorite and our #1 site to visit on Lake Superior. Built in 1910, well before the road was completed along the North Shore of Lake Superior, Split House Lighthouse has been a signature Minnesota icon that many feel a deep personal connection to. Its well worth the admission price. The trails are easy to access and be sure to take the steps to the Lake for awesome views of the lighthouse.

    Sarah E.

    Love, love Split Rock. I hadn't been here since I was a kid, and going back as an adult it was gorgeous and so interesting! We took the free tour that's included in the admission fee, and I learned so much. The video is also super informative. I'm a history nerd, so I soak all this in, but my BF is much more into the mechanics and building of the lighthouse and I think we both felt like we were given a wealth of information that we found interesting. Worth every penny, a must see on a North Shore trip.

    Split rock lighthouse look at the pic of the cliff point and try to find the white buoys marking a sunken shipwreck

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    Beautiful spot for great photos, easy walks and hike, direct access to Lake Superior, nice historical tour and site.

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    8 years ago

    Split Rock easily made my top 10 list of fresh water lighthouses. Nice museum, walking trail, and facilities.

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    Ask the Community - Split Rock Lighthouse

    Review Highlights - Split Rock Lighthouse

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    Depot Museum

    Depot Museum

    (4 reviews)

    We enjoyed it. It…read morewas $5 per adult to enter. There was a gift shop with restrooms prior to museum area entry. The museum was comprised of a single floor with a very large center space flanked by a couple of smaller rooms. There was information, photos, placards and artifacts for: - The depot - The railways that once served the area - The ore loading piers - Ore mining - Area war veterans (VFW) It took us about 40 minutes but one could easily spend a couple hours here.

    My husband and I were taking the Lake Superior Scenic North Shore drive and one of our stops was…read moreTwo Harbors. We had visited the Depot in Duluth and seen the North Shore Scenic Railroad departure point, so we were looking forward to visit the Two Harbors Depot Museum, where the NSSR train stops for its northernmost point. The depot is located in the 1907 headquarters of the Duluth and Iron Range Railway Company. It's been charmingly restored, with ticket booths and telephone operator stations still intact. There are several different areas of displays, covering everything from military service to local culture at the turn of the last century. The museum has a gift shop and bathrooms available. Be aware of the timing of your visit; if you arrive at the same time the NSSR train does, there will be many passengers lining up to use those bathrooms, as the train is historic and does not have lavatory facilities. We were able to see the train pull into the station and, after its rest stop, hear that most lovely sound--a train whistle signaling "All Aboard!" The Depot Museum is definitely worth a stop for all visitors to Two Harbors!

    Tweed Museum of Art - Tweed mansion I. Duluth Minnesota.

    Tweed Museum of Art

    (6 reviews)

    Beautiful art and home in Duluth. The Tweed mansion has a lot of history in Duluth and was…read morestuffed with art when UMD owned the home.

    The Tweed Museum of Art is ensconced within nondescript student center buildings on the UMD campus…read more Keep your expectations in check because the two floors that it occupies -- with its linoleum floors and carpeting -- feel more like a registrar's office. If there were no paintings on the walls, you would not think this a gallery space. There is not a lot on display so spending longer than an hour here would be unlikely. One painting floored me. On the second floor near some bookshelves and a few desk chairs sits Gilbert Davis Munger's large-scale painting, 'Niagara Falls Showing the Canadian and American Views', from 1903. There is an almost endless stream of landscape paintings featuring Niagara Falls scattered in museums across the country and this is one of the best that I've seen. The grand size of the painting made me feel like I was standing at the base of the Falls. If I saw nothing else here, I would have still left happy. There are old master paintings from Mr. Tweed's collection on display in addition to various prints and lithographs. There are also some contemporary items, including Naomi Bebo's 'Beaded Mask', a 2010 work featuring beads and deer hide on an Iraqi gas mask. The most elegant item on display is a high heel shoe covered in birch bark by Cynthia Holmes. Titled 'Primal Donna', it's a modern day advancement on old wooden clogs.

    Lake Superior Railroad Museum - Mail car

    Lake Superior Railroad Museum

    (23 reviews)

    Went on the Duluth Zephyr train ride this past weekend (11am - Sunday) with the family. We also…read morebought tickets to check out the train museum which did not disappoint. The tickets are discounted if you are taking a train ride. There are so many trains to not only check out on the outside but a lot of them you can climb aboard and check out the inside. How cool! They have the oldest known snow plow train in the world. So cool. Train Rides: Especially during the changing of the leaves time of year (autumn) make sure to book your tickets early & online cause certain train rides do sell out! The train ride was 75 minutes and it was fun to check out different train cars and the lower and upper decks of the coach trains. The leaves are starting to change color and they looked great. There's a place to buy treats inside the museum and on the train cars. You're also allowed to bring your own snacks and drinks on board too! Other than a huge chocolate brownie that was left on the floor of our seating area on the train that I cleaned up. We had a good time and even moved cars at the halfway point to get another view. Parking - there is free parking along the backside of the train museum if you score a spot otherwise there is a huge parking garage right next door.

    Great spot for kids or other train enthusiasts! We took our 4yo and his 75yo grandfather and they…read moreboth had a blast Lots of cool trains and history! They let you go on a bunch of trains. Also there were some sweet wooden train tables for kids who need a different kind of train experience. Fun times! Also we went on a trip with the railroad and it was very fun!

    Split Rock Lighthouse - museums - Updated May 2026

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