Best Attractions in Northern Minnesota: Top Places to Visit This Summer on the Range

This summer, explore some of the best attractions in northern Minnesota when you visit the Iron Range. We’ll take you on a tour of top attractions from Hibbing, five miles east to Chisholm, north to Soudan then 36 miles down to Eveleth, then just south of Biwabik. Here’s some of the top places to visit in our neck of the woods.

Hull Rust Mine View

Officially called Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine View, this Hibbing attraction is a big deal. Not only is it one of the largest taconite mines in the world, it has been mined for more than 130 years! And mining continues there today. See haul trucks as big as a house, and electric shovels that can hold 85 tons of rock. Interpretive exhibits and a gift shop with unique items make this free attraction top of the list!

Fun Fact: The shovels that scoop rock into the waiting “haul trucks” are electric powered, meaning there are cords running through the pit to the power source, just like your electric appliances have, only bigger!

Minnesota Discovery Center

This year-round museum and event center in Chisholm is one of the region’s favorite destinations. People pack the 2,500-seat outdoor amphitheater for summer concerts, and slide, snowshoe and skate around the grounds in the winter. Museum exhibits examine the lives of early immigrants, native people and miners. A children’s play studio overlooks a beautiful mine lake. Special events like Family Discovery Day, fall Artisan Market, guided outdoor recreaton activities and Thursday evening Bands, Brews and BBQ make Minnesota Discovery Center a local, regional and statewide attraction.

Fun Fact: The miniature golf course on the grounds has a mining theme!

Soudan Underground Mine State Park

It’s truly the coolest attraction on the Range! Why? Becuase it’s always 51 degrees a half-mile below the surface. Take this one-of-a-kind tour and get a taste of what it must have been like to work 12 hours a day, a lot of it in darkness, with people who spoke a different language, and you were paid by the ton! Not a job anyone would want today! Things did get better at the Soudan Undergound Mine, which closed in 1962, but not until World War II came around. Make reservations online for this fabulous tour.

Fun Fact: About 85% of all domestic steel starts in taconite mines on the Range.

US Hockey Hall of Fame Museum

The US Hockey Hall of Fame Museum is a must for hockey fans of any age. See pictures and stories of the greatest to ever play the game, and pay homage to the Hall inductees. Check the speed of your slap shot, and relive some of the best moments in hockey history. This Eveleth museum is an attraction that sounds like it plays to a certain group of people. But it’s for anyone who can appreciate the story of sport and the people who bring any game to life.

Fun Fact: After visiting the US Hockey Hall of Fame Museum, swing into downtown Eveleth. There, you’ll see the largest hockey stick and puck around. A hockey-themed mural, statue and hockey plaza make this spot perfect for selfies.

Eli Wirtanen Pioneer Farm

Nestled among the backroads south of Biwabik, the Eli Wirtanen Pioneer Farm is the preserved homestead of bachelor farmer Eli Wirtanen. His humble cabin, sauna, guest sauna, barn and outbuildings are sprinkled among the rolling hills of this scenic spot. A testament to the rugged life of farmers but also the peaceful nature of the land.

Fun Fact: The county where Eli’s home is had a population of just 71 Finnish immigrants in 1880. By 1900, there were more than 5,000 “Finns” living in the area.

There’s More to Explore

The best attractions on the Iron Range combine fun activities and events with a frank, meaningful look at the region’s history. Other attractions we recommend include the Hibbing Historical Society Museum, the Minnesota Museum of Mining in Chisholm, and the Virginia Area Historical Society’s Heritage Museum.