Duluth’s William A. Irvin Resumes Public Ship Tours

After a series of circumstances that have kept maritime fans off the boat for much of the last several years, the William A. Irvin is open to visitors as of 10 am Friday, May 21.

This marks the start of their first full season since repairs were made to the Irvin, which included towing the ship to Fraser Shipyards in Superior where it spent time in dry dock for repair.

The Irvin was eased out of the Minnesota Slip in September 2018, repairs to hull corrosion were made, and it was returned to its Canal Park Home in mid-October 2019. Due to the repair project, followed by the pandemic in 2020, the Irvin hasn't seen visitors for a good few years.

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Hours of operation for the William A. Irvin will be Friday-Sunday 10 am to 5 pm through the season. They do have a couple of pandemic rules listed on their website to be aware of if you are planning a visit, according to their website:

• Masks will be required for all visitors age 6 and up.
• Patrons may bring their own masks or purchase one with their ticket.
• Guests will be provided with hand sanitizing stations throughout the ship.
• Cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces will be routine throughout the day.

While many will be excited that the ship is open again, it also has people excited about the prospect of the immensely popular Haunted Ship later this year. The Haunted Ship had gone three seasons without being able to operate. While there are no formal plans announced yet on the Haunted Ship's website or social media, one would imagine we'll start hearing if plans are getting cooked up sometime this summer!