William A. Irvin Will Not Reopen For 2019 Tourist Season

For the second year in a row, a popular Duluth waterfront tourist attraction will not be ready for visitors, nor will it be ready for zombies, ghosts and ghouls.

The reason, according to Duluth's Fox 21 TV, is that the William A. Irvin has slipped further back in line for preventative maintenance work at Fraser Shipyards in Superior.

The DECC had received a $500,000 grant to repair the ship, but cost estimates for repair exceeded that amount, triggering the delay.

The DECC is confident that a contract will be signed soon to do the needed preventative repairs within their budget.  That would mean the ship could be back in its place by the end of summer, but that wouldn't leave enough time to hire staff and prepare the ship for tourists this year.

That means a loss in potential revenue of $200,000 and yet another fall without the popular William A. Irvin Haunted Ship attraction.