Historic Duluth lighthouses could be open for tours in the next few years

DULUTH — A historic lighthouse in Duluth may be open for tours to the public in two years — if the group that acquired it can raise the funds needed to clean and restore it.

With a distinctive red roof and white square exterior, the Duluth Harbor South Breakwater Outer Light was built in 1901. It’s one of two lighthouses that mark the entrance to the Duluth Ship Canal.

Together, the two lighthouses have helped guide ships into the canal and under the Aerial Lift Bridge into the Duluth harbor for over a century. And they both may soon be open to the public.

The Lake Superior Marine Museum Association has been working to acquire the lighthouse on the south pier from the federal government for the past seven years. But it’s a red tape-laden process.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns