Minneapolis to Duluth Drive With Kids

Duluth is an easy weekend drive up I-35. Save the aquarium and the railroad museum for arrival day.

The drive

Distance: 150 miles
Typical drive time: About two and a half hours on I-35

Measured from Minneapolis/St. Paul (distance) and the MSP airport (time), as stated by the official source listed at the bottom of this page. Traffic, weather and stops with kids add time, so plan for a longer day than the map shows.

Kid-friendly stops on the way

Each stop was checked on its own official site. Open it before you go for current hours, prices and any closures.

Great Lakes Aquarium
Duluth, MN
A freshwater aquarium on the Duluth waterfront with animals and habitats from the Great Lakes.
Official site
Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Duluth, MN
A museum of historic railroad equipment in the old Union Depot in downtown Duluth.
Official site

Need more ideas before you leave? Browse things to do with kids in Minneapolis or plan a different route.

Free road-trip stop checklist

Stop before everyone runs out of patience: how to plan a real break to burn energy, pick an indoor backup in case it rains, and add up the family total before you pay. One page, emailed now. Then The Weekend Scout once a week: one family outing idea for the weekend. Free. Unsubscribe from any email.

Three things to plan before you leave

Pack layers, since it is often cooler by Lake Superior than in the Twin Cities.
Plan one fuel and restroom stop on I-35.
Keep the aquarium or the railroad museum as the indoor backup.

Checked against: Visit Duluth: getting around, Explore Minnesota: a weekend in Duluth (checked Nov 1, 2026)

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Plan the Minneapolis to Duluth family drive with the Great Lakes Aquarium and the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.

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