The SS William A. Irvin, moored in Canal Park, is a 678-foot Great Lakes ore freighter that carried iron ore and coal from 1938 to 1978. It is now a floating museum where you can tour the full length of the ship: the vast cargo holds, the engine room, the pilot house, the galley, and the surprisingly elegant executive quarters. The scale of the vessel becomes fully apparent once you are walking its length — these ships are enormous.
The self-guided tour takes about an hour and is genuinely engaging for anyone with any interest in maritime history, engineering, or the Iron Range ore economy that shaped the upper Midwest. In October the ship runs popular "Haunted Ship" events that have a devoted following — if you are visiting in autumn, booking in advance is advisable.