Featured Image Credit: Great Lakes Aquarium Facebook
It was a great year for the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, Minnesota. The aquarium set a 15-year attendance record with over 162,000 visitors in 2017. That’s an increase of 13.5 percent from 2016, the highest one-year increase in the aquariums history. The growth was attributed to both locals and tourists to Duluth.
About the growth, Aquarium Executive Director Joe Montisano said:
Duluth’s commitment to developing tourism and all of our great educational and fun programing that is directed at the local citizens has resulted in sustained growth that we hope keep up for years to come. Our commitment is to keep refreshing and expanding the aquarium to maintain our position as a leading attraction for both tourists and local alike.
The Great Lakes Aquarium is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization with a mission to “inspire people to explore their connection to Lake Superior and waters of the world.” It was previously known as Lake Superior Center and has been on the Duluth Waterfront since 2000. The aquarium showcases animals and habitats found within the Great Lakes Basin along with animals from other freshwater ecosystems.