DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center will celebrate its 60th anniversary by opening its waterfront campus for free public tours from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20.
The event will give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the nearly 1 million-square-foot complex, which has expanded from a single arena and auditorium into a regional destination for concerts, conventions, hockey, symphony performances, graduations and community gatherings.
The DECC opened as the Duluth Arena and Auditorium in August 1966, when the city marked the completion of the $6.5 million complex with an 11-day festival.
The original arena became the home of the Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey team and remained the Bulldogs’ home rink until AMSOIL Arena opened in 2010.
The campus continued to grow during the decades that followed. Pioneer Hall was added in 1976, and the S.S. William A. Irvin arrived in 1986 to become a floating maritime museum. The City Side Convention Center, which includes the 26,000-square-foot Lake Superior Ballroom, opened in 1990, followed by AMSOIL Arena in 2010.
The original 1966 building remains in use and has hosted generations of athletes, entertainers and community events.
The anniversary tours are free and open to the public. The DECC is located at 350 Harbor Drive in Duluth. Visitors are encouraged to register in advance.
