Starting in the mid-1800s Scandinavian immigrants settled along Lake Superior’s north shore and began fishing the lake in the same ways they had in their homelands. The North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum celebrates the heritage of these immigrants and the accomplishments of building communities in northern Minnesota’s harsh climate. 

InterActive Group was retained to extend the museum’s visitor experience with an interpretive walk along the lake’s shore. Working with staff and community, we developed a family of hands-on wayside exhibits to let visitors explore the lives and legacies of the area’s settlers and their connection to the lake. Being developed in phases, the Lake Walk introduces visitors to:

  • The fishing houses at the heart of the family-based fishing industry.
  • The fishing skiffs, nets and winders that were the tools of the trade.
  • The historic Tofte Dock and the steamships that connected isolated settlements and the outside world.
  • Lake Superior's harsh weather and marine life in its depths.
  • A day in the lives of the town's residents over a century ago.