Duluth, Minnesota four Catholic schools with coverage up to grades 6 or 8, two Protestant schools, two Montessori schools, and six other charter and private schools. Due to its proximity to the Great Lakes, Duluth is the location for the Large Lakes Observatory. The Large Lakes Observatory operates the largest university-owned research vessel in the Great Lakes, the R/V Blue Heron. Built in 1985 for fishing on the Grand Banks, the Blue Heron was purchased by the University of Minnesota in 1997, sailed from Portland, Maine, up the St. Lawrence Seaway to Duluth, and converted into a limnological research vessel during the
Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra (DSSO) is an American orchestra based in Duluth, Minnesota. Founded in 1932 as the Duluth Civic Orchestra, it became the city's first permanent symphony orchestra. In 2000, it performed the North American premiere of "Spring Symphony" by Chinese composer Xiao-Gang Ye. Since 1966, the DSSO has performed at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) Auditorium. The orchestra's season runs from September to May each year. The beginnings of the Duluth Civic Orchestra occurred in 1931 at the house of Alphin Flaaten, a professional music teacher. The first concert was on