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
Lake Superior Zoo zoo until his death in 1968. Lake Superior Zoo The Lake Superior Zoo is an AZA-accredited zoo in Duluth, Minnesota. The mission of the Lake Superior Zoo is to provide close-up animal experiences which inspire connections to wildlife and action toward conservation in our region and around the world. The Lake Superior Zoo was founded in 1923 by a West Duluth businessman, Bert Onsgard, when he built a pen for his white tail deer "Billy". This helped his vision spread through the community who in turn helped him build the zoo. The Pittsburgh Steel Company donated a rail car of