The Strange Night That Gave Birth To Duluth’s Haunted Ship

If it weren't for a late-night phone call, one of the nation’s best and most popular Halloween attractions in Minnesota might not even exist.

Since 1986, the SS William A. Irvin in Duluth has given locals and tourists the chance to explore a retired Great Lakes freighter. Crowds would keep the floating museum busy throughout the spring and summer, but by October, interest would taper off.

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The ship was losing money during the fall, and by the early 1990s, new leadership took over operations. Not long after, an overnight alarm on the ship sparked an idea that would soon make fall the Irvin’s most profitable season.

The Start of a Minnesota Halloween Tradition

The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) owns and operates the Irvin. They purchased the vessel after it was retired from service in 1978 and in the early 1990s hired a former Vista Fleet captain, Paul Novitzke, to manage day-to-day operations.

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The DECC recently shared the unlikely origin story of the Haunted Ship. The idea came to Novitzke, who was called to the ship late one night after an intruder alarm went off. While inspecting the ship, he couldn’t help but notice the fear he felt being alone in the dark, cold, and creaking vessel.

That’s when the idea struck, to convert the Irvin into a haunted attraction for the month of October. Novitzke brought his idea to DECC leadership, who agreed and partnered with the University of Minnesota Duluth to open the first Haunted Ship in 1992.

That first year, 20,000 people dared to walk through the eerie freighter in just eight nights. Eventually, the workload became too much for UMD to handle, so the DECC took over production and still runs it today.

With a talented and dedicated team of employees and volunteers, the Haunted Ship continues to thrive, celebrating 30 years of screams, scares, and spooky fun on the Duluth waterfront.