Special Note: On Thursdays, admission is FREE starting at 4:00pm and we are open late until 8:00pm. But, downhill sledding still stops at 5:00 (for lighting/safety reasons).

Locations

Heritage Park Trail System

A groomed, 5-kilometer trail system on MDC grounds. You can snowshoe or kicksled here! There is a beginner, intermediate, and advanced loop. Bring your own gear, or rentals are available.

Discovery Hills Sled Park

A group of downhill sledding hills. There is a beginner, intermediate, and advanced hill Bring your own sled, or rentals are available.

Redhead MTB Park

A city-owned, public park right across from MDC. You can snowshoe or fat tire bike here! Entry to Redhead MTB Park is free. Snowshoe rentals are available at MDC. Fat tire bike rentals are available at 30West Bike Shop. You can also bring your own equipment.

Rentals

On-Campus Snowshoe Rentals: $3.00 + cost of admission

MDC offers snowshoe rentals for both adults and kids! On-campus snowshoe rentals can be used in our Heritage Park Trail System and are available for the duration of your visit.

Off-Campus Snowshoe Rentals: $15.00

Off-campus snowshoe rentals can be used in the nearby Redhead MTB Park (or elsewhere) and are available for 24 hours of use.

Kicksled Rentals: $3.00 + cost of admission

Explore MDC’s on-campus trail system on a kicksled! We have beginner, intemediate, and advanced loops totalling 5-kilometers in groomed trails.

Downhill Sled Rentals: FREE with cost of admission

Slide down our brand-new, on-campus sledding hills! Downhill sleds are free with general admission and first-come, first-serve. MDC members always get in free, so use of Discovery Hills Sled Park is completely complimentary for them!

Warm Up and Refuel

On Fridays and Saturdays, our MDC Dining Room transforms into a cozy warming house with hot food and drinks available from 11:00am–4:00pm. Perfect for a break between outdoor adventures!

Guided Winter Hike Opportunities

Step into a winter wonderland on a moonlit snowshoe hike!

Join us for a 3-mile round-trip adventure to the historic Glen Location. Along the way, you will hear fascinating stories about our local history and will learn interesting tidbits about the nature surrounding you.

Click the dates below to learn more.

Thursday, December 18, from 5pm-8pm
Thursday, January 8, from 5pm-8pm
Thursday February 5, from 5pm-8pm
Tuesday, March 3, from 5pm-8pm

Join us for a Ole Oleson’s Journey to America: Guided Snowshoe Hike!

Strap on your snowshoes and travel in the footsteps of Ole Oleson, a Norwegian immigrant, on a guided hike that traces his journey to America, investigating historic “Old World” buildings (such as a Norwegian stabbur and a Sami goahti) along the way.

Click the dates below to learn more.

Saturday, January 17, from 2pm-3pm
Saturday, February 21, from 2pm-3pm
Saturday, March 21, from 2pm-3pm

Bring your tiny tykes along for a Small Things Matter: Guided Winter Hike!

Explore a magical winter wonderland while getting to know Tommy the Gnome (psst—that’s a type of mythical creature from Scandinavian folklore) during this very special winter edition of the Small Things Matter Guided Tour.

Click the dates below to learn more.

Saturday, January 17, from 11am-12pm
Saturday, February 21, from 11am-12pm
Saturday, March 21, from 11am-12pm

Redhead MTB Park Winter Use Information

Regarding biking, only fat tire biking is allowed; to abide by this rule, tires must be at least 3.7 inches wide.
Regarding foot travel, only snowshoeing is allowed. Snowshoes are available for rent at MDC’s admissions desk.
Biking is prohibited on the snowmobile trail from December 1 to April 1 within the boundaries of the Redhead MTB Park.
The above prohibition closes the middle section of the Rim Trail, which will be marked accordingly with trail signage.

For safety reasons, no bikes with standard-width wheels are allowed.
For safety reasons, except for snowshoeing, foot travel is prohibited; simply using hiking boots is not permitted.
Pets are not allowed on groomed trails.
Activities that may damage the trails or ruin the grooming are prohibited.
Biking on the snowmobile trail from December 1 to April 1 is prohibited.

Volunteers generally groom trails in the evening after snowfall ends. Freshly groomed trails are very soft and easily damaged until they refreeze and firm up. For this reason, we ask bikes to stay off freshly groomed trails for 12 to 24 hours after they have been groomed (so that the surface conditions can firm up and be ideal for biking again). Snowshoes are welcome on the freshly groomed trail as they help pack the snow. Visit www.trailforks.com or download the Trailforks Mobile App for the latest trail grooming status.

When it rains (or snows, if the ground is not yet frozen), the single-track trails will be immediately closed to all users (foot or bike) until the trail conditions dry out and firm up. The trails typically reopen a few hours after the rain (or snow) ends, but the cooler the temperature, the longer it might take to reopen the trails.

Play Studio

A magical space where kids can explore, discover, and have fun doing what they do best—play! This space is now open and is located in the lower level of the Museum overlook.

The Play Studio filled with open-ended materials that inspire creativity and discovery. It’s designed for children ages 6 months to 11 years old, but all ages are welcome. Access to the Play Studio is included with your Museum admission.

Gift Shop

Our Gift Shop is stocked full of merchandise from dozens of local and regional vendors and artists! Stop in and check out all the great new products that scream Northern Minnesota! Don’t forget, the Gift Shop is the exclusive retailer of Redhead Mountain Bike Park merchandise—all merchandise purchases with the official Redhead logo directly support the park’s trail maintenance fund.

Trolley Tours

Step aboard our historic trolley! This interpretive tour takes passengers through Glen Location, the former mining community.

Trolley tours have ended for the winter season. Hop aboard again in the spring!

TYPE	RATE
Member	$5.00
Non-Member	$6.00
Group Rate: Member	$4.00
Group Rate: Non-Member	$4.00
Trolley Charter (48-rider capacity)	$4.00 / person
Discovery Pass Holder	FREE

Our trolley is wheelchair-accessible up to two wheelchairs at a time. If you need any help boarding, just ask!

Our trolley seats up to 48 people and makes for a fun group experience! Call (218) 254-7959 or email to book a group charter.

Mini-Golf

Try our 19-hole mining-themed miniature golf course!

Mini golf is currently closed for the season. Putt your way to victory again in the spring!

Mini-golf tickets are a one-time purchase per round in addition to general admission to the Museum.

TYPE	RATE
Non-Member	$4.00 / round
Member	$3.50 / round
Group-Rate: Non-Member	$3.00 / round
Group-Rate: Member	$3.00 / round
Discovery Pass Holders	FREE

Summer Recreation Rentals

Canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and life jackets are available for rent through MDC admissions.

Bike rentals are available at 30 West Fitness & Recreation’s Bike Shop in MDC’s Summer Admissions Entrance

Summer recreation rentals are done for the season. Splash with us again in the spring!

Note: Equipment rentals are first-come, first-served and weather-permitting.

Canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards can all be rented for $15/hour.

Life jackets can be rented for $10 flat.

Please call 218-254-7959 or visit the Admissions Desk to reserve rental gear.

Shuttle Service

Our Recreation Team members are available to help get you to and from the mine pit or bike trails! Plus, they’ll help you get fitted in your rental gear, load/unload your equipment, and launch your watercraft.

Shuttle service is closed for the season. We’ll help you get your adventures started once things thaw out next spring.

Note: Shuttle service is first-come, first-served and weather-permitting.

Shuttle service is $5.00 or free with the rental of a canoe or kayak!

The shuttle can accommodate 11 people. We can also assist with hauling equipment (including bikes, kayaks, canoes, and hiking gear) for all 11 people.

Civilian Conservation Corps Museum

Learn about the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps and how their creation saved Minnesota during The Great Depression.

Inaugurated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on April 5, 1933, CCC camps provided work for unmarried young men between 18 and 25. This program began a long series of economic reforms under The New Deal.

Veterans Memorial

This digital memorial honors the service of veterans in Iron Range communities (including Chisholm, Virginia, and Hibbing).

The Mesabi Trail

To access the Mesabi Trail, park in the MDC parking lot.

Redhead MTB Park

Discover world-class mountain biking at Redhead MTB Park. Redhead Mountain Bike Park is a city-owned public park that is free to ride and open seven days a week, excluding rain days and/or seasonal changes.

Carved from the walls of an abandoned water-filled iron ore mine pit, Redhead MTB Park offers outdoor enthusiasts an oasis of fun year-round. Redhead MTB Park has something for everyone—with 28 miles of hand-crafted, purpose-built mountain bike trails already on the ground and more on the way. Difficulty ranges from beginner to expert level, with a wide array of terrain features and options for riders to test their skills. Adventure seekers can also hike on designated trails and kayak, canoe, paddleboard, and swim in the mine pit!

LEARN MORE

The main trailhead with amenities is located at MDC at 1005 Discovery Drive, Chisholm, MN. A second trailhead is located at Bruce Mine Headframe Park and Trailhead (900 4th Avenue SE, Chisholm, MN).

Redhead MTB Park is open dawn to dusk, seven days a week. Trails are open unless marked closed on Trailforks or Trailbot. Weather and seasonal closures in effect include: November (rifle hunting season), rain days, and freeze-thaw cycles. Contact information can be found on Redhead MTB Park’s Facebook page.

Riders can enjoy the bike trails from sunrise to sunset seven days a week. The trails are closed when significant rainfall occurs and remain closed for at least 2 hours after rainfall or until dry.

No! You will only pay if you’d like to explore MDC’s museum and exhibits.

Each trail has designated use signage. A majority of (but not all) trails allow walking/hiking. No motorized vehicles are allowed. E-bikes are allowed. Trail running is allowed. No public driving of vehicles in the park. Dogs are permitted but must be leashed (6-foot leash or less), and owners must pick up after their dogs. Kayaking, swimming, paddle boarding, and canoeing are also available.

Please call 911 for all emergencies.

Yes! Redhead is on Trailbot and Trailforks.

For additional trail condition updates, follow Redhead MTB Park and Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists (IROC) on Facebook and Instagram.

Redhead MTB Park Facebook & Instagram

Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists (IROC) Facebook & Instagram

Download the free Trailforks Mobile App. Users can report any issue on the app. Alternatively, you can report any problem to MDC’s staff or the 30West Bike Shop (during open hours). The City of Chisholm also fields maintenance calls via phone call or text (218-969-6408) or a direct message on the Redhead MTB Park Facebook Page.

Redhead MTB Park is a cooperative effort between IROC, the City of Chisholm, and the Minnesota Discovery Center. The Department of Iron Range Resources, which utilizes mining taxes, funded the trail system.

“The Redhead Mountain Bike Park, being built on 1,225 acres of former Iron Range mine land, is shaping up to arguably be the most scenic and unequaled mountain bike park in the Midwest.”

– Business North

A child looking out of a trolley car window.

Aerial of the Glen location in Chisolm, MN.